October 2013 in the northern hemisphere

[François Lambert]

Acidanthera bicolor (now renamed to Gladiolus) started flowering a few days ago.  Because I stored them too cold last winter they only started to grow sometime in july.  The flowers are strongly scented.

[François Lambert]

another autumn hero (I must confess it started to flower in September) is Canna iridflora Ehemanii.

[Margaret]

Not sure why my pics yesterday didn't appear. 
Will try again
Tagetes patula Linnaeus (on the allotment), Tricyrtis tojen, Selinum wallichianum

I've discovered the problem - I didn't click more attachments. Old age I guess.

[Natalia]

Thank you for the pictures of the beautiful flowers. Autumn came to us. Matured seeds Glaucidium.

Glaucidium palmatum seeds

[krisderaeymaeker]

Thank you for the pictures of the beautiful flowers. Autumn came to us. Matured seeds glautsidium.
Glaucidium palmatum seeds

Great picture Natalia !

[Garden Prince]

Re.  Heptacodium miconoides

Of course, the real show, after the deliciously fragrant white blooms in late summer to autumn, are the enlarged colorful bracts that are pink to red.  Mine is in the transitional stage to bract-delight, but still some flowers too.

In my experience you must have a reasonably warm autumn to get the pinky-red bracts on Heptacodium. I seldom do get a good display of this on my plant (I live in the Netherlands, hardiness zone 7-ish) This year the plant started to flower really late (early September). Its still flowering at the moment but no pinky-red bracts to be seen.  And now that Autumn really has arrived I don't think I will.  But I value the plant plant for its late flowering and the bees and butterflies love to visit the flowers.

A couple of years ago I got some fertile seeds on my plant and I sowed them  in November. They germinated in August of the following year. I was a little bit surprised by this. You can also propagate it by cuttings but I have no experience with this.

I recently saw a Heptacodium in the Von Gimborn Arboretum in the Netherlands that was between 5 and 6 metres ( 17-20 feet) high. I think the ultimate height it can reach in gardens is still unknown.  If necessary you can cut Heptacodium back really hard and the plant will regrow.

Heptacodium is indeed bone hardy. Two severe winters (one with temperatures between -15 and -20 degrees Celsius) did not affect my plant. 

[monocotman]

Garden Prince - mine usually flowers earlier than this - early September so I do get the pinky bracts most years.
I suspect that the very cold early spring was the culprit and set it back.
I think that this species in time will become much more popular in temperate gardens- there is nothing
else like it.
David

[TheOnionMan]

This year, my Heptacodium tree is really starting to take off, flowering splendidly, and over the past week the bracts have enlarged and making quite a sight, they literally glow in sunlight.  Unfortunately it drizzled all day yesterday when I snapped some photos.

I have the same experience regarding hardiness, this is bone hardy, also drought and heat tolerant.  I do have experience with cuttings, they strike easily with high percentage of success.

[TheOnionMan]

Heptacodium miconioides today in the sun, the bracts glow hot red-pink in sunlight.

[Brian Ellis]

It looks wonderful Mark.

[TheOnionMan]

Brian, there's nothing like a warm sunny day to make the autumn garden sparkle, we've had a remarkable run of splendid autumn weather (for the most part); the autumn Asters are still buzzing with myriad honey and bumble bees.

[Brian Ellis]

We're hoping for a day like that tomorrow - for once we have had our fair share of rain over the last four days!

[Roma]

Gentiana melandriifolium

[Roma]

Autumn Gentians
Gentiana 'Eugen's Allerbester'
Gentiana 'Saltire'
Gentiana Silken Giant'

[Roma]

Some berries

Sorbus prattii
Rosa moyesii 'Geranium'
Berberis 'Rose Glow'