October in the Northern Hemisphere

[meanie]

Salvia leucantha has come into bloom before the frosts arrive..............


Salvia involucrata is suffering some cold burn on the foliage but continues to bloom well.............


My Tibouchina is surprising me. Despite some overnight lows of 2 or 3°c fresh blooms continue to come and are undamaged. The plant saw -5°c in the greenhouse disaster of last winter so it seems tougher than I'd previously given it credit for.............


Eccremocarpus scaber continues to bloom its heart out and will do so until the first frost.............


Finally, part of the display that I've planted up outside my parents house. Salvia coccinea, Salvia Amistad, Salvia Black and Bloom, Commelina tuberosa and an Amaranthus in the background..............

[Leena]

We got the first snow yesteday, and the temperatures are going to be below zero at least for ten days now (as long as the weather forecast shows), so winter has come.
These pictures are from last week-end when it was still autumn.
I like ferns, and grasses.

[Leena]

Some more. Iris leaves look also good in the autumn sun.
Geranium phaeum leaves
Geranium x magnificum 'Rosemoor' autumn colours
Some unnamed asters

[Maggi Young]

Meanie - your salvias are a delight!

Leena - hope your winter goes well - love your photos - have you seen Ian's autumn leaves?
https://t.co/7ES2tkIkVu

[meanie]

Meanie - your salvias are a delight!

Thanks! Still a couple of species to come hopefully.

[Maggi Young]

Thanks! Still a couple of species to come hopefully.

Crikey!  They are a good long term project, aren't they?

[Gabriela]

We got the first snow yesteday, and the temperatures are going to be below zero at least for ten days now (as long as the weather forecast shows), so winter has come.
These pictures are from last week-end when it was still autumn.
I like ferns, and grasses.

Lovely pictures Leena! and sorry for your first snow; many times it creates beautiful garden scenes though.

[Leena]

Thanks Maggi  , yes we looked at Ian's photos Wednesday, and admired how lovely red leaves you have. Also R.bureavii leaves are great (I have small seedlings of R.bureavioides, and they survived last winter outside when for instance all my R.wardii seedlings died. I have high hopes that R.bureavioides will grow to nice plants even here  . There is so much beauty in autumn leaves, and Ian has so nice compositions in the pictures.

Gabriela, yes I'm too sorry about the snow, though it is good for the plants, but for me it is going to be a long winter when it starts so early.

[meanie]

Crikey!  They are a good long term project, aren't they?

With close to a thousand species plus all the cultivars, new introductions and species still being discovered it is possible to have a Salvia in bloom all year with a little effort. One thing that I am picking up on is that with a lot of species quality of light is more important for blooming than warm temperatures. The winter bloomers, or to be more accurate autumn and spring in the UK, are better in seasons when the days are sunny than in milder but darker winters. Amistad (and Black Knight) will bloom all year to some degree if kept frost free.