Thursday, October 15, 2015

October 2015 Bloomday

I was talking with a friend the other day, explaining my rather unorthodox approach to autumn. You'll find none of the usual October blooms in my garden, a fact that had me thinking I had nothing much to share this Garden Bloggers Bloomday. But that's not true, I've got quite a bit going on this month - although most of it's not new - they've been blooming for months. Qui est la vie dans mon jardin!

Abutilon megapotamicum 'Red'

Abutilon Nuabyell

Anigozanthos 'Amber Velvet', cutting back the blooms when they faded in August has resulted in a new flush.

Clematis tibetana var. vernayi, blooming like MAD!

The Correa backhousea blooms have finally started to open.

They're pretty sweet.

Datura meteloides 'Double Lavender'

Since it started blooming early last week it just keeps on pumping them out.

The Stapelia would have bloomed outdoors, except for the fact that the pot hanging next to it was stolen last week, I wasted no time in bringing this one indoors.

I've learned the flowers last much longer inside. Is it because it hasn't been pollinated? Or because the temperatures are cooler...maybe both? It has been fun to watch Lila try and find the source of the "delicious" rotting meat odor. She's investigated every square foot of the basement trying to locate it.

Grevillea 'Peaches and Cream'

I love this plant, it's been blooming non-stop for months.

Grevillea 'Superb' - the bloom reminded me I need to lift this plant before we get a freeze. It wasn't looking very good in the container so I stuck it in the ground to see if it would perk up. It has.

Grevillea victoriae 'Murray Queen' is covered in buds, will they open? Only time will tell. This one is infamous for dropping it's buds before they open.

I should be sharing flowers the on Grevillea 'Neil Bell' has I have every month since I can't remember when.

However in a week's time it went from thriving to dead, why? I don't know, but it's sad.

Those buds will never get to open...and this shrub was a cornerstone in my garden.

Persicaria microcephala ‘Red Dragon’...flowers everywhere...

x Fatshedera lizei ‘Annemieke’

And this! Flowers on my Eriobotrya japonica...there was an odor, I knew something unexpected was blooming (it's the first time) but I couldn't locate the source. Duh! Just that large "going to be a tree" in the corner. Will there be fruit? Only time will tell...

Mahonia x media 'Charity, not quite blooms but darn close.

Is this the year the Tetrapanax papyrifer blooms will open before the killing frost? We shall see...

Both of my Edgeworthia are covered in buds. Here's E. chrysantha ‘Akebono’...

Looking forward to a February Bloomday when it's only October...I kinda like that. Visit May Dreams Gardens for links to all the bloggers participating this month.

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

34 comments:

  1. I'm always amazed by your garden. While I love my big blooms, I am mesmerized by your petite ones and how the foliage adds this amazing light. Happy GBBD!

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    1. Thanks Jennifer! While I love the flowers it is always about the foliage for me.

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  2. You have beautiful flowers in your garden!

    Greetings, Sofie #26
    http://sofies-succulent-beads.blogspot.be

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  3. Stolen?! What is the neighborhood coming to? Sorry to hear it. But the Loquat, holy moly. I never got mine to bloom. Lucky you!

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    1. Seriously sad development! I did read a theory that thefts and car break-ins go up on garbage night, indeed that's when it happened.

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  4. That Mahonia is so fab! Sorry about the 'Neil Bell' -- be sure to do as good an "autopsy" as you can. Not knowing is bad and scary. Are there any places locally that will help diagnose? Missouri Botanical Garden lets you bring in dead leaves/stems/plants -- in ziploc bags -- for diagnosis.

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    1. Paul (Xera Plants) thought it might be Phytophthora. Evidently watering Proteaceous plants when it's hot can bring that on. When I realized it was a gonner my immediate concern was that I hadn't watered it enough, having been rather lax for the last month and a half, even though it's been dry. However looking at the plants all around it they seem to be fine.

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  5. Sorry to see you lost a Grevillea, and a pot. :(

    Everything else is lovely. The Mahonia sure looks happy. Here the neighbor's Loquat flowers broadcast quite a sweet fragrance and draw bees by the hundreds.

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    1. The bees are certainly appreciating the Loquat flowers, they're all over them. I can't decide if I like the fragrance or not. It's odd.

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  6. Happy GBBD! Lots of blooms for October. Don't know if I've ever seen a Loquat in bloom in the PNW - cool! Poor Neil. Sorry to hear of his passing.

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    1. I saw flowers on the Loquats at the Chinese Garden here in town, that's the only other ones I know if.

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  7. I'm wondering if that gorgeous Datura has produced any seedpods? If it has, I'd love to have a few. Sorry to hear your Neil Bell has croaked.

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    1. Not yet, but the person I got it from (Eric, did you meet him at Ann's?) grew it from seed so there's hope. If I get any you can certain have a few.

