Purple and blue flowers are making the biggest statement in my garden this Bloom Day. Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior,' Salvia leucantha and Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' are the chief attention-grabbers.
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| Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior' continues to produce new blooms |
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| Salvia leucantha is in bloom in my garden and many others in my area |
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| Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' catches the light in my front border |
But other purples play strong supporting roles.
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| Cuphea hyssopifolia (aka false heather) isn't flashy but it makes a great groundcover below the fountain |
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| Hebe speciosa 'Variegata' has bloomed since spring with regular dead-heading (although I think it might be happier with a little less sun) |
Some deserve acclaim for sheer perseverance.
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| The only time Osteospermum ecklonis '3D Silver' hasn't been in bloom is when I've hacked it back but it clearly likes October's cooler temperatures |
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| Acanthus mollis 'Summer Beauty' has been in bloom continuously since late April! One of it's 2 current bloom spikes has faded but the newer one still looks good. |
Bright blues are making a showing too.
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| Salvia 'Mystic Spires' likes regular dead-heading |
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| This Salvia macrophylla is still a small plant but that blue color is something! |
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| Close-up of bright blue blooms |
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| An Agapanthus flower has made an early return visit |
Pink blooms are everywhere but, with one exception, they keep lower profiles.
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| Angelonia 'Angelmist Dark Pink" provides a bright accent in my dry garden |
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| Arbutus 'Marina' is producing a steady supply of new blooms |
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| Okay, these aren't pink but, in addition to the new blooms shown above, the Arbutus 'Marina' trees are producing berries too |
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| Celosia argentea var. spicata is the least demure of the pink bloomers |
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| Cuphea ignea 'Starfire Pink,' another continuous bloomer, makes a nice combination with Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold' in the front border |
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| My potted fuchsias responded well to extra water. I think this one is 'Deep Purple,' which opens with a purple/blue corolla that fades to pink. |
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| Fuchsia 'Bella Rosella' |
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| A hoya (no ID) I've had in a pot for years has finally produced it's first waxy bloom! |
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| These double pink Lisianthus look pretty in a picture but I still don't like them in the back border |
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| The Nandina berries start green, turn pink, then orange and finally red |
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| This Nerium oleander leans into my garden from the neighbor's property |
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| The ivy geranium (Pelargonium peltatum) and Calibrachoa are heavy bloomers in a pot on the sunny front porch |
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| More ivy geranium in bloom in a border alongside the raised vegetable planters |
Of course, there are a few white, yellows and oranges too.
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| Argyranthemum 'Elsa White' in bloom since their installation in March in a side yard bed created as a result of removal of a tall Eucalyptus tree |
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| The white form of Centranthus ruber, a virtual weed in my garden, is entering a new bloom cycle in the dry garden |
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| Some Coreopsis 'Big Bang Redshift' are still blooming in the backyard border |
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| Euryops 'Sonnenschein' is both drought tolerant and shorter than the the Euryops I commonly find in local garden centers, reaching just 2 feet tall at maturity |
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| Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' is still going strong |
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| I'm hoping that this Helichrysum italicum, new to my garden, will do as well as the other gray-leaved Helichrysum |
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| This dwarf Tagetes lemmonii (aka Copper Canyon daisy) is also a recent addition to the garden |
I think that's all that's fit to highlight this month. Please visit Carol's
May Dreams Gardens to find links to other gardeners' presentations of the plants currently in bloom in their gardens.
You still have so much that is worth highlighting in a post. All very beautiful. I know if I look closely, and frame my shots well, I can find plenty still flowering in my own garden. But it just feels sparse, since everything is winding down for autumn. Thanks for showing the Arbutus 'Marina' flowers and berries. That is an intriguing small tree, I wish I could find somewhere close by that is selling large specimens of it.
ReplyDeleteMy garden has some big empty spots, too, Alison - I lost a number of things due to the combination of heat, drought and miserly irrigation. However, fall here is like a 2nd spring - my area doesn't get frost - so replanting is underway.
DeleteAll your blooms are lovely but that dwarf Tagetes really caught my eye. I must hunt for it because my tagetes ( which is not blooming yet) is a monster. I have plectranthus but it doesn't look as pretty as yours. Maybe some cooler drier weather would help. happy GBBD.
ReplyDeleteI had one of the monster Tagetes as well but lost it in the process of digging out an invasive plant that had taken root practically on top of it. Now, all I can find are the dwarf forms. In this case, it's welcome but I do get tired of nurseries preoccupations with dwarf versions of everything.
DeleteA Hoya, blooming, outside? Wow. So many fabulous things but that had to be my favorite.
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly, there are advantages to a no-frost climate. There's just one bloom cluster (so far) but I was excited to find it. It's the first time this plant has bloomed since I got it years ago.
DeleteYou have a lot going on yet. Looks great! Dwarf Tagetes is an excellent idea--mine is the deluxe size, too big.
ReplyDeleteI like the Hoya, too.
I'm very excited about the Hoya myself. Frankly, the dwarf Tagestes is all I can find lately but the size is appropriate for the spot - the full-blown version wouldn't work.
DeleteSo late in the season and yet your garden still looks so summery, wow!
ReplyDeleteWell, we really only have 2 seasons - warm and cool. We're entering the cool season but still getting spots of 80 degree weather. That pattern will probably run another month.
DeleteThat Celosia is so wonderful...just love those fluffy, glowing blooms!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't pass up that plant when I saw it at the nursery, Scott. It demanded to come home with me. It's actually the first Celosia I've adopted.
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