Sunday, November 15, 2009

November Garden Bloggers Bloom Day



There's still a few things blooming in the old garden this November Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Leading off are what have become my fall staple - Salvia leucantha (Mexican Sage) and Tagetes lucida (Mexican Mint Marigold, now sometimes known as Texas Tarragon). If the Mexican Sage looks rather bunched up that's because it is. I had to lasso it together after 20 inches of October rains and winds caused it to flop over.



Patrick's Abutilon has many fall blooms. I found this to be a good hummingbird magnet, something I wasn't expecting. But alas, the hummers have finally flown south for the winter.



I bought this Russelia equisetiformis lutea (Yellow firecracker fern) for the hummers as well. Although I never saw them at this plant, to be fair it's still a very small one. But maybe it's not the right color?



This is very beloved of the hummers - Lizard Lips aloe.



Pulling back from the blooms you can see some of my succulent collection. Soon they'll all be nestled in their winter home of shelves in the storeroom.



And one more bloom for the hummingbirds, pink Turk's Cap. I'm not sure of the botanical name for this one. I was looking for 'Pam's Pink' at Barton Springs Nursery earlier this year and the man helping me found this one. But I'm pretty sure it's not 'Pam's Pink'. The blooms are too long. Anyway, it's blooming nicely now. Here's it's surrounded by Muhlenbergia dumosa, Bamboo muhly.



Though the hummingbirds have flown, there are still a few other winged creatures hanging about. This poor Gulf Fritillary, on Buddleia davidii ‘Nanho Purple’, has lost part of a wing.



There have been lots of bees around, busy as usual. This one is working hard at a bloom on the Italian arugula.



Another Gulf Fritillary on my latest impulse purchase, Dianthus barbatus interspecific 'Amazon Neon Duo'. Half price, over-watered, and three to a pot - I just had to rescue it. (Actually I had to rescue two pots of it!)



The "black eye" of the Black-eyed Susan vine (Enredadera rudbeckia) is like a black hole to me. It's so dark and deep!



Here's a plant that I was hoping would bloom in time for GBBD but it's still in the bud stage. It's a Eupatorium viburnoides, Viburnum mistflower. I haven't been able to find out much about this plant. It's supposed to bloom pink in November, is from Mexico, and is a woody shrub that's also called Joe-Pye shrub. If anyone has experience with this plant, please let me know what you think of it. It's grown at least a foot since I planted it in early spring.

That's about it for the blooms around here but I have to show a few other things I'm happy about.



The 'Bloodgood' Japanese maple is still turning colors. You can see that it hasn't hit that real red that it should get in December, as you can see it has in my header photo (from last year).



My sweet little oakleaf hydrangea still hasn't bloomed for me but I'm happy that it's starting to show its fall colors.



And last but not least, will my Heatwave tomatoes actually turn red before a freeze??

To see what's blooming around the world on this day, visit Carol's website for links to other blogs. Thank you for hosting Carol!

18 comments:

  1. Jean,

    I love the deep purple of your mexican sage, and the red of your maple even though it hasn't fully changed. Beautiful butterfly and bee pictures. Thank you for showing me blooms, when all I see out the window is snow flying once again.

    Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Noelle,
    Thanks for visiting my blog. Your's is just beautiful, I love those penstemons!

    ReplyDelete
  3. That Mexican Sage is such a gorgeous color, really stands out. And I don't see the lasso:)

    I like the container where your firecracker fern lives.

    Nice idea to have all your succulents together outside for the growing season.

    You still have bees and butterflies. Where's the justice in that? Ours are long gone.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gosh, tomatoes in November is amazing! I am very interested in your new Eupatorium viburnum guy, I have never seen anything like it before, looks promising. The dianthus, turks cap and butterfly bush are all a nice jolt of color. We saw a monarch this weekend, he must be lost, poor thing!
    Frances

    ReplyDelete
  5. Aren't Abutilon the coolest?! I also love the marigold/salvia combo. And you still have tomatoes!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Fabulous insect pics!

    I'm jealous about your Japanese Maple. I almost bought one yesterday ($65 on SALE - ugh!), but there is a possibility we wil be moving in the next year, so I couldn't spend that kind of money just to leave it. Yours is beautiful, though!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I always enjoy seeing all the different plants you have, Jean. "Lizard Lips" doesn't sound very appealing for such a pretty plant:) It looks like you got quite a bargain with that dianthus--hard to pass that up! But most of all, I enjoy seeing the butterflies. Ours have long gone to warmer climes. Hope your tomatoes get a "heatwave" to ripen before winter!

    ReplyDelete
  8. These are great photos Jean. I really like the first shot. That is a very nice combination.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Just beautiul. I have the BES Vine on some lattice and on a trellis and also grew it in a hanging container and I loved it that way!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love the name "Lizard Lips," makes you want to grow the plant in the hopes that someone will ask what it is. I've never heard of Joe-Pye shrub, but if it's at all like the other relatives of its clan, I can imagine how beautiful it will be.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You have a lot going on there. I love that first picture, with the purple and yellow.
    You take beautiful photos.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ah, so nice to see and read. What would we do without the color of our Mexican bush sage. Mine is the purple and white variety, and it has overwintered here many years. I once tried the variegated one, but it didn't make it and never thrived. All your plants look just lovely. Enjoy those late tomatoes.~~Dee

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh Jean... I love love that first photo... great colors! I have an oak hydrangea nearly identical to yours... hope it will stand alive next spring. Carol

    ReplyDelete
  14. I totally agree with Carol...the color on the Mexican Bush Salvia is spectacular...I buy it every year and will continue so.It's marginally hardy here. Jean, this is a really lovely Bloom Day post...gail

    ReplyDelete
  15. Donna,
    That container that the firecracker fern is in is a very old (antique) Spanish olive pot, a garden gift from my hubby many years ago. I love it too.
    Jean

    ReplyDelete
  16. You still have a lot of loveliness even though it is November! I loved looking, thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Lots of wow power in your garden right now, Jean! That turk's cap may be a pink variety of the Mexican turk's cap, which has larger leaves and blooms than the Pam's Pink. Malvaviscus arboreus var. Mexicanus seems to be the botanical name most often used.

    I think there are some Pam's Pink seedlings in my garden that I haven't dug. They're yours if you want them: I'll leave them where they are until your next trip to Houston.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Cindy - thanks for the info. Also the leaves are more elliptical than the old red variety. I'm glad to see a number of varieties of Turk's Cap showing up in the nurseries. You can't go wrong with this plant I don't think! And by the way, I think you must have absolutely everything growing in your garden! :-)
    Jean

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for visiting! I truly appreciate your visit and comments. If you ask me a question in your comment, I will answer it here.