As elsewhere, autumn is indeed a time of change here in the desert, but it is a change that infuses fresh life into the garden. More moisture, cooler air, and less intense sunlight all give the growing things a chance to take a breath and look round at the world.
This. of couse, means it is a special time for new flowers. One of my specifically autumn-blooming plants is Salvia reptans, the wiry sage with the tiny true blue flowers. It had gone on blooming for several weeks and looked as though it was beginning to wane, so I thought it was finished for the year; but with some showers and the lower temperatures, it has sent up some more scattered bloom.
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| Chrysanthemum, Euphorbia, and Lantana |
The realities of autumn colour here go further than that, though. They include a strong flush of bloom from all of the Autumn Sage plants (Salvia greggii "Autumn Moon", "Flame", and a seedling). "Autumn Moon" is finally looking more like its dainty self now, having passed through a rather unkempt phase from late summer on. I have gotten braver about cutting it back, and it has responded with new growth and flowers. All of this, along with the apparently everblooming Russelia, adds a strong dash of red and pink to the Central Bed.
Then there are the new plants, some barely visible, mostly just adding little notes of green here and there: Sternbergia lutea leaves just sprouting...
...Penstemon pseudospectabilis, already grown bushier since this photo was taken...
...and the new tree, still admittedly very, very small...
This is a variety of the native Desert Willow, Chilopsis linearis "Lucretia Hamilton".
And of course, there are also some roses.
James Galway coming along at last in the Rose Border...
...and in the Central Bed, Wollerton Old Hall...
...and the incomparable Alnwick Rose...
...which makes a wonderful picture mixed with the delicate sprays of my unknown pink Gaura (now Oenothera lindheimeri).
In fact, it is such a flush time in the garden at present that I am having to do some extra weeding - but that is a small price to pay for the flowers!
Enjoying November in the desert garden...
καλημερα!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Good morning to you, Aggeliki!!! Wishing you plenty of beautiful autumn colour... :)
DeleteGorgeous colours Amy. I wish we still had roses here, the rain has just about seen them off again. The Barometer Bush is lovely! Probably predicts the weather more reliably than any forecaster and what beautiful markings inside the throat of the bloom.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure it says much - being more reliable than a weather forecaster! but, oddly, the bush did give me the first hint that we were about to get some rain...! I hope your roses are enjoying the rain you're having; your pictures look like a glorious autumn!
DeleteAll beautiful pictures Amy, as a grass fan I do like "Regal Mist".
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot, Brian! That grass has certainly exceeded my expectations; it's really a fountain of pink haze right now :)
DeleteAh, your garden is showing the renewal that comes with fall in our hotter climates. I love the Hamelia, which I've admired on other bloggers' sites but haven't seen locally. I wish you luck with the grasses - that Muhly grass is already looking terrific. The roses, as always, are splendid.
ReplyDeleteIt's a wonderful time of year, isn't it? Apparently Hamelia is fairly new in this area, but it seems to be very successful. Turns out it's originally from Florida down into Argentina, so maybe CA nurserymen don't expect it to work in west coast conditions...? I think I've spent a little time each day staring at the Muhly grass - it's just gorgeous :)
DeleteIt's good to read that your garden is enjoying an autumn revival Amy. Whilst autumn here sees the live sucked from most of the plants, yours are rejuvenated and allow you to savour them just a bit longer.
ReplyDeleteYour roses are wonderful and as always - love the Euphorbia and how well you've matched it with the Lantana and Chrysanthemum.
I had a wonderful time poking the mum in next to the Euphorbia, Angie - it just couldn't go anyplace else ;-) Sometimes I feel like I'm gardening halfway to the Antipodes as June is our worst month and autumn is more like spring in a temperate climate garden!
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