Thursday, October 15, 2009

What's Blooming in October?


It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day once again and thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens, we get to see what's blooming in gardens around the world. Here at Our Little Acre, in Zone 5b, you might think the garden is finished with its color display, but not quite yet...

















The Delphiniums are reblooming, and have been for the last couple of weeks. Over a month ago, I cut the spent flower stalks down to the ground while noticing new growth at the base of the plants. They rewarded us with several new flower stalks that make it seem like summer again. The white ones are especially frilly, but the purple ones are my favorites, with their white bees.

In her new book, The Perennial Care Manual, Nan Ondra says Delphiniums will rebloom if conditions are ideal. I guess they like it here, because these Delphinium x elata 'Magic Fountain Series' semi-dwarf plants have done well for me from Day One, unlike other varieties I'd tried previously.

The mums, of course, are still blooming beautifully. I'm kind of on again/off again, as far as mums are concerned, but we've got some in such luscious shades that sometimes I just stand and stare, drinking in the pure hues of salmon, brick red, and deep rose.

'Amor Coral'


'Clara Curtis'


'Red Dandy'


'Matchsticks'


As I posted Tuesday, the Toad Lilies (Tricyrtis sp.) are in all their glory, while the Asters (Symphyotrichum sp.) are winding down.

Endless Summer® Hydrangeas are loaded with blooms, but they're a bit darker in color than they were earlier in the season. Now would be the time to snip their heads off and bring them inside to dry. They'll keep for years like that.

The Gaillardias and Geranium 'Rozanne' are all still blooming strongly, as are the annual Zinnias, Calendulas, Cosmos, and Marigolds (Tagetes sp.). The Marguerite Daisies (Argyranthemum) are still in full pinky goodness, too.


Coreopsis 'Redshift' has become much more red than its 'shifted' color of summer, pale yellow. Likely the cooler fall weather accounts for this.

Several other Coreopsis are still blooming, such as 'Full Moon,' 'Moonbeam,' 'Limerock Dream,' and 'American Dream.'


Several of the Coneflowers (Echinacea sp.) are still pushing out blooms. 'Coconut Lime' has nice, full blooms as does 'Purity.'

Echinacea 'Purity'


New to the garden this summer was Eupatorium altissimum 'Prairie Jewel.' It's got misty, speckled foliage, started blooming its white flowers a few weeks ago, and is still going strong.

Eupatorium altissimum 'Prairie Jewel'


Sedums are still in bloom, but none more beautiful than October Daphne (Hylotelephium sieboldii). Stems sprouting from a single point are a spray of rose-tinged succulent leaves with typical deep pink blooms.

Sedum, October Daphne (Hylotelephium sieboldii)


One of my favorite summer bulbs is what used to be called Acidanthera bicolor. The taxonomists really outdid themselves with this one when they renamed it Gladiolus callianthus. Notice the similarities? Me neither. Let's just call it a Peacock Orchid, which is what its common name is, even though it's not really an orchid. Whatever it is, it sure smells nice.

Peacock Orchid (Gladiolus callianthus)


Several of the roses have been putting on some of their most beautiful blooms of the year in the coolness of fall. 'Joseph's Coat' Climbing Rose, which was planted earlier in the spring and seemed to stagnate most of the summer has really taken off this fall. I'm anxious to see how it does next year. If it grows as quickly as one of our other climbers, 'Morning Magic,' we'll have a real show from it. I failed to take a photo today, but its blooms look just like the one shown here from August.

Rosa 'Joseph's Coat'

Last week, I had to bring plants inside so they wouldn't be damaged by frost and many of those are still blooming, in fact, the Brugmansias are loaded with blooms. Those are still in our garage, because they need to be sprayed with Neem Oil before I bring them inside. White flies seem to always be a problem, so hopefully I'll keep that to a minimum by spraying before they come in for good.

