A Late Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - November 2010

We were away this past weekend celebrating our oldest grandson's ninth birthday, and I guess my mind was elsewhere, because the 15th of the month crept right up and surprised me.

Working and posting don't seem to fit very well into the same day for me anymore, but I had today off, so here finally, are my mid-November blooms. 

Some of the Helleborus niger/Christmas Rose petals are now tinged with pink, and this delightful plant steadfastly continues to hold up through all kinds of weather.

Severe frosts and cold days don't seem to phase it at all. I hope it blooms with the same enthusiasm when spring comes again.

I love the combination of pink and white blooms on the same plant.

We had a 4 beautiful, sunny days last Thursday through Sunday, but today the weather has turned blustery, wet and very wintery - not a nice day to be outdoors.

Hubby recently noticed that the Honeysuckle over by the grape vines still has a few blooms.

It looks like Lonicera brownii (Dropmore Scarlet) to me, but being a passalong I can't be sure.
This pretty vine began blooming early in the spring and even now it continues to produce blooms!

Bright red berries have taken over the color show now that the leaves are gone from the little burning bush.

Frosty mornings add a sugar coating,

.....enhancing the beauty.

Behind the Burning Bush the Weigela has grown considerably this past summer and its fall color is gorgeous. 

Rimmed with frost...

....the leaves are especially beautiful.

The gardens are mostly bare of blooms now,

but until very recently this tall Mallow (Malva zebrini) was still loaded with pretty purple blooms.

Only the most severe frosts have finally finished its late show.

Frost adds a beautiful touch to Sedum Autumn Joy's rich rufous fall tones. 

Another passalong from my friend, Marie, this little pale pink Chrysanthemum produced a few brave blooms and held up well to the frosty mornings.

Purple Alyssum generously sprouted beside the usual white Alyssum this past summer in the cracks between pavers of the back door patio. It laughs in the face of the cold.

Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower) "Summer Berries Mix" has just recently finally been stopped by the frost.

And the heavy frosts have taken a toll on the Gaura as well.

The large Spirea bush is beautifully dressed in its fall shades of red.

On the covered, unheated side porch the Ivy Geraniums and Fuchsia "Marinka" seem to like the cool temperatures and are blooming happily.

"Butterfly"

"Taj Mahal"

"Marimba"

When the temperatures drop closer to freezing on the porch I'll move them to upstairs bedrooms.

This Hoya is the house plant of the moment, showing off 2 lovely bloom clusters, with a few more tiny ones showing promise for the future.

These blooms are fascinating, beginning as little closed stars and gradually unfolding tiny pockets...... 

....to reveal shiny gems of rasberry red.

As an added bonus, the blooms last for quite a while. 

Jasmine is a cat who obviously appreciates beauty!

Not very long ago I snapped this shot of her admiring the last gorgeous bloom of Clematis "Carnaby". This long lasting bloom is still there, albiet a little worse for wear, but hanging in there. Homestead Verbena and white Alyssum are still showing a bit of color as well in the Rose/Clematis garden, but even these last few stalwarts will soon be gone and the garden will sleep until spring returns again.

Be sure to visit our gracious hostess, Carol of May Dreams Gardens  to discover what's blooming in gardens all over the globe. 

Carol's inspiration for Bloom Day was inspired by the words of Elizabeth Lawrence - "We can have flowers nearly every month of the year"

October Surprises - Red and White

If you read my October Bloom Day post you might remember that I described the Dwarf Burning Bush as never being a spectacular red. 
Click here to see just how unspectacular it was on October 15th.

But....I'm happy to report that just a few days later it proved me wrong and began turning a brighter shade of red.

And it became brighter

and brighter  

with each passing day,

Until it was a truly spectacular red!

It positively glowed!

We were so proud of that beautiful little bush.

I'll have to watch what I say about it in the future.

The other lovely surprise in our autumn garden is this pretty passalong Hellebore (Helleborus niger/Christmas Rose), shared with me by a gardening friend from her late mother's garden.

On October 25th I noticed a couple of buds on the plant. At closer inspection I counted 25 buds, some still tiny. The above photo is how it looked on 10/29.

 

And here it is on November 2nd - yesterday, after a very hard frost, still looking beautiful. This plant is tough!
We've had pouring rain all day today so it's been an indoor day with no garden pictures taken, but more buds are opening each day.
I was disappointed in the spring when the plant didn't bloom, but it's certainly making up for that now.
An autumn surprise indeed!
 I hope to see it blooming again next spring, after our very long, cold winter.
Now that's something to look forward to!

Shades of Autumn

Autumn clothes our upstate New York farm in a dazzling array of colors.

 

Festivities begin even before the Autumnal Equinox,

with wild Asters and Goldenrod putting on a spectacular display to herald the change of seasons.

The woods are alive with fiery earth tones.

Vines in the hedgerow across the road are quick to turn a bright sangria red, and fields of pale lavender Asters bloom with abandon beside the tall Goldenrod.
(Click photos to see more detail)

Looking toward the hill we see the trees decked out in rust and gold against the emerald and olive greens. Sheep peacefully graze in the pasture at center right. 

(a bit hard to see unless you click. I'd like to make the photos bigger but that doesn't seem to work with this template).

I've scattered deadheaded seeds of Rudbeckia triloba (a Black-eyed Susan) over the bank and they've germinated amazingly well. The patch was prettier a while ago when Queen Anne's Lace (now just brown stalks and seedheads) bloomed beside the Susans.

 

The fall colors compliment the red barn.

Cows can be seen grazing in the same field as the sheep, but usually at opposite corners.

 

I helped decorate for the party with a few spots of added color.

But very little help was needed. Mother Nature did a wonderful job all by herself. She gave us some spectacular skies,

and puffy clouds...

A few

glorious days

of warm sunshine

and mild temperatures,

burnt orange trees to match the rust colored cow!

Buff colored sheep and the soft wheat shade of sudex (sorghum-sudangrass). 

But there've been plenty of chill winds and gray, rainy days in the mix,

to prepare our thin skins for the cold days to come,

lest we forget that Old Man Winter is just around the corner.

We had a taste of him today with cold, wild winds and rain.
I hear another heavy shower pounding on the roof tonight and there'll be snow flakes in the air tomorrow, so the weatherman says.

But we've had a few days of perfect gardening weather this week - precious gifts to be savored and enjoyed.

The autumnal show is almost over, but oh my, it's been a joy to behold and we have much to be grateful for! 

Shades of Autumn

A tangerine and russett cascade

of kaleidoscopic leaves

Creates a tapestry of autumn magic

upon the emerald carpet of fading summer.

The golden memories of sunsets and twilight

Hover in the backdrop of the peek-a-boo patch

of silver skylight.

Judith A. Lindberg

Time for a nap thinks Jasmine.