November 2025 Bloom Day

Pink Petunia

 

It's November Bloom Day: the day when we garden bloggers share what is blooming in our gardens on the 15th of each month, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog. Now that the overnight temperatures in our area are dropping, there is less in bloom in my Zone 6B Virginia garden, as is to be expected. 

Most of my tender tropical plants have been brought indoors for overwintering, only a few linger on the porch to take advantage of its shelter. Above is the pink Petunia that wouldn't die--it seems to me that these end-of-the-season flowers are larger than those earlier in the summer, and the color more vivid--a last hurrah, so to speak. As an annual, it will be left on the porch to die.

The Datura 'Purple Ballerina', another annual I acquired rather late in the season, I hope to keep alive indoors for next summer, but it may not make it. In the meantime, I bring it in overnight and take it out on the porch on sunny days, and it has put out a few of its lovely flowers.

 

Datura 'Purple Ballerina' 

 

I acquired another goldenrod, a Zigzag variety (Solidago flexicaulis) on a recent trip to Maryland's Eastern Shore, and while it was awaiting planting in my garden, is blooming on the porch.

 

Zigzag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)

 

Other than these, there is little bloom left outdoors now. About a week ago the autumn-flowering Crocus speciosus I planted in early October were in bloom, but those have gone, leaving only vestiges. I think the colors of this combination by the front entrance are very seasonal: purple mums persisting in pots along with the flowers of Irish Moss (Sagina subulata) and the colorful foliage of a dwarf Nandina with dried Gladiolus foliage..

 

Irish moss and mums in pots by the front entrance.

 

My Viburnum 'Brandywine' has now lost most of its leaves, only clusters of blue berries hang on the bare branches. The Winterberries (Gaultheria) recovered enough from last winter's deer damage over the summer, and produced a few berries. I'll have to try brewing some winterberry tea with them

 

Berries of Viburnum 'Brandywine'

 

Gaultheria 'Fiesta'

The leaves have come down from most of the trees in the woods out back, the ones that persist are not as colorful as they were two weeks ago, when they were at their peak.The mild weather has allowed me to continue my project of expanding and consolidating Herb's bed with the bed along the veggie garden enclosure, where I've planted more herbs. Only a few more linear feet to dig--hopefully I'll have time to finish it before the ground freezes hard.

 

Expansion of flower beds and new mulch path.

 

The native Witch Hazel trees in the back woods are in bloom--I can't take any credit for these, a cluster of several trees was there when we bought the house. The two Witch Hazels I planted in my garden open their blooms in early spring and the species, Hamamelis vernalis, is different. My other witch hazel tree is the hybrid, 'Diane.'

 

Native Witch Hazel trees  (Hamamelis virginiana) in bloom.

The Beautyberries are still holding on to their berries--all these subdued shades blend so well with the surrounding dried leaves to make wonderful combinations!

 

Beautyberries (Callicarpa dichotoma)

Dried Hydrangea flowers and Shasta daisies.

Blooms from my indoor garden will soon be taking the place of the outdoors as winter overtakes us. The yellow hibiscus is one of my indoor favorites. I brought in the Pelargonium I had outdoors and it put forth another round of blooms.

 

Yellow Hibiscus

 

Pink Pelargonium

Both my Bearss lime trees began to bloom once I brought them inside the house--the older tree is covered with flowers and setting fruit. The Meyer lemon is barely surviving--I can't imagine why there would be such a  marked difference between the two varieties of citrus growing in the same environment, with the same potting soil.

 

Bearss lime blossoms.

 

 That's all for today, folks, thanks for visiting!

 

November Color

The back yard in November

 

Our fall hasn't been as colorful as on other years, but the trees finally started to turn in earnest in late October. The first few days in November was when I took this photo-- the oaks in the back woods were at the peak of their color. But after last night's high winds, much of the foliage is gone today. 

My Japanese maples have been putting on quite a show too, and Viburnum 'Brandywine' is still looking wonderful, though the birds have eaten most of the berries.

  

Japanese maples in the east woodland garden.

Closer look at Japanese maples

Japanese maple "Amber Ghost'

Viburnum 'Brandywine'

The days continue to be mild, despite overnight temperatures dropping below freezing, we haven't really had a hard frost yet. The inch and a half of rain we got last week prompted the autumn-blooming Crocus speciosus I planted in early October to finally bloom. Such a lovely sight!

 

Crocus speciosus

 

Most of my tropical plants are back inside the house, and the tropical Salvias are under a blanket of mulch which I hope will help them to survive the winter outdoors. Most of my mums are looking a bit beat-up, but these potted ones under the front porch are holding their own.

 

Mums by the front porch.

 

The pink asters with the yellow centers that I got as a mother's day gift re-bloomed, with a little smaller size flowers the second time around. The Blanket flowers 'Arizona Sunset' (Gaillardia) in the front yard are still blooming.

 

Pink florist's asters.

"Arizona Sunset' Gaillardia

I missed photogaphing the spectacular color of the Fothergilla shrub, most of its leaves have now fallen. A few aromatic aster flowers linger on.

 

Aromatic asters with Fothergilla beyond.

 I wonder if there will still be any flowers in an other week for November's Bloom day?

 

October 2025 Bloom Day

 

Yellow Chrysanthemum

It's October Bloom Day: the 15th of the month is when garden bloggers share what's blooming in our gardens, as hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog. Fall is gradually showing its signs--the leaves are turning, the seeds are setting, and the last flowers of the season are displaying their blooms. Let's take a look, shall we?

In the front yard, the neon-pink Petunia growing in a pot still has some blooms--the cooler temperatures don't seem to have had an effect on it yet. The Gaillardia 'Arizona Sunset' has slowed down but still has some blooms too. 

