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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day October 2014

How can it be the middle of October already?  Where did summer go?  Although it's definitely autumn here, there are still some lovely blooms in my garden this month.  Here are some of them:

Begonias will be cranking bout blooms until frost, bless them.



The tall grasses are putting on their show.  The wind and rain has them falling all over everything else but that's o.k. after all they'll be cut to the ground in the spring anyway.

Acanthus sennii
Carlina acaulis subsp. simplex wasn't quite open a couple of days ago and when I went back out to take a picture, it had closed against the rain.

That silly Alstroemeria  'Rock 'n' Roll has been blooming on and off since I planted it despite its leaves being a favorite snack for slugs.

Impatiens omeiana 'Silver Pink' is gown for it's beautiful foliage but it blooms too. 

This NOID red rhododendron blooms in both spring and fall and has nice purple winter foliage. Half of the time I want to remove it but bright red blooms at this time of year make me think differently.

Abutilon megapotamicum still going at it.  Big year for aphids in my garden and nary a ladybug in sight.  I've been spraying dish soap and water on them and crushing them with my fingers a lot this fall!

Another hardy abutilon.  These things are bright and cheerful for so long!


Persicaria 'Golden Arrow'

Lots of hardy fuchsias!  Here are a couple. 


Brugmansias.  I look forward to these blooming on and off in the greenhouse this winter.  Let's hope I remember to keep them watered. and the bugs don't  kill them. 


Asters or whatever they're called these days. 

Poor confused hydrangea bought blooming in a pot in January.  It must thing it's summer still.  Hopefully a winter outside will reset it's clock.

Ceratostigma plumbaginoides with golden foliage.

Carol at May Dreams Gardens hosts Garden Bloggers'  Bloom Day on the fifteenth of every month to remind us that as Elizabeth Lawrence wrote, "We can have flowers nearly every month of the year."  Click on over to her blog to see what's blooming in gardens all over the world right now. 


36 comments:

  1. Beautiful!
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
    Lea

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  2. Lots of beautiful blooms. I am so happy to be able to see all these wonderful gardens on this happy Bloom Day.

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  3. Great to see so many plants still in bloom in your garden at this time of the year Peter!

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    1. It surprises me sometimes that we have something blooming year round in our garden which really is more about foliage than flowers (recent bulb order notwithstanding!)

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  4. What a treat to see your begonias still going...mine left a month ago, but that is the great thing about GBBD seeing blooms all year long.

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    1. They just keep going here until the frost knocks them down, usually sometime between the end of November and the beginning of December. Thanks for finding my blog and commenting!

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  5. That Carlina acaulis subsp. simplex looks like an interesting bloom -- try to get a shot when its open please! Also, you Abutilon growers are going to make me figure out how exactly to pronounce that genus name correctly. In my mind I see "Abulition". :\

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    1. It's a cool flower but it seems to be closed whenever I'm home lately. There are some good pictures on the interwebs though. http://youtu.be/wenxSA5cNxg will help you practice!

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  6. I put all my Begonias into the greenhouse this past week. They probably could have withstood the rest of the month outside, but I'm trying to get the greenhouse sorted out. All of your flowers still blooming are beautiful. I've had aphids on one of my Abutilons too, but surprisingly none on all the Nasturtiums, which usually attract them.

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    1. I'm worried about carrying pests into the greenhouse, especially on the brugmansias. I'll pick up some neem oil and give everything a nice spraying before dragging them in.

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  7. Those abutilons are hardy for you?! My Abutilon megapotamicum has languished through the summer heat and has to spend the winter in the sun room but I hope there it will get to shine.

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    1. In a mild winter they're evergreen. Every 10 years or so we get a really cold winter and the abutilons, phormiums, and others perish. These are worth replacing!

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  8. I'm so jealous your Carlina acaulis subsp. simplex flowered. Mine has done absolutely nothing.

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    1. I've really neglected it too. The plant never got as lush as those we saw at Celestial Dream but it did put out a bloom. Maybe it thinks it's going to die.

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  9. Between you and Alison, I'm now convinced that I need to plant Abutilon - I love that A. megapotamicum! When my new space is ready to plant, I think I'll finally find space for fuchsias too. Happy GBBD, Peter!

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    1. Oh yes! Abutilons would look great in your garden. Glad that Alison and I have recruited you! Happy GBBD to you, Kris!

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  10. Stunning! What lovely things you have in bloom. So much colour for October.

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    1. Thank you Chloris! I'm very lucky to have autumn blooming plants but the blooms are becoming fewer and fewer as each week passes and our days grow shorter by three minutes a day. Winter is not my favorite season!

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  11. Lots of great flowers! I love the Acanthus sennii. That rhododendron has nice texture to the leaves and great red flowers. You know I'd vote to keep it. Maybe you can tolerate it for a few years until I make my return to Washington? lol. Happy GBBD, Peter!

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    1. Thanks, Evan. Glad you liked them. Perhaps some cutting back of the rhododendron is in order although I like the way rambles through the other plants. If I get ambitious, it might just make it into the bloggers' plant exchange when you return!

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  12. Hmmm...maybe I'll just bring the Brugmansias into the house. What do you think? We keep the house at about 65 degrees most of the time.

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    1. I've kept brugmansias in the house before and as long as they get enough water and light they'll be fine. They can bring a lot of pests in with them (spider mites, white fly, something that leaves lots of sticky stuff all over the floor) so it's best to spray them with neem oil, the odor of which you don't want in your house so spray a few days before bringing them in.

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    2. Thanks for the tips...and Richard thanks you too (he is protective of our floors)

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  13. Love your blooms! I need to get a photo of my Impatiens omeiana too. I love that twice-blooming Rhodie!

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    1. Thanks Grace! The only drawback of the twice blooming rhodie is that it's never totally covered with a blaze of color. Still a little red goes a long way so maybe that's best.

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  14. I haven't been paying much attention to outside lately. Someone at lunch Monday asked me what's blooming and I had a hard time answering. I'll have to check again in November. We leave tomorrow.

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    1. How exciting! Will you be able to sleep tonight? Bon voyage!

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  15. A great collection of blossoms blooming in your garden Peter, have a great rest of the week.

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    1. Thanks, Karen! I hope you have a great rest of the week as well!

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  16. So many beautiful blooms, your Abutilon are stunning, I must see about finding one for here!

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    1. They are very rewarding plants! I hope you're able to find one (or several!)

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  17. Lots of nice blooms still in your garden, almost all different from mine. Your climate is more forgiving. I did finally get one Persicaria. I like your Hydrangea with the double flowerlets, and the plumbago is such a beautiful blue. I let all my Rhodies grow for their brief glory in the spring, then I have to put up with all the spent blooms and try to pretend they are not there. Sometimes I deadhead a few. But one that blooms in the fall too would be nice.

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    1. I am fortunate to live fairly close to the water so our winter temperatures aren't as cold and our summer temperatures aren't as hot as just a few miles south of us. Have a great weekend, Hannah!

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  18. How nice to have rhododendrons blooming in the fall! And I am so envious of your fuschias. They aren't hardy here, of course, but I don't seem to have much luck with them even in containers. Enjoy all these lovely blooms as long as you can--Happy Bloom Day!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.