October in the Northern Hemisphere

[meanie]

This is Aconitum episcopale - climbing in Sorbus koehneana

Gerd

Lovely!

[TC]

Some autumn colour from Benmore, Dawyck and Culzean.  First Dawyck

[meanie]

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Kniphofia rooperi is spectacular this year. Almost the only poker I have had any flowers off actually - snails are very fond of the flower stems and constant vigilance is needed as the leaves make an ideal hiding place for them.

That is a really exceptional Kniphofia Tristan! Straight onto my wishlist.

ps to everyone - forgive my posting several posts consecutively but I haven't been on for a few days. Sorry.

[meanie]

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A seedling of Mimulus aurantiacus var. pubescens blooming for the first time. This seedling is a bit different in color than most forms of variety pubescens. Most are bright yellow. I have a number of other seedlings coming on and I am very curious how they will turn out.

I have a soft spot for Mimulus but sadly they're too tender to see out all but the mildest rural Cotswold winter.

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Pineapple Sage, Salvia elegans has started into its blooming season.

Mine is in bud but it's a race against the first frosts. Not sure why I bother with it really as even if I do get it into bloom the foliage is pretty ropy by then.

[TC]

Benmore on Sunday

[TC]

More from BENMORE.

[TC]

Culzean.

[meanie]

Salvia involucrata in bloom at last.................


Tibouchina urvilleana was very late to bloom...........

[Robert]

Meanie,

Your plants look great as usual.

What a difference climate can make...

Tibouchina urvilleana has been blooming outside our kitchen window since May. Most likely it will continue to bloom into November. 

Salvia elegans looks fantastic right now. Not only is the plant habitat good, but it is also blooming profusely.

As I left to drive back to the farm yesterday, I saw a male Anna's Hummingbird feeding at our Salvia semiatrata in our front yard. Its blooming cycle has just started.

I was pleased to see your photograph of Salvia involucrata. As we redo our front border, this species will be perfect to mix into the back of the border with other tall species. Here in California, Salvia involucrata makes 2 meter tall unbranched stems topped by their florescent pink flowers.

[ian mcdonald]

Great colours Tom, Autumn is not that forward here.

[Maggi Young]

Terrific autumn colours from the west of Scotland, Tom.  I particularly like the reflections of the trees in the water at Benmore.

[meanie]

Meanie,

Your plants look great as usual.

What a difference climate can make...

Doesn't it just! Kinda sums up my fascination with plants that are not suitable for our climate, kidding them that it is ok to bloom. Deppea splendens has the first sign of buds emerging now.

As I left to drive back to the farm yesterday, I saw a male Anna's Hummingbird feeding at our Salvia semiatrata in our front yard. Its blooming cycle has just started.

My S.semiatrata died last winter in my greenhouse disaster. S.lasiantha (which is supposedly more tender) survived and is just starting to bud up.

I was pleased to see your photograph of Salvia involucrata. As we redo our front border, this species will be perfect to mix into the back of the border with other tall species. Here in California, Salvia involucrata makes 2 meter tall unbranched stems topped by their florescent pink flowers.

I would expect S.atrocyanea to thrive there as well. Have you tried S.oxyphora?

[Robert]

The first major storm of the season is bearing down on us. Tomorrow's forecast is for heavy rain and strong winds.



Tibouchina urvilleana is still blooming outside our kitchen window.



In another part of our yard Pineapple Sage, Salvia elegans, is putting on a good show.



Epilobium 'Wayne's Silver' has been blooming for months now. In our Class I farm soil this variety performs much better than in our naturally rocky, clay soil at the farm.



Salvia semiatrata has started into its bloom cycle for the fall-winter season.



There are plenty of flower buds still to open. I like the textured foliage of this species.

[Robert]

Disporum flavens going into winter dormancy. As the foliage turns yellow it can brilliantly light up when back lit by the sun.

I am looking forward to this coming dormant season as it will expose the "bones" - the basic structure of the garden. Our garden needs some hard pruning of many of the trees ans shrubs. Also many plants will need to be removed or moved to improve the basic structure and flow of the garden.

[Hoy]

No Salvias up here and most trees and shrubs have lost their foliage but not all is grey.

Lycopodium annotinum. Always green except the strobili.




Some Loiseleuria procumbens change colour in winter, others stay plain green.




Rowan trees are the last ones which loose their foliage.




Rubus saxatilis




The local "chaparral" - almost impenetrable waist high juniper.