What a beautiful weekend! As I was out taking photo after photo for November's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day (hosted each month by the lovely and funny Carol of May Dreams Gardens) on Saturday, I kept thinking, "Wow, and there are flowers on THIS, too?" and, "Really, who would have guessed that I'd still be seeing such a show from my salvia guaranitica 'Black & Blue' this late in the season?" But there it was:
Which brings me to why I participate in Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day each month: Not only is it a lot of fun to see what's blooming in OPG (Other People's Gardens) but also it keeps me on track with the whole "garden journal" purpose of my blog. While the images were downloading onto my computer, I went back through previous Bloom Days and discovered that LOTS of plants that are blooming today were still blooming here in the past few Novembers, too, including:
Top to bottom, those images show: 'Munstead' lavender, 'Hameln' pennisetum with blue caryopteris, self-sown red snapdragons with one branch of the still-blooming 'Walker's Low' catmint behind, 'Purple Dragon' lamium, 'Jumping Jack' (zygopetalum) orchid, 'Vodka' wax begonias, pineapple sage fronting 'Rotstrahlbusch' switchgrass, lonicera sempervirens--a the native honeysuckle, 'Sweet Kate' tradescantia, 'Golden Delicious' pineapple sage with 'Sweet Kate' behind, 'Ozark' strawberries, and 'Caradonna,' which is my favorite of the long-blooming perennial purple salvias.
I admit, I was a little bit disappointed to find out that many of my "Special November Flowers" weren't really all that special after all! But there are a few new things blooming here in the garden, like:
Top to bottom: Mandevilla sanderi, 'Albury Purple' St. John's Wort, 'Meyer Improved' lemon--which is scenting the dining room wonderfully!--above dark purple begonia foliage, unnamed variety of calendula, lemon verbena, the insidious but pretty 'Neon Lights' mini snapdragons (linaria aerugimea) that self-sow everywhere, and a tiny sprig of alyssum peeking out from a mound of silver 'Amazon Sun' lotus vine foliage.
Other things in bloom at my house this weekend, but not shown in pictures, include: Peace lily, Thanksgiving cactus, 'Dragon Wing' begonia, 'Grosso' lavender, golden oregano, and 'All Gold' hakonechloa.
Want to see more November blooms? First check out Carol's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day Post, and then visit the links at the bottom for more.
15 comments:
That honeysuckle is not going gently.... Yellow leaves, but pink flowers!
Amazing that you *still* have begonias and pineapple sage going outdoors, Kim. It's great to see how much color you have left. Happy Bloom Day!
Wow, you have more blooms than I do and you are further north than I. Happy GBBD.
Wow Kim, there are lots of blooms in your garden! I'm happy to see wax begonias - they're workhorses in my shady garden rarely seen in garden blog posts. I've wondered if it's because few garden bloggers grow them, or if they're just hesitant to show them thinking them to ordinary or common to merit a mention.
What a great showing of blooms for November! You've got a little bit of everything in a month we think of as not having many blooms at all.
Thanks for joining in for bloom day!
Not only do you still have things in bloom, but they have multiple blooms, not just a single lingering flower. Snapdragons are such troopers, but I always forget to plant them. Next spring, if I remember, I'm going to get some of the tall ones and plant them where things are looking a little blank now. Happy Bloom Day!
Indian Summer gifts ... a delightful November showing, Kim! I've pretty much put my garden to bed, cutting back even bloomers, afraid to be caught by snow like last year!
How wonderful Kim, what a great parade of flowers in bloom on this GBBD - November. Fragrant Lemon hm... how divine.
Tyra
ndian Summer gifts ... a delightful November showing, Kim!
public speaking
My Salvia surprised me to. The Black and Blue and all of the other types made through two freezes and our little snowstorm. The Coral Nymph gave up now but there are some flowers left on the others. A lot more hardy than I thought.
Kim, A bounty of blooms for November Bloom Day...and a great way to keep track of what blooms from year to year. I was totally surprised to discover that all the rain (20+ inches this fall) actually wiped out some bloomers that I had planted for drought tolerance and that had been in bloom last November. gail
I'm as excited as you are, Kim, to see all your blooms! You even have Wax Begonias still going...wow! Mine were zapped several weeks ago.
Am I right in assuming that the Black & Blue and Pineapple Sages are annuals for you? Do you take cuttings to overwinter them?
I'll have to try the Caradonna.
Your fall garden is beautiful. Haven't we been blessed with a gorgeous fall after such a dismal beginning to the season?
Indian Summer gifts indeed!
The foliage on the Cerinthe Major has lasted surprisingly well. That's an annual, isn't it?
You have so many blooms Kim even though it is almost Thanksgiving! I remember being snowed on sometimes when I'd walk to my Grandma's house early on Thanksgiving Day before the rest of the family was ready. You're right...Bloom Day is helpful for sorting out the real unusual blooms from the ones we think must be unusual. I'm thankful every month for the forced record keeping!
My old bloom days surprised me, too, Kim - there was more of a rhythm to November than either of us realized.
It's fun to see the Coral honeysuckle looking so good in your garden. My lemon has fruit ripening for Thanksgiving recipes, but no blossoms so no lovely fragrance in the breakfast room. Enjoy yours!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Wow, your November Bloom Day almost looks like May!
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