The newly-opened blooms for the month are the Chrysanthemums, and I have several--this deep red-purple one in the front, a beautifully-shaped yellow that a fried gave me for my birthday, and a pink that I've have for several years.

 

Pink Petunia

Gaillardia 'Arizona sunset'

Deep red mums.

The changing foliage seems to be the main feature in my garden at this time of the year. The 'Brandywine' viburnum is very appealing with its red foliage and the berries turning blue.

 

Viburnum 'Brandywine'

The east garden.

 The 'Autumn Blaze' maple on the west side of the house is brilliant with color.

 

'Autumn Blaze' maple from the front.

'Autumn Blaze' maple from the back deck.

I used to have several huge mounds of Aromatic Asters blooming at this time, but in the last few years, deer in our area seem to have developed a taste for this plant which they never bothered before, so these are the only flower buds they left--a fraction of the original blooms!

  

Aromatic Aster.

Aromatic Asters with Fothergilla in back.

 

Grasses are another striking feature of my autumn garden; the Muhly grass 'Flamingo' in Herb's bed is among the showiest--the ordinary Muhly grass is shorter and more feathery. The Little Blue Stem grass is another grass that I enjoy--its tiny fluffy seeds look like little stars. I notice that it's being used a lot more in landscaping around our local buildings.

 

 

Muhly grass with pink mums.

 

Muhly grass 'Flamingo'

Little Blue Stem grass.

The Threadleaf Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) in the Little Indians bed is turning gold, and the woods in back are starting to show some color too. But thus far it's rather subdued. The oak foliage will probably not turn until later.  It's time to harvest some of the Jerusalem artichokes--their blooms have all gone to seed.

 

Amsonia hubruchtii

The back yard in early morning.

A few roses linger on, but the porch baskets are looking very past it. There's no sign of the Crocus speciosus that I planted in the back bed a few weeks ago--I wonder if they will still bloom or if their time has passed? 

 

 

Shrub rose 'Petal Pushers'

Front porch.

 

We're expecting our first frost tonight, and with it, the beginning of winter's repose in the garden. Happy Bloom Day, enjoy the last of the flowers--thanks for visiting!

Early Fall in my Garden

Salvia 'Amistad'

It's been such a busy week for me with my Botanical Art Intensive class at Blandy this past weekend, that I had barely any time to even look at my garden. Today I finally get to catch up and take a look at what's blooming. The strange effect of a breeze blowing across the Salvia 'Amistad' created this unusual iridescent effect in my photograph--weird, but beautiful!

The dogwood is losing its colorful leaves, a few other leaves are turning and dropping, but our nighttime temperatures haven't been low enough to cause much change in the leaves yet. We're told that we won't be having a very colorful fall this year in our region due to the warmth. A few of the hickories in the back woods are turning gold, others brown.

 

Front garden

 

And yet my collection of potted plants are still blooming, if not as profusely. My two Mandevillas haven't bloomed at all this summer--I can't figure out why, other that they've been in those pots for a few years, and may be too pot-bound.

 

Potted plants along the front walk.

Pink Petunia

A nice surprise was to see the Sternbergias I planted among the strawberries pop up-- their golden blossoms only last a few days--so short-lived! I want them to multiply, but I also bought ten more bulbs to plant nearby, as well as some Crocus speciosus (autumn-blooming crocus). My Colchicums are done flowering, they came up very early this year, and with the recent hot weather, didn't last long. My 'Waterlily' Colchicum hasn't come up at all. Wonder what happened to it--is it the drought? 

 

Sternbergia lutea

Sternbergia

My small plant of Japanese Anemone 'Honorine Jobert' opened its first bud today, but it was caught in the nylon mesh that keeps the deer from devouring them--sadly, I cut it off when I tried to detach it to photograph--here it is fallen on the ground, surrounded by plantains. I'll move the barrier forward after the next rain to prevent this from happening and give the plant more room. I so envy the giant clumps of this flower in Blandy's courtyard, I wonder how many years it will take for mine to make a decent show?

 

Anemone 'Honorine Jobert'

 

Among the late bloomers are Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) that I grew from seed collected at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) last summer. The deer ate these earlier, so it took the plants longer to bloom, but they finally have. Like all hibiscus, the flowers only open for one day. I hope some will set seeds so I can grow this again next year. The two plants I have were the only ones that sprouted from those seeds.

 

Roselle flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

Roselle plant.

The Shasta Daisies have some blooms this year--behind the net enclosure, the deer didn't get them! There should be more soon, these tend to bloom very late.

 

Shasta daisies.

 

The Muhly and other grasses are one of the highlights at this time of the year, along with the swamp sunflowers.

 

Herb's bed with Agastaches and grasses (Little Bluestem, Calamagrostis)

Muhly grass 'Flamingo'

Swamp sunflowers (Helianthus angustifolium)

 

I love those airy wild asters blooming next to the Muhly grass! The beautyberries  (Callicarpa dichotoma 'Early Amethyst') have acquired a gorgeous color that complements the yellowing foliage.

  

Beautyberries

The deer have been munching the aromatic aster buds, I don't know if I'll have any flowers. They've been munching on the Chrysanthemums too, so mine don't look like much. The Abelia Panoramic Color' is still blooming.

 

Abelia 'Panoramic Color'

 

The seedpods of the Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles' are as interesting as the flowers. Unfortunately, I seldom get to see them, as the deer eat the flowers back a lot. These are some they left me.

 

Flowers and seedpods of Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles'

There's still some Indian summer weather left before out first frost cuts everything down. I wonder what else may be in store for my garden?