November 2024 Bloom Day

 

French marigolds.

French marigolds

We'd had a few nights with temperatures below freezing, but until this past Wednesday Nov. 13, we hadn't experienced a hard frost here in my Zone 6B garden in Virginia. The temperature dipped to around 20 that night. Before that, some of my annuals were still displaying blooms: French marigolds in the veggie pagoda, some potted Nasturtiums, Irish moss, a Calendula that sprouted as a volunteer, and a few beat-up Chrysanthemums (I took these photos a few days ago, before the hard frost).

There are still a few flowers left for November's Bloom Day, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog. It being mid-fall, colorful leaves and berries can sometimes take the place of flowers. Let's take a stroll and see what is blooming in my garden.

 

Caleandula 'Neon' volunteer still blooming in the veggie pagoda.

Pink mum

Nasturtiums on the porch

Irish moss still blooming.

The deciduous trees in the east garden have dropped most of their leaves, but there are still a few hanging on. I discovered a small bird's nest on the upper branches of one of the Japanese maples there, and wondered which bird had built it--a chickadee, or perhaps a titmouse? I see them flitting about the back yard at this time of the year a lot more than at other times. I guess they're more noticeable because most of the migratory birds have already left.

The east garden mid-November.

Bird's nest on Japanese maple branch.

The holly 'Nellie Stevens' has set more berries than ever this year for a wonderful display. 

Holly 'Nellie Stevens'

Dried flower heads of hydrangea 'Incrediball'

 

I like to leave the dried flower heads of the Hydrangea 'Incrediball' through the winter season and cut them back in the spring--they present a lovely point of interest during the winter season.

Our unseasonable warm weather prompted the white lilac to produce a few blooms once again and the lavender was sporting a few of its spikes. But the big chill is coming, and I'm trying to prepare for it.

 

White lilac blooms

 

Lavender 'Hidcote'

As the weather turns colder, the great annual migration of tropical plants into the house is now complete. Winter interest will necessarily focus more on those. My Thanksgiving cactus is starting to show buds; I hope it may still have some flowers left for December's Bloom Day. A friend gave me this beautiful dark-leaved Capsicum with bright orange fruit.

After an entire month with no rain whatsoever, we finally got about a quarter of an inch from the past weekend's storm. It wasn't enough to eliminate the danger of fire--there have been a few forest fires near us, but mercifully, not a whole of of acreage has burned. We can only hope for more rain soon.

 

Decorative Capsicum indoors.

I leave you with a photo of what will likely be the last rose of the season...

Shrub Rose 'Petal Pushers'

Happy November Bloom Day!

A Rainy September

Mushrooms growing under the birdbath.

 

The past week's rains from hurricane Helene here in Virginia have been good for my garden, even it if comes a little late--the growing season is coming to its end. Mushrooms are sprouting in my flower beds, the spiders are busy weaving their lacy orbs, while the fall-flowering plants and bulbs are making their appearance. 

 

Orange Chrysanthemum with Colchicum.

Colchicum 'Waterlily'

Colchicum 'Bornmuelleri'

Back bed with Colchicum

The Colchicum 'Waterlily' that I had planted a few years back put forth a couple of lovely flowers, which were torn to pieces by the deer shortly after I took this photo. Colchicums are poisonuous and most critters avoid them, which is why I chose this plant, but in this case it seems as if the deer tore my flowers up just out of spite (they didn't eat them), or was it perhaps to prevent their young from eating the tempting flowers? I'm never sure just how much intelligence to credit these creatures with.

The Colchicum 'Bornmuellerii' I planted in the back bed a couple of weeks ago popped up, but these have not been bothered at all. I'm waiting for the white Colchicum autumnale 'Album' I planted at the same time to come up any moment now, can't wait to see the flowers! I hope these will multiply over the years.

 

Muhly grass, Sedum 'Autumn Joy' and swamp sunflowers in Herb's bed.

Gaura 'Butterflies' with Agastache 'Blue Boa' and Little Bluestem grass.

 

Herb's bed really comes into its own in the fall, when the Muhly grass sets out its feathery plumes and the swamp sunflowers and 'Autumn Joy' Sedum put on their show.

 

Herb's bed with the Little Indians bed beyond.

Looking toward the back yard from the west garden.

The leaves of some trees are starting to show autumn color, the Yellowood tree (on the left) and the Redbud in the back. The dogwood in the front yard has turned a lovely orange.

 

Along the front walk.

The rain stimulated the much chewed-up Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles' to re-bloom, but the Leatherleaf Viburnum in back that is in bud has not unfolded its flowers yet--I hope they'll bloom before our first frost gets them.

 

Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles'

Leatherleaf Viburnum flower buds

 

The Anemone 'Honorine Jobert' is pushing against its wire cage, attempting to extend its flower stems to their normal lofty height. Unfortunately, I know the deer will decimate it if I remove the protective wire cloche, so until I can come up with a more effective barrier, they will have to stay cramped--I took off the cover for the photo.

 

Anemone 'Honorine Jobert'

 

After much browsing, the deer left me a few hardy Begonias in the front yard to bloom and re-seed themselves--not the display of other years, but I'll take it!

 

Hardy Begonias under the cherry tree in front.

My east woodland garden has prospered with the rains, although the Pagoda dogwood has started dropping its leaves. The holly 'Nelly Stevens' is full of ripening berries this year.

Woodland garden in the east.

'Nelly Stevens' Holly and Osmanthus 'Goshiki'

Woodland garden from the back yard.

 

One casualty of the tropical storm winds was one of my front porch baskets, which pulled out the hook from the beam from which it hung. Herb was watching it spinning crazily in the wind when it finally broke. Fortunately, it seems to have made a soft landing on top of the greenery in front. I hope we can re-hang the hook later on, but for now it makes the porch look unbalanced.

 

Fallen porch basket.

 

I wonder what October will bring... will we have a colorful autumn, and when will our first frost occur this year?