Sunday, November 15, 2015

November Flowers

rose Wollerton Old Hall, amy myers, small sunny garden, desert garden, photography
It has been a grey day with a slow, chilly rain falling off and on.  I was not going to go out and photograph in the garden; but this evening, with only a few drops sprinkling down, I grabbed the camera for some shots of mid-November.

The roses are still taking their time returning to bloom; I slacked off feeding them (exhaustion at the end of summer!), and I think I can't afford to do that in this soil.  But as you can see above, Wollerton Old Hall is still flowering, and a few blossoms have opened on St. Swithun and Crown Princess Margareta.  Here is the latter at sundown...
rose, amy myers, small sunny garden, desert garden, photography
The most reliable flowers are still in fine fettle: Russelia equisetiformis "Big Red"...
russelia equisetiformis "Big Red", coral fountain, amy myers, small sunny garden, desert garden, photography
...and the Autumn Sages, including Salvia greggii "Autumn Moon", which is finally putting out some good bloom again.  I think a good cutting back was appreciated, though I've worked my way into the old wood with trepidation.  The plant had become very rangy with small flowers and few.  It's looking more like it should now!
amy myers, small sunny garden, desert garden, photography, salvia greggii, autumn moon, autumn sage
So much for this evening's tour of the garden!

For the rest, I will add some pictures from yesterday, which was bright and sunny.

One of the most spectacular plants in the garden for the last few weeks has been the Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris "Regal Mist").  I keep raving about it, so no need to say more here...
muhlenbergia capillaris, regal mist, pink muhly, ornamental grass, amy myers, small sunny garden, desert garden, photography
Nearby, the Perovskia has bloomed heartily ever since temperatures really began to moderate.  After having been unsure of this plant for the better part of twelve months, I am now almost completely convinced that it is a good selection for the region after all.
perovskia, russian sage, amy myers, photography, small sunny garden, desert garden
Another long-blooming plant has been my pink Gaura (Oenothera lindheimeri NoID); I've just begun cutting back spent bloom stems, but it has flowered constantly since planting during late summer - an incredible feat, I think.
gaura, oenothera lindheimeri, amy myers, small sunny garden, desert garden, photography
Just in front of it is The Alnwick Rose, and I do love the way the two plants are mingling, the wiry bloom stems of the Gaura falling forward into the rose.
amy myers, small sunny garden, desert garden, photography, the alnwick rose
William Shakespeare 2000 has been transplanted into the Central Bed at the opposite corner from The Alnwick Rose - apparently successfully as new growth is coming along nicely.  This is a big relief as this is one of my favourite roses.  No flowers as yet!

Below these two roses I planted a few clumps of Dianthus to accent the corners.
Another rose in the Central Bed is Sterling Silver, and it has begun putting out its luscious (doubly so, as they are intensely fragrant) lavender blooms again.
rose Sterling Silver, amy myers, small sunny garden, desert garden, photography
In the East Border, Tetraneuris acaulis is blooming happily.  This picture is from a week and a half ago, but the effect is about the same now because little T. a. is pleased with the weather!
tetraneuris acaulis, hymenoxys acaulis, amy myers, small sunny garden, desert garden, photography
Nearby I planted the chrysanthemums I featured in last Monday's vase.  They are blooming heartily as well.  (For a series of chrysanthemum-and-bee pictures, see my recent post at Journal of a Thousand Things.)
chrysanthemums, amy myers, small sunny garden, desert garden, photography
There are a number of other plants putting out smaller amounts of bloom just now; one special one is Eremophila hygrophana, another member of this large Australian genus that seems to thrive in this garden.
Eremophila hygrophana, amy myers, small sunny garden, desert garden, photography, garden bloggers bloom day
There are others, including the new Leonotis, which has yet to go into the ground but is blooming away in its pot.  There are the two miniature roses, both in flower.  The young Lagerstroemia indica "Rhapsody in Pink" is still putting out some late bloom, as is the even younger Hamelia patens, which is blooming and turning fine shades of pink and mahogany at the same time!  Oh yes, and Lavandula "Goodwin's Creek Gray" and even a few blooms on the rosemary hedge...  This is actually a fairly lush time of year here in the desert, and the garden is happy!  The weather is cool and even, incredibly, a bit wet.

Linking to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day with Carol at May Dreams Gardens for this look at November...
perovskia, russian sage, bee, amy myers, photography, small sunny garden, desert garden
Weather Diary: Scattered rain showers; High: 64 F (18 C)/Low: 46 F (8 C)

6 comments:

  1. some exquisite images, Amy. I love the ones you took at sundown and your cheery chrysanthemums ( I will be posting chrysanthemums in my vase this week!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you much, Ann! I just had to try to catch the raindrops at dusk, though I'm afraid the pictures are terribly dark on my phone! I've just been over to enjoy your chrysanthemums; they're such wonderful flowers and I love the colours!

      Delete
  2. It looks as if you have ideal growing conditions at the moment Amy. Happy garden equals happy gardener!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is when we get the good weather, Brian; and it lasts quite a while, really! It would be time to relax and enjoy it all, but I need to fill out the borders while I can :)

      Delete
  3. Amy, your photographs are truly so inspiring! The one of the Pink Muhly Grass is just breathtaking - it makes it look like cotton candy! I also loved the Sterling Silver rose. I don't think I have heard of that one before but it is really a beautiful one....and that Eremophila, sigh, I just wish I could grow that - it looks like my kind of plant! As always, just wonderful and your Instagram feed is one of my favorites along with your sister's. Your creativity and love of what you both do really shines through.

    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
    -Kate

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for all your lovely comments, Kate :) I've really enjoyed being able to follow you too - both on the blog and your Instagram feed though I have difficulty sometimes in keeping up! This is, of course, a wonderful time for the garden here. I've been thrilled with the Pink Muhly Grass; I had no idea a grass could take such a central role among other flowering plants. As for Sterling Silver, she is a bit of a dowager now, I suppose - hybridized back in the fifties by a lady in New England, if my memory is correct. I think I knew about this rose from my grandmother ;-) and I tried to grow it in the Midwest, but found it weak there. Here it is going from strength to strength, which just goes to show... I'm sure you would love the Eremophila (just as I would love to have loads of camellias!); it's quickly becoming a favourite of mine with its soft, silvery foliage. I'm learning to adore some of the wonderful Australian plants. They take our climate in stride - gracefully too!
      Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!

      Delete