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| This year, Plectranthus 'Zulu Wonder' is keeping happy company with burgundy flowered Pelargonium peltatum (ivy geranium) |
The late-comers, Barleria obtusa and Senna bicapsularis, have barely said hello but I expect they'll both be coloring up the garden within the next couple of weeks.
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| Barleria obtusa (bush violet) shows signs of wishing to take over various sections of my garden but, with healthy green foliage and masses of purple-blue flowers, I can forgive it almost anything |
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| The first buds of Senna bicapsularis 'Worley's Butter Cream' opened just yesterday and, as the plant serves as host to sulphur butterflies, I expect to see them make an appearance soon too |
Tagetes lemmonii is also late in making its regular fall appearance, probably due to tardy pruning, but the dwarf form is trying to make up for its absence with a carpet of bright yellow blooms.
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| The compact form is right at home at the base of Agave 'Jaws' and Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' |
While Eustoma grandiflorum has moved on prematurely, leaving only a few blooms behind, Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum' continues its long seasonal performance.
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| Two of the 5 purple fountain grass clumps in my garden |
I discovered a few surprises on my rounds.
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| I inherited a few Anemone hupehensis japonica with the garden but they bloom only sporadically and in small numbers if at all |
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| Salvia 'Mystic Spires' can be found in various areas of my back garden but this clump in a corner of my south side succulent bed, while short in stature, is the healthiest one in my garden despite the fact that I've almost entirely ignored its existence |
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| This Tibouchina urvilleana (Princess Flower), also inherited with the garden, has produced more blooms this year than I can ever recall it doing in the 6+ years we've had the garden |
The rest is bits and pieces of this and that.
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| Top row: noID Angelonia, noID Duranta (sold as 'Gold Mound'), Erigeron glaucus 'Wayne Roderick' and Iochroma 'Mr Plum' Second row: Lotus jacobaeus, Osteospermum '4D Silver', lavender Pelargonium peltatum, and noID Plumbago Third row: Lavandula multifida and noID Leucophyllum Fourth row: Polygala myrtifolia 'Mariposa' and Trichostema 'Midnight Magic' |
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| Top row: Achillea 'Moon Dust', Clematis paniculata, Eustoma grandiflorum, and Gazania 'White Flame' Second row: self-seeded Gazania, Lantana 'Samantha', Leucanthemum x superbum, and Oncidium 'Wildcat' Third row: Gaura lindheimeri, Hunnemannia fumariifolia, and Lantana 'Lucky White' |
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| Top row: Aloe 'Johnson's Hybrid', Arbutus 'Marina', Cuphea 'Vermillionaire' and Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' Second row: Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', G. 'Peaches & Cream', G. Superb', and Lantana camara 'Irene' Third row: Leonotis leonurus, Mandevilla 'Sun Parasol Apricot', and Salvia elegans |
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| Top row: noID Argyranthemum, Bauhinia x blakeana, Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy', and dark pink Pelargonium peltatum Second row: Pentas 'Graffiti Violet', noID rose, and Rosa 'Pink Meidiland' Third row: Correa 'Wyn's Wonder', Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', and the last of the Zinnias |
I'll close with blooms of 2 of the prettier weeds in my garden.
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| Top row: tiny cream-colored blooms of Artemisia ludoviciana Second row: the buff-colored blooms of Helichrysum petiolare 'Silver Mist' |
That's it for my October bloom summary. Visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens for more posts celebrating Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.
All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
lots of loveliness happening in your garden but I was particularly smitten with that very dark red Pelargonium.
ReplyDeleteI love that Pelargonium too, Linda. It was pure happenstance that I planted it next to the Plectranthus but aren't they wonderful together? I was happy when I found Alternanthera 'Little Ruby' too as it picks up the same dsark burgundy red color.
DeleteKris, you garden is always full of beauty! I am impressed by the Tibouchina urvilleana, a plant I once saw once in my life, really beautiful. The Rose 'Pink Meidiland' has a gorgeous purpleish pink color, I have two roses with similar color "Eminence" and "Blue Perfume" but the later is very prone to diseases and rarely blooms. Have a lovely Sunday!