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  8. Oh, that first abutilon. Swoon.~~Dee

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  9. Is that Mahonia 'Charity' one plant or three? My my my...you remind me I need a few Grevillea ''Murray Queen' in the garden.

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    1. One plant, that's bulked up very nicely.

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  10. Your garden is astounding! I have to get my hands on that Mahonia - and the Grevillea 'Murray Queen'. I'm sorry about the loss of the Grevillea and the pot - I'm amazed (and disgusted) that people have the temerity to steal right out of someone's garden.

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    1. It's a sad state of affairs isn't it? Gardeners are such generous people too.

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  11. How peculiar that your G. Neil Bell just gave it up like that. Will you dig it up ? Perhaps that might provide a clue. And really , your Mahonia 'Charity' is magnificent. I would be walking out and staring at it multiple times a day.

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    1. Yep, getting G. Neil Bell out is on today's chore list. We shall see. Funny the Mahonia 'Charity' is planted on the north side of our house, so I have to walk up the neighbors driveway to see it.

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  12. Oh, that's sad about your Grevillea 'Neil Bell'. But on the bright side, it will leave room for something new. Had to laugh at the thought of Lila snuffling around determinedly to find the source of the "delightful" aroma.

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    1. She was so determined too, poor girl. Re: the something new - I'm thinking the Physocarpus I got from Alison at the swap.

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  13. I think that's the niftiest (is that a word?) photo of a Mahonia I've ever seen. Wow. Your Abutilon featured at the beginning of this post is spectacular, as is the double Datura! Many of these plants are ones I saw at plant nurseries in Florida when I was there last year. Kind of made me crazy to think about the possibilities. I never thought to plant Bougainvillea as an annual (or to overwinter it indoors), but then I noticed more people around here doing that this past growing season. I might have to try it next year! Happy GBBD!

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    1. We're so lucky to be gardening in a time where we can get out dirty hands on almost any plant we want. I hope you do try the Bougainvillea! I grew one last year but I think I planted it out to early and it got knocked back, never to really snap out of it.

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  14. You really do have the coolest plants -- beautiful, too. That Mahonia...! My heart jumped a little when I read on the interwebs that Abutilon megapotamicum 'Red' can make a great hanging basket plant (says this one guy, but still). So sorry about 'Neil Bell,' and the pot. There were complaints on a hometown Facebook page about potted-plant thefts, a few months back -- maybe at some point we'll need our own Stolen Container Recovery System. LoPot...?

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    1. Gawd I hope not (Stolen Container Recovery System) although you've got me remembering the signs I saw at the SF Botanical Garden, referencing the fact the plants had GPS chips imbedded.

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  15. Oh Lila - made me laugh. Dogs are so funny with their stink-preferences. The Correa flowers are lovely, and completely new to me. Sorry to hear about Neil - how weird... Wonder if something is damaging the roots for such an instant demise?

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    1. I hope to do a little investigative work today and learn more about what got to Neil.

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  16. Thanks so much for the pictures of Edgeworthia in bud! I'm not one for much zone pushing, but the plant has haunted me for a decade -- since I saw one in very early spring at Pine Knot, a hellebore nursery down on the VA-NC border. Encouraged by Philadelphia-area successes, I planted an E. chrysantha in May on the most sheltered side of the house, and have been impressed at the amount of growth it's put on. No buds this first year, but a mild-ish winter is predicted. This is still zone 6b, USDA map revisions or no. Do the leaves turn color before dropping? Does it happen all at once after a hard freeze? I'm planning to protect the Edgeworthia from this weekend's predicted freeze, as there's usually another few weeks of great growing weather after our first snap; every bit of establishment before winter will help.

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    1. Your story is inspiring, I love to hear of others who decide they must grow something. The leaves on my Edgeworthias turn yellow before falling off. E. chrysantha 'Nanjing Gold' has started the process. Last year we got an "out of the blue" freeze and many of them were zapped in place. Eventually they fell but it was an ugly few weeks. I panicked during the cold snap of 2013/14 (my garden got down to 12F, although they were predicting 7) and put socks on all the buds in an attempt to protect them.

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  17. I thought northern gardeners were crazy with the things we do to protect plants from early and late frosts, but socks on buds! That's a new one. Your statement about not having a typical fall garden just plants that continue to look good, reminds me of my philosophy of hair cuts. I've been wearing the same style forever and I always get it cut just before it needs it so it never looks like I've had a hair cut. My hair looks the same and it also looks good (according to friends) all the time. I like that as a garden concept. The garden thus always looks good because we don't chase high points which must always be followed by low points.

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  18. I added some 'Red Dragon' to my garden. I'm quite impressed we have a plant in common. :o) Everything looks fabulous and many are totally foreign to me since they don't grow here.

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