Tuesday, October 15, 2013

October 2013 Bloomday…


There is no denying it's autumn and the garden is in graceful decline. While I'll never claim this season as a favorite, I'm also not blind to its many charms. To my memory it's unusual for the eucomis (a mixture of E. 'Sparkling Beauty' and 'Oakhurst') to still look so good midway through October.

Since this is my first autumn with Clematis tibetana var. vernayi I am overwhelmed (in a good way) with it's huge number of blooms.

The seed heads are gorgeous too!

x Fatshedera 'Aureo Maculata'

The bashful blooms of Mahonia fortunei 'Curlyque'

There's nothing shy about the emerging blooms of the Mahonia x media 'Charity'

And I almost missed the Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress'

I've only got one green Hakonechloa, the feathery blooms show up even better against a solid background.

I included an image of my blooming Musella lasiocarpa in a post last week but had to share it again, it's working hard to get all those petals unfurled before winter.

A twofer! Sedum 'Autumn Joy' and Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats)

The years last hosta bloom...

And my first ever Tricyrtis (Toad Lily) bloom. I should go find the tag so I can tell you exactly which one this is, but frankly I haven't organized my tags in quite sometime and I'm afraid to go near the pile.

Rosemary...

Grevillea juniperina ‘Molonglo’ (G. juniperina ‘Lava Cascade’ is still blooming too, just imagine a red version).

The Grevillea victoriae 'Murray Queen' flowers are starting to open!

Although some buds have fallen off without opening. I wish I knew why.

This is very exciting! A bud on my Grevillea 'Peaches and Cream!' first one ever...

Another first, Callistemon citrinus! Although it's a little stunted. This isn't the hardiest of the Callistemon and I bought it mainly as a rescue, it's in a container.

Finally a couple plants that had been outside on vacation but are now inside for the winter, Aloe hybrid 'Fairy Pink'. There are 5 separate bloom spikes on this plant right now. In order to capture them all I would have had to move back so far you wouldn't have seen any detail.

Here's what the plant looks like.

And the smallest (and final) flower in this Bloomday post belongs to Mammillaria gracilis var. fragilis...

In case you're new to the world of Garden Blogging "Bloomday" is a meme hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Participating bloggers post photos of their garden blooms on the 15th of each month. Check it out here!

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

26 comments:

  1. Autumn is really a great time for colors. I have been out all week in the gardens taking photos to post. Now I have to pick the few that I will put on my blog next week. I want to show Lake Michigan as a backdrop on some since the lake is an important part of what makes these gardens. Enjoyed my visit.

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    1. Oh yes, to have a lake view from the garden would change everything!

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  2. I have visited here many times. I am trying to make the spookiest garden so I appreciate loving the theme....great plants...happy gbbd!

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  3. You always have the most interesting bloom day picks. You've reminded me (in time for a nursery trek planned for this weekend) that I need more Grevillea. Happy GBBD!

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    1. I can not wait to see what Grevilleas you bring home! Glad you stopped by for a reminder.

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  4. As always, your bloom day picks are beautiful and interesting! Only 5 more months until spring! Yea!

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    1. But only 3 and a half months until the NWFG Show!

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  5. I have several piles of plant tags, here, there and everywhere. Maybe I'll make organizing them my winter project. You have such a varied collection of flowers, not the usual suspects.

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    1. Wintertime is generally when I organize the pile from the crazy planting season that came before. Its kind of a mood lifter then, where as done in the summertime its not.

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  6. Everything is looking gorgeous. I still love that clematis, it's awesome.

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  7. I lost my toadlily after the first year, I must try it again. I like the Clematis especially as the flowers look like little balloons before they fully open and as for the mahonia media charity! mine won't flower until January/February

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    1. The clematis flowers do look like balloons! And once they open I can't walk by without squeezing them, they are so thick and spongy.

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  8. That bloomin Musella again...do think mine will ever ? I'm thinking I could pull it all out and separate it, I'll have dozens for the spring swap?

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    1. But why do you want to separate it? Don't you like the clump? I honestly don't know what makes them decide to bloom. Perhaps just age?

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  9. The spent Eucomis blooms pair so nicely with the Cotinus in the background :-)

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    1. I'm loving that view right now! (obviously since I included it twice right?)

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  10. Beautiful Grevilleas! As for the plant-tag pile - yikes! I have a box of them from this year that I keep promising myself to enter in my database and organize...but it's still beautiful OUTSIDE!

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    1. And they will stay right there in that box until it's not beautiful outside. Perfect task for one of the many rainy days of January.

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  11. Looks great, despite it being October. The Mammilaria is my favorite, so dainty, yet so threatening. : )

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    1. And it's turning out to be very long lasting too!

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  12. Great selection Loree, so many delightful blooms even so late in the season. Must remember to check out our Mahonias....

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    1. I realized yesterday I forgot to photograph the Mahonia gracilipes!

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  13. Amazing variety, and I especially like that most of your picks for blooms are stunning, yet mostly not the obvious (like what I find). Happy GBBD, from this still-non-participant!

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    1. The fact you identify as a non-participant makes me think maybe some month you will participate?

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