ReplyDeleteI grew 2 Tibouchina urvilleana in my old garden - they reached tree-like heights but got a bit spindly with age. Tibouchina heteromalia is more manageable I think.
DeleteIs that the hunnemania from Hoov? I need to get some started. That's a great new color for mandevilla. And this is what you call subdued?!
ReplyDeleteNo, I planted Hoov's seeds but they didn't germinate for me. I picked this plant up locally but only brought home one as I've previously killed it. So far, so good with this one (except that the blasted squirrels keep trying to dig around it to bury unripe gauvas).
DeleteAs to my garden, there's a little of a lot but no masses of color, at least not until the Barleria gets going.
Hunnemannia definitely piqued my interest too, I must say. I'm making plans for 2018 that will include a significant increase in flowers-some years you just need them.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Kathy - if we ever needed flowers and plants of all kinds to affirm life, it's this year!
DeleteMany many flowers, all of them wonderful! I bought what was labeled as the compact form of Tagetes lemonii, but it's waist high already.
ReplyDeleteThis Tagetes really does want to crawl along the ground, HB. I can't recall the grower's name.
DeleteEven your "bits and pieces of this and that" are wonderful. I love the color of that burgundy ivy geranium. I often forget how much color we can get into the garden by using annuals, although it's probably not an annual for you.
ReplyDeleteNo, Pelargoniums are perennials here and the waxy ivy geraniums are the toughest of the lot. The plant growing up the arbor on the north side of my house (the one I refer to as "dark pink") came from my old garden and it's been growing here happily for 6+ years.
DeleteAlways so much in spectacular bloom in your garden! I hope the beauty of your garden brings you as much joy as it gives all of us!
ReplyDeleteIf I can keep one eye closed as I pass through the areas of the garden in need of intervention, I can appreciate the garden, Peter. I look forward to filling in the gaps if/when summer gives us a break and leaves the premises for 2017!
DeleteYour 'subdued' selection has more flowers than most gardens boast at any time! I'm very interested that Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy' flowers over such a long period, I'm hoping that I have managed to source some seed so I might be using it in my arrangements next year. I've been pleased with the white Gomphrena that I grew this year after seeing yours.
ReplyDeleteThe 2 Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy' in the bed at the front of the house are particularly happy, Christina. They literally never stop blooming except when I chop them back (which I should do now as they're getting very tall). The couple I planted elsewhere aren't nearly as vigorous so I imagine that one location happens to have just the right, soil, water and sun conditions.
DeleteSubdued is still pretty darn fantastic! I love the Tibouchina, it's a beauty.
ReplyDeleteI love Tibouchina too, although they're messy when grown to tree height as in my former garden. This one is well-situated and never allowed to get any taller than it currently is.
DeleteWow and you call that subdued Kris? :) Interesting to hear that some of your stalwarts are running late this year despite having more of the wet stuff.
ReplyDeleteAlthough our winter was wetter than those during the prior drought years, we've been very dry since April and the recent plague of heatwaves may have some bearing on the delay.
DeleteYour flowers certainly look happy, Kris. Totally agree that the Pelargonium is lovely and in just the right spot! I always love your Tagetes lemmoni; does your dwarf version go by any particular name? (I could use a smallish one!) Do you expect bloom from Senna bicapsularis this time of year? My S. nemophila normally waits till January, but it has some buds already - I guess that's okay as it looks quite healthy...
ReplyDeleteThe dwarf Tagetes was labeled as 'Compact' but I've also seen it offered as 'Compacta'. Yes, Senna bicapsularis blooms here in October, even if its common names include Winter Senna and Christmas Senna.
DeleteKris..I hope you know how cool your garden is. I alwasy enjoy visiting your blog because while I know you garden with a water wise emphasis but man..you have so many pretty blooms despite your dry climate. I love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jennifer! I have a hard time seeing what's good about the garden at this time of year - I fixate on the holes left by the combination of heat and months and months without rain. I irrigate but it doesn't have anywhere near the impact of a good rainstorm.
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