November 2014 in the Northern Hemisphere

[meanie]

Not much new here now, but this Salvia leucantha in a sheltered spot is trying.............


The colour is not great, and perversely the greenfly are hanging in on there!

[Robert]

Wow!  What a colour! I've only seen yellows and oranges on Hamamelis here. A very special seedling.

I do not remember how old this plants is, but I do know it is of blooming age. I do not remember the flower color either - I will need to take note of that. It grows right next to the path I take to work - you think that I would pay attention to such things!

[Roma]

Flowering now
Helleborus niger - this one is always early and usually over before Christmas
Galanthus corcyrensis
Gentiana 'Edith Sarah - warm enough this afternoon for the flowers to open after the rain stopped
An out of season bloom on Meconopsis x cookei 'Old Rose'
Also out of season - Primula 'Chevithorne Pink'

[David Nicholson]

Again the words banana and belt spring to mind!

[Robert]

Some of the late season Salvias are now starting to bloom.



S. semiatrata fits in our small Sacramento, California yard.

S. madrensis, S. gesneriiflora, and the S. mexicana group etc. get way too large for us so I will enjoy them at the WPA Garden. It is within walking distance from our small bungalow. It is generally nice taking a look see and getting some photographs.

[meanie]

S. semiatrata fits in our small Sacramento, California yard.

Now that is a true stunner!
I'm wondering what kind of daylight hours and temperatures you guys are seeing at the moment?

Kalanchoe x houghtonii is a plant that I grow for summer bedding. Here's one of next years plants that is not behaving in as much as having been moved to the greenhouse it has decided to bloom now............


Greenfly is still rampant!

[rgc]

Greenfly is still rampant!

I have noted a surprising absence of greenfly in my garden in Stirling this year. A neighbour who grows roses told me that he has not had to take his usual anti-greenfly measures this year. Have other people experienced this?
Bob

[Maggi Young]

I regard the self-seeding Aquilegias around the garden as the best indicator plants for aphid infestations. If there are any around they are sure to be on the Aquilegia first. This year I have noticed almost none.
There have been more than enough slugs, snails and other critters around which have chewed holes in anything and everything, so  overallI suppose it's been a case of "swings and roundabouts"............

[meanie]

I have noted a surprising absence of greenfly in my garden in Stirling this year. A neighbour who grows roses told me that he has not had to take his usual anti-greenfly measures this year. Have other people experienced this?
Bob

I regard the self-seeding Aquilegias around the garden as the best indicator plants for aphid infestations. If there are any around they are sure to be on the Aquilegia first. This year I have noticed almost none.
There have been more than enough slugs, snails and other critters around which have chewed holes in anything and everything, so  overallI suppose it's been a case of "swings and roundabouts"............

Jeez! I've had RSM on plants outdoors this year! Whitefly was rampant in the spring and greenfly has been ever present all year (although not prolific). The RSM has been a problem on my Erythrina, Brugmansia and Cantua.

[Robert]

Now that is a true stunner!
I'm wondering what kind of daylight hours and temperatures you guys are seeing at the moment?

Day length seems to trigger the late Salvias into bloom. Right now we get about 10 hours per day. Temperatures have been above average - about 23 c as a high temperature and 10 c as a low at night. S. semiatrata always starts blooming at this time of year even when the weather is much cooler. It will bloom for us until late winter - early spring as long as it does not get too cold i.e. below -3 or -4 c.

[Anne Repnow]

One doesn't expect that sort of colour at this time of year - the more is it apprecieated! Saxifraga cortusifolia var. fortunei 'Black Ruby'

More colour:
- Hosta 'Deane's Dream'
- Cyclamen hederifolium 'Fairy Rings' (given to me by a wonderful gardening friend - thank you!)
- Panicum virgatum 'Külsenmoor'

[astragalus]

I'm hoping that someone will have an answer to my question.  During the annual fall leaf clean-up preparatory to covering everything with chicken wire,  I noticed that a lot of the oak leaves had oak leaf gall.  I understand that it does not usually damage the tree but am wondering if it's possible it can move on to my plants.  No clean up is 100% perfect and a few leaves might spend the winter with the plants in the crevice garden.  Does anyone know the answer?

[Maggi Young]

While the oak galls are a tad "galling"  (sorry, couldn't help myself, you know my terrible weaknesses    ) - according to the RHS  they don't particularly have a detrimental effect long term on the oaks and pose no threat to other plants : https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=803

This  article  prefers destruction and spraying - which the RHS says is,anyway, ineffective and not needed. http://lee.ifas.ufl.edu/Hort/GardenPubsAZ/facts_about_galls.pdf


 Missouri  Bot. Gdn. agrees with the RHS : http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/other/galls/galls-on-trees.aspx

so, on balnce, seems you need not worry...... 

[Robert]

I'm hoping that someone will have an answer to my question.  During the annual fall leaf clean-up preparatory to covering everything with chicken wire,  I noticed that a lot of the oak leaves had oak leaf gall.  I understand that it does not usually damage the tree but am wondering if it's possible it can move on to my plants.  No clean up is 100% perfect and a few leaves might spend the winter with the plants in the crevice garden.  Does anyone know the answer?

Here in California, Oak Galls are cause by parasitic wasps. They do no harm to the oaks and the wasps do not use other plants.

[Robert]

The cooler weather has brought out a two toned color on the corolla on this Abutilon hybrid.