Bloom Day - A Foot in the Door

     The first signs of fall are starting to appear in the local landscape, but peak foliage does not usually happen for us until early November. I am OK with that, as fall makes me somewhat melancholy, mainly because I know what's to follow. We have had a remarkable spate of weather in the past 6 weeks with mild temperatures, and plenty of rain, even though much of that has fallen in strong downpours. Usually by this time of year the garden is looking a little ragged from the summer, but this year, not so much.

     I planted Salvia 'Lady in Red' in my porch planters, but the roof covers them a bit denying the plants full sun and rainfall, yet they still bloom.

     When we do get cold weather, one of the first things to go down will be my coleus. I know there are people who save them year after year through cuttings, but I just buy new ones each spring. The botanical name of coleus is changing from Solenostemon to Plectranthus, which is a shame since I just learned how to spell Solenostemon without having to look it up.

     And just when I had come to accept that many Chrysanthemum are really Dendranthema, I now read they are switching back. So here is Chrysanthemum 'Bolero' (formerly known as Dendranthema).

     After this past winter's low temperatures, I had real concern that my Cestrum 'Orange Peel' would survive, and indeed I did have to cut the shrub back hard, almost to the ground. However, you wouldn't know it. It has reached over 6' in a single season, and has bloomed non-stop since late May.

     This has been a bountiful year for my hardy orange (Poncirus trifoliata). It is one of the few plants remaining from a previous gardener.

     This has also been a good year for Callicarpa americana.

     Probably the most distracting plant in my garden right now is Lantana 'Miss Huff'. I know it is common, but some things are common for a reason, and I couldn't imaging gardening without her.

     One sure sign of fall around here are the blooms of Camellia sasanqua. This one is 'Yuletide', which usually starts flowering a little later. I hope its earliness is not any kind of omen as to how the winter will be.

     If you would like to see how the season is progressing for other gardeners, then please visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day on the 15th of each month.