Others blooming are Alstroemeria 'Princess Zavina,' (that's the coral bloom seen in the photo at right), several Pelargoniums, Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost,' and one of the Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) I dug up last week is putting up a flower scape.

While we're currently experiencing temperatures that are 15-20 degrees below normal for this time of year, the garden seems to be unfazed by it.

28 comments:

Jean said...

Good morning. I have been enjoying your blog.Especially love the cats since having 2 of my own who have adopted me.A calico named Miz Kat and the baby is Le Pusse better known as Izzy. Your garden is lovely and I enjoy reading it every day.

Helen Yoest @ Gardening With Confidence said...

Happy GBBD! Love your mums. I am not familiar with Matchstick. Love it. A friend gave me 'Clara Curtis' now one of my faves in the fall garden. H.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Your mums looks so pretty. Mine look bedraggled already. That Matchstick mum is a dandy.

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Boy, you sure have loads of blooms in your garden!! Love the variety of mums. That bowl with the hydrangeas in it looks just like a bowl I have! Think mine is one my in-laws bought for me in Greece.
Wish I still had my Delphiniumsm, think the voles got them....and they were sooooo pretty. Mine were pale blue outer petals with a blush of pink on bluish white inner petals...it looked like a watercolor.

carolee said...

Beware! The variegated Eupatorium self-seeds RAMPANTLY if the faded flowers are not removed! I love it, but it's a rascal if you let it seed...as bad as lemon balm or sweet annie!

Anonymous said...

Hi Kylee, lots of goodies here this month, several that need to be added to the wish list! Like I need more plants. Matchstick took my breath away, Clara should be living here, And Prairie Jewel would be among friends. We have October Daphne too, couldn't get a good shot with the non stop rain but agree it is one fine sedum that is not grown nearly in enough gardens. I have never tried the peacock, might have to add it too. I thank you for these, The Financier maybe not. HA :-0
Frances

Alexandra said...

Oh, the "matchsticks" mum (?) is great! Do you have a source?

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

You still have a lot going on in the garden. I really like Coreopsis 'Redshift.' I like the idea of a plant that changes bloom color according to the weather. I'm so jealous of your Peacock Orchid. Mine sent up lots of foliage, but not a single bloom this year, and now it's too late. I'm going to dave the corms & try again next year.
You asked about my Geranium 'Bob's Blunder.' I found it at The Flower Factory in Stoughton, WI. I had never seen it or heard of it. Hopefully, it will be showing up at local garden centers next year.

Anonymous said...

Love the picture of the Clara Curtis and the Echinacea Purity. I'm surprised you still have Echnicea blooming. They are dead in our neck of the woods. Nice to see so many blossoms this time of year. Happy bloom day to ya.

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Hi Kylee,
You have beautiful blooms. I love the delphiniums, mums, and actually, all of them! Your prairie jewel will most likely be larger next year.

We've had below normal temps, too, and are experiencing a bit warmer temps each day. By the weekend, it is supposed to get into the 60s.

Happy GBBD!

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I wish I could grow Delphiniums! Yours are so pretty, looks like the slugs don't bother them.
That 'Matchsticks' is really pretty.

Nell Jean - seedscatterer said...

Lots of pretties at your place mid-October! I passed up Acidanthera bulbs last spring, should have known better. Putting them on a list of things I've seen at GBBD sites today that are must-haves.

Happy Bloom Day.

sweetbay said...

Your Delphiniums are gorgeous. I have heard good things about 'Magic Fountains'. I love the mums, especially Clara Curtis. I didn't know there was a Coreopsis that changed color with the temperatures. It's beautiful. Happy Bloom Day!

Hilery - Desert Greenhouse Guide said...

Oh, that bi-color delphinum is really something else. I've never seen one before, but then again, delphinum is not a common site here in Southern Nevada.

Great photo of your Flower Formerly Known As Acidanthera! I have one growing in my greenhouse and just love it, it's not fussy at all!

Happy Bloom Day!

Dreamybee said...

