It's so interesting to see how the thick smoke played with the color of this month's floral offerings. I've never been able to get my camera to focus on the small white flowers of this HOT pink bougainvillea, well, until now.
Nope, not flowers. I'm just so pleased with my seed-grown basil that I had to share. This is from seed-swag attendees received on the tour of Botanical Interests during the 2019 Garden Blogger's Fling.
Grevillea rivularis
Grevillea x gaudichaudii
Knautia macedonica
Rosemary, next to a pot covered with moss that's gone dormant.
Also not a flower, but rather a furry plant-eater that's taken up residence in my front garden.
Entering the back garden now, here's some strange smoke discoloration on the aralia. Looking at the flowers, working from the top down: Metapanax delavayi, Schefflera delavayi and Schefflera brevipedunculata.
Passiflora 'Snow Queen'
Lonicera x brownii 'Dropmore Scarlet'
Datura meteloides 'Double Lavender', side view...
And front view...
Echeveria NOID
Leonotis leonurus, with canna lily seed pods that have burst open.
This is the first time a lion's tail has overwintered for me, and it does always take this late into the season to bloom.
The garden is still trashed from the high winds last week (the air has been so bad I haven't spent anytime cleaning up) hence, lots of leaf debris here in addition to a blooming Aristaloe aristata...
Flower close-up
There were no completely open Passiflora 'Amethyst Jewel' blooms to share this month, just a could of partially open ones.
Here's an image of the same flowers but with the camera turned up at the smoky sky.
Finally, Nidularium procerum cv. Stripes—and with this photo it was time for me to quit playing and get back indoors. For more blooms (some of them probably equally smoky, since the west coast is still on fire) visit May Dreams Gardens.
Weather Diary, Sept 14: Hi 74, Low 55/ Precip 0 (current Air Quality Index 453)
All material © 2009-2020 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
What a year. Can't even escape to the garden now. The datura is gorgeous. Is it annual or perennial? I hope these fires are quickly contained and put out. Unfortunately, until then best to limit your time outdoors.
ReplyDeleteIt's an annual for me... I assume in it's preferred environment it would be a perennial?
DeleteGorgeous bougainvillea! I'm in the Rogue Valley. I haven't watered in more than a week, or seen the far back yard in nearly that long. Fires, evacuation, water restrictions, air quality... I just figure what dies dies and I start over. My daughter lives in SW downtown Portland. Amazing to read Portland's air is the world's worst!
ReplyDeleteCrazy times. I hope your plants surprise you and pull through, or at least nothing that's not easily replaced dies.
DeleteExcellent close-up of the bougainvillea, it's a difficult color to capture. Grevillea x gaudichaudii and the accompanying plants make for a very nice vignette of 4 different colors and shapes, and even the leaf debris adds charm. It may be the last time you can photograph the blooms of Passiflora 'Amethyst Jewel' climbing on the ceanothus, as its days may be numbered. Let's home next blooms day is in fresh air and cool air.
ReplyDeleteI suspect there will be at least one, maybe two more Bloomdays that ceanothus could crash. We'll see!
DeleteDespite your crazy weather and storms your garden is looking fabulous! I am envious that your Lonicera is blooming. Mine finished long ago. I am sure the hummingbirds will appreciate them.
ReplyDeleteI don't think "fabulous" would be the word you'd use if you could see it in person. But I appreciate it!
DeleteBeautiful! Thanks for brightening my day as I needed a bit of beautiful bloom in all this gray.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
DeleteThe smoky air does add a whole new dimension when taking photographs these days, even here where the smoke is less pronounced (although we're back in the "unhealthy" for all category again today), courtesy of the Bobcat Fire I assume. I'm entirely jealous of your success with passionflowers. Your photos of the Datura have convinced me that I need that plant, even though its poisonous qualities have always put me off - if I can accept poison in the air I suppose there's no reason not to plant something poisonous in the ground.
ReplyDeleteSo many plants are poisonous, do it!
DeleteYou have so much still blooming! Like you, I'm desperate to clean up the garden after the Big Wind, but I'm not gonna risk my lungs yet. I'm using my brief trips outdoors to water. And condolences on your furry new housemate - ack!!
ReplyDeleteYa, I am not at all excited about the furry one. And he/she is there every damn day!
DeleteI hope your horrific air quality clears and the fire situation in OR improves. It's been a nightmarish September. I just had to get outside today for a little while--wore my N95 mask saved from the big fire we had near here in '18.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the Leonotis flowers! The Datura flower is quite a stunning shape.
I finally went out and watered and picked up a few leaves yesterday, N95 firmly in place.
DeleteSuch challenging times - a year we won't want to remember. The light is so eerie. I hope you get rain soon to put down these horrible fires.
ReplyDeleteBlooms are a welcome distraction. I love the datura and bougainvillea esp. Not sure I'd be happy about a rabbit in my yard, wicked little nibblers that they are, ha!
Exactly, and even though I've sprayed it with the "jet" sitting on my hose it hops right back into place when I walk away...
DeleteWonderful blooms.Loved the little blooms of Echevirea. It would be my pleasure if you join my link up party related to gardening here at http://jaipurgardening.blogspot.com/2020/09/peacock-flower-beauty.html
ReplyDeleteThank you Arun!
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