Sunday, November 15, 2009

November Color, GBBD

The Autumn colors are more evident in the photo...but mostly because loving spouse raked the leaves this morning before the Rosedale Garden Club convened on my front lawn for a tour, bringing with them scones and coffee...such a very nice group of people! I had sat next to Amy at the monthly Chica's Verde meeting a few months back and when she attended the Inside Austin Gardens Tour...we firmed up the plan to have her club meet here. Chica's Verde is a group of environmentally motivated women all working in 'green' fields...some of us literally.

The Autumn Sage is blooming around the birdbath, as is the Oxalis along the path.

Not a great shot of Belinda's Dream...it was so dark that the flash kept going off on it's own.

Bridal Wreath's delicate blooms.

Tropical Sage, Trailing Lantana, and Dianthus in the hanging basket blooming around the chicken coop.

More Trailing Lantana, Butternut Squash, you can't see the blooms under the giant leaves...but they are there, along with 3 nice sized vegetables. This is the former location of my compost pile and I always get volunteers...such a blessing. Esperanza or Yellow Bells is looking great but my orange variety hasn't bloomed in a month.


Patrick's Abutilon...has never had more blooms than now...this must be it's season, though it's been blooming since the rains came.

Turk's Cap has a few blooms but is mostly covered in fruit.

Sweet Pea

The Lavender is still hosting dozens of bees.

The local gardeners can't seem to agree on the name of this vine. I got it from my South Austin friend Julie, she didn't know what it was but I was told that it was Desert Willow Vine because the blooms are the same as the tree. I've also heard it called African Trumpet Vine, or just Pink Trumpet Vine. I had it planted on the east fence and it grew into my neighbors yard...east. So I moved it and propagated it, putting it on the chicken fence (above) and the west fence and both times it grew east, again. I think that's interesting.

When the purple Fall Aster is long gone, the native white is still hosting lots of insect activity...the snout nose butterfly's seem particularly fond of her.

Echinacea, Purple Cone Flower

Marigold, a variegated ornamental Pepper, Banana Pepper and gourd surprise...which means it's a volunteer and I have no idea what I'm getting, but it has a bloom...so it counts!

Predictable bloomers in November here in Austin: Copper Canyon Daisy, Cuphea and Mexican Sage...every year...since I planted them they've come through!

This is my blooming New Gold Lantana with Silver Pony's Foot that looked horrid this summer but has now come back with a vengeance!

Knock Out Rose next to the Katrina Rose, formerly, Peggy Martin.

Onion and Martha Gonzales Rose.

Datura Metal...I love this beauty!

The Rosedale Garden Club enjoying the monstrous Philippine Violet. I must give a shout out to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for her brilliant idea of having folks post what's blooming in their yard on the 15th of each month, Thank you Carol! Go to her site for the blogroll, and to check out gardens around the globe.

Here's the full list of what's blooming today in my 8b central Austin cottage garden:
Front and side yard:
Desert Rose
Plumbago
Bulbine
Hymenoxis
Gregg Dalea
Pink Skullcap
Salvia Greggi
Magestic Sage
Belinda's Dream Rose
Copper Canyon Daisy
David's Cuphea
Mexican Sage
New Gold Lantana
Native Fall Aster
Firecracker Fern
Blackfoot Daisy
Fall Obedient Plant
Canna's
Mexican Mint Marigold
Oxallis
Mums
Russian Sage
White Lantana
Purslane
Butterfly Weed
Purple Cone Flower
Trailing Rosemary
Agastache
Viola
Backyard:
Datura Metal
Four O'Clocks
Gregg's Mistflower
Miniature Pomegranate
Philippine Violet
Marigold
Martha Gonzales Rose
Knock Out Rose
Peggy Martin Rose
Sweet Pea
Shrimp Plant
Purple Vitex (bush)
Desert Willow Vine
Esperanza
Trailing Lantana
Tropical Sage
Mexican Petunia (purple...the pink hasn't bloomed in over a month)
Pigeon Berry
Turks Cap
Chili Pequin
Banana Pepper
Several ornamental peppers have both flowers and fruit
Okra
Dianthus
Bridal Wreath
Blue Mealy Sage
Turnera has buds
Lions Tail
Coreopsis
Butterfly Bush
Brugmansia has 3 buds
Purple Hyacinth Bean
The day is gorgeous...and I'm going to get out there and plant some onions before the rain!
Happy Gardening!

16 comments:

Linda/patchwork said...

You have a lot more blooms than I do plants. But, I'm working on it.
Is that a new creature in your front garden? I don't remember him at the Inside Austin tour last month.

Iris said...

Can you believe how happy everything looks now after our past two summers? Beautiful blooms! I really like all the medium shots so I can see your combinations and placements. Thanks for the tour!

ConsciousGardener said...

That is a new creature...my evil skeletal rocking unicorn...likey?

I like the medium shots too and get a little bored with 'perfect' flowers, thank you!

Caroline said...

Ooh! I can't wait until my Philippine violet is as big as yours! And that Datura is fabulous.

Bob said...

WOW, what a list of plants. I think my blooming may be about over tonight as there is supposed to be a freeze here. I know I will still have blooms on the Skeleton Leaf Daisy as it will bloom in the dead of winter if we have a few warm days. I think your garden looks better than when I visited.

mss @ Zanthan Gardens said...

Lucky garden clubbers. If I bring scones, can I visit?

I'm one of the disagreeable Austinites who will argue that the name of that pink vine is Port St. Johns creeper, even though I know I'm fighting a losing battle and that know one else cares. It comes from South Africa and that's the town it's named for.

Knowing its name hints at its origins, and serves as a warning to its non-native aggressiveness. It will root itself through layering in an instant. Mine has taken over 50 feet of fence and is also climbing trees. It's kudzu with flowers.

The botanical name has gone through some convolutions as well. It started out as Pandorea ricasoliana because it was thought to be related to an Australian Pandorea. Now it is Podranea ricasoliana.

ConsciousGardener said...

MSS, you rock. I had been googling names like: African pink vine, pink trumpet vine, African tulip vine...nada. Thank you sooo much!

Hostabuff said...

Wow - what a list of plants in bloom! I never miss a garden tour and wish we could grow tour worthy plants in the northeast this time of year. I really enjoyed the lovely pictures of your yard.

Carrie said...

Utterly blown away by your wordless wednesday posts down the side - fabulous!! And such colour in the garden in November!!?
Glad you visited me - now I glad to have found you x
Carrie (growourown)

Kathy said...

What a beautiful garden. I especially like that you have places to sit and enjoy it. Very inspiring and so many blooms for November! Have to love that lavender and I love "squash" flowers.

Anonymous said...

It is so nice to enjoy all the blooms in your garden. Your chicken coup with fence surround is one of the m most attractive I have seen.

Linda/patchwork said...

Cheryl,
I have just awarded you the Best Blog Award. I know you just did the Hammered thing. This one is a bit easier...no confessions.
And, no obligations. The rules are just that you have to pass it on to more blogs.
It was my first award and I enjoy your blog, so I passed it on to you.
Keep up the good work.
Linda...

Gail said...

Pink and blue...maybe the most perfect colors in the gardening world. Love the red door against the yellow house....bold and beautiful. gail

Helen said...

What a long and happy list of flowers for a mid-November. I envy you!

Sue Catmint said...

Dear CG, Your garden looks great, I'm not surprised the garden club people appreciated it. Thank you for taking the trouble to list all the flowering plants - very interesting. i keep meaning to do a similar list but haven't got around to it yet.

Denver Landscaper said...

The landscaping of your yard looks great! I bet you get a lot of compliments having so many different things going on. What a list you've got going :)