Wow, what a beautiful collection you have! I love the blue delphiniums-I can never get mine to grow faster than the slugs can eat. =(

'Matchsticks' really is something-so different! I don't know what the 'Coconut Lime' looks like, but it seems like 'Purity' might have been misnamed-that white with that green sure looks like a coconut lime to me! And your Peacock Orchid is so pretty and the sedum and the roses and...and...and...LOL! Thanks for sharing.

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

Kylee, wow, it's a beautiful display! I've never seen Matchsticks, I love them! Ijust bought several delphinium plants (October sales are great!). This is my another try after I failed to grow them several years ago. Purity echinacea is gorgeous! Thank you and you have great weekend!

Nutty Gnome said...

Your garden is still looking so good - it puts mine to shame (and we're still having fairly warm weather too, so I can't blame that for the lack of colour!)

The toad lilies are gorgeous too. They don't grow well in my garden and i always thought it was because our soil is too acidic for them, but as it seems that they like acidic soil, I'm not quite sure what I'm doing to upset them:(
- but at least your photos cheered me up!

Rose said...

You have some fantastic blooms in spite of this cool weather, Kylee. I've had no luck with delphiniums, but maybe I should try this variety; I'd love to see blooms like this in the fall. And I am definitely going to check out "October Daphne" sedum--what beautiful foliage!

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Kylee, What a nice variety of flowers you shared today! I forgot all about GBBD this month, but there are wonderful posts to visit. Have a great day!! (I keep forgetting about Clara Curtis daisy... need to add that to "the list.") ;-)

Kerri said...

Many of the blooms you mention have been zapped in my garden. Your mums are truly dazzling. I'd stand and stare too :)
The October Daphne Sedum is simply wonderful! I love it!
I'm making a note of those Delphiniums. I haven't had much luck with the varieties I've tried either...lasting more than a year or two, that is.
Happy fall, Kylee :)

TC said...

You have more blooming in your October garden than I do in my August one! Do you live in a micro-climate?? Zone 5 here and nothins bloomin anymore.

HappyMouffetard said...

Lovely flowers - I must get some mums - they look so beautiful.

garden girl said...

Beautiful blooms Kylee. The delphiniums are gorgeous, your litle eupatorium is so cute, October Daphne has really nice foliage as well as bright bloom color.

I'm tempted to try overwintering our brug in the stairwell in our attached garage outside the basement door. That's where it is right now and I'm still deciding whether to leave it there or bring it in. The darned thing is getting so big, and it's not very pretty inside the house, not to mention the spider mites that seem to love it. . . Maybe I'll take a cutting just in case.

allen etter said...

WOW! You get way more posts on your blog than I do on mine! Great images. I'm going to spend some time going back through the archives.

BTW...after you cleaned my teeth...no pain...AT ALL! That's the first time in 20 years that I have not had extreme pain after a cleaning! Thank you!

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second movie blog - Beneath Shadows
http://beneathshadowsmovie.blogspot.com/

my concept art blog
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my storyboarding blog
http://ipfwstoryboard.blogspot.com/

Hope you enjoy checking out the blogs. I'm going to link to yours if that is okay.

Kylee Baumle said...

Jean ~ Thank you, Jean! Oh you know we love our kitties here! :-)

Helen ~ I wish 'Clara Curtis' would bloom a little sooner, but on the other hand, it's nice to have something of color this late. I got 'Matchsticks' from Bluestone Perennials a few years ago. Get some!

Lisa ~ After the hard freeze last night, my garden looks a little bedraggled now, too. *sniff*

Janet ~ That bowl was made by a high school student near here. I bought some of his work this year at the Lilac Festival in Defiance, which is where I got that bowl the year before.
Your delphiniums sound like they were lovely!

carolee ~ Well...if the Eupatorium self-seeds, that would be fine with me, where it is now. It can even seed a little out and away and still be fine. I guess I can always pull out the ones I don't want!

