Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - October '08

The fall foliage hit peak this past weekend and has provided a glorious spectacle of breathtaking scenery. So often I walk outside and see scenes that make me want to run back in for the camera....which makes it hard to get anything done when there's so much that needs doing!

But that's not the subject of this post, so, without further ado...on with the show!

Only a few hardy blooms remain in our October garden, but the containers are still providing some color.

Pumpkins add their vivid orange, with gourds adding a touch of yellow and white.

The yellow Biden makes a nice contrast to the dark leaved filler, which I think is an alternanthera, but it wasn't labeled, so I'm not sure. If you can name it please let me know.

Ivy Leaved Geraniums are one of my favorites, providing season-long color.

This little Nasturtium tucked into a sheltered corner is a lone survivor of the frost.

I covered a few of the smaller gardens close to the house with sheets, and some of the plants are still struggling along, although damaged by the 2 hard frosts we've had, in spite of the covering.

Snapdragons will survive the frosts for a while, and a few of the marigolds are hanging on.

A few blue puffs of Ageratum remain.

Here's the Lemon Gem Marigold.

The tough little Alyssum holds on undamaged until the cold sets in.

Petunias, Vebena and Alyssum in the Rose/Clematis garden are still looking pretty, with the burgundy Heuchera on the right. The white Alyssum (Sweet Alice) sewed itself profusely and had to be thinned ruthlessly a couple of times.

I found a few blooms on Clematis Carnaby.

The window boxes and containers were put under cover in the garage and on the side porch during the 2 nights of hard frost. We won't bother putting them back in place because it's time for me to take out the Ivy Geraniums for overwintering. I'll plant the vinca in the vegetable garden and dig it up to use again in the spring.

That's 'Butterfly' Ivy Geranium still looking lovely in the hanging basket.

This gorgeous purple Calibrachoa (Million Bells) has bloomed continuously all summer.

I'll gradually empty the containers and save a few plants from them too.

The Rasberry Blast Petunia basket has been gorgeous all summer. That's Lambada Ivy Geranium behind it.

There's still some color on the front porch too. This photo was taken on October 2nd before the leaves in the hedgerow had changed color, but these containers are still looking good.

Vancouver Centennial Geranium, in the containter on the left, pairs very nicely with Calibrachoa Colorburst Terracotta.

Here's a pretty lilac Calibrachoa.

Osteospermums (African Daisy) bloom well in spring and fall, but take a break during the hottest part of the summer. That lovely red filler is Iresine.

On the other side of that container is another pretty Osteospermum. This one is Nasinga Purple Improved.

A few potted plants on the front porch.....

Streptocarpus/Cape Primrose

Babywing Begonia has been such a beautiful plant. It grows very easily from cuttings.

The Cyclamen I bought last winter has rebloomed nicely.

These are the first 2 blooms on one of two African Violets given to me last December as leaf starts by my dear friend, Liz. They've grown very slowly.

Tuberous Begonia...always beautiful.

Here's what the Pink Garden looks like today...there's still plenty of Alyssum, some snapdragons, and Pink Morn Petunias, with Gloriosa Daisies against the shed. There are still a few blooms on the Obedient Plant at the other end, but they're hard to see in this photo.

Pink Morn Petunias with purple Snapdragons behind.

A few Campanula (bluebell or bellflower) are still hanging on.

The climbing rose, Social Climber, has a couple of buds.

And so does the Weigela.

This lone Shasta Daisy deserves a mention because it's been hanging in there for many weeks.

I found a bee on one of two remaining Japanese Anemone blooms.

And a wasp on the Cerise Queen Achillea (Yarrow).

Another busy bee on the few remaining Aster flowers.

There's still a Rudbeckia Triloba (Black-eyed Susan) here and there.

I think The Gloriosa Daisies should win the prize for the longest blooming flowers in our garden. They really are like the Energizer Bunny...they just keep going and going! Sadly, the white Japanese Anemone you see with it is more frost sensitive, but it will be back next year to delight us once more!

For more blooms all over the world visit Carol of May Dreams Gardens.

Happy Bloom Day everyone!