Frances ~ Hey, I always say, "There's always room for Jell-O!" LOL. Gardeners buy plants. We wouldn't be gardeners if we didn't always want something else! You know what finally got my husband to stop saying "You bought more plants?" I took him to a real nursery and we walked around. He then understood why I couldn't leave without buying something. Prior to that, he'd only looked at what Walmart had to offer.

Xan ~ I bought it several years ago at Bluestone Perennials online. They still carry it!

MMD ~ The Peacock Orchid is a very late bloomer, so if you can start them inside before last frost, it might help. They need warm temps to really do well, too, and you know we didn't have that this year. The hard freeze didn't bother mine last night and that really surprises me. It's got other blooms yet to come, if it stays warm enough long enough.
I'll be watching for 'Bob's Blunder!'

Kylee Baumle said...

Miss Daisy ~ Most of my Echinaceas have been done blooming for several weeks, but 'Coconut Lime' and 'Purity' are still going.

Sue ~ I'm glad to hear the Eupatorium will be bigger. Can you believe I actually killed 'Chocolate' a few years ago?

Catherine ~ We don't have much of a problem with slugs here. My daughter, who lives just half an hour away has these MONSTER slugs that are absolutely gross and scare me! I did find a few small ones in the garden this year, but nothing major.

Nell Jean ~ Yes, the Acidantheras are easy to grow and I love how they look and smell! Plant lots of them and you will be shocked at the fragrance they give!

sweet bay ~ I don't know that the temps are what caused the color change, since 'Redshift' changes somewhat anyway, but they are definitely darker than they were earlier in the season.

Hilery ~ The Peacock Orchids are very easy, aren't they? Do you like their fragrance? I love it!

Dreamybee ~ I had no idea that slugs liked Delphiniums, until you and Catherine mentioned them here. We're lucky, I guess!
'Coconut Lime' is a double Echinacea and looks nothing like 'Purity.' Maybe the photo is deceiving because it's definitely white!

Nutty Gnome ~ We had a hard freeze last night (our first) and it really zapped a lot in the garden, so don't worry, mine is looking pretty bedraggled now, too. LOL.

Rose ~ I would try the 'Magic Fountains.' I truly was ready to give up on delphiniums until I got these.

Shady Gardener ~ 'Clara Curtis' is such an easy grower! It spreads, too! Mine was a passalong from my friend, Marsha.

Kerri ~ I'm so surprised that you got zapped before we did. I think you're in a zone warmer than we are, aren't you?

TC ~ Nope, no micro-climate here. Well, I suspect one little bed on the south side of the house might be, but it's about four feet wide by 18 inches deep. Everything else is right out there. We're in the country, right out in the open, and especially Max's Garden. Zone 5b here.

HappyMouffetard ~ Yes, you must get some! I think this is your first comment to my blog. Welcome! :-)

garden girl I know exactly what you mean about the brugs. Spider mites are a perpetual problem on them here, too. They don't seem to have a problem with them when they're outside, but just bring them in, and there they are. UGH. Mine are kept in the basement, where they drop most leaves, but stay alive well enough until spring.

Allen ~ Hey, hi!! So good to see you here! I did check out your blogs (well, three of them, so far) and I'm impressed with what you're doing. An Emmy winner!!!! Wow. I watched the commercial. It looks familiar. Was it shown in our area?

I'm so happy to hear that you weren't having any pain after your cleaning. I try to be gentle, yet do a good job. Sometimes I feel like I'm being mean, so I worry about that. Thank you for telling me you're doing so well! :-)

Absolutely you can link to my blog. I'd be honored!

Unknown said...

You sure have a lot still blooming, my friend, which I do not. Constant rain and wind here has made everything sort of bedraggled. Must think more about wabi-sabi.

Benjamin Vogt said...

I love my eupatorium 'prairie jewel!' But watch out, mine were almsot 6' tall and 4' wide this year, their 2nd. Might need to cut yours back in June if you don't like that height (I sure do, and so many white flowers with millions of insects!).

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