I really hadn’t planned to do a Bloom Day post this month, because I didn’t expect to have anything to share. For the last week or so, Mom and I have been taking advantage of the beautiful weather to work on garden cleanup, and there isn’t a whole lot of pretty left. But when I took a few minutes to walk around and look at the areas we hadn’t attacked yet, I found a few bits of flowers, foliage, and seedheads lingering long enough to make an appearance for the last Hayefield Bloom Day of 2010.
The most obvious flowers at the moment are on a cheery yellow passalong chrysanthemum. Thanks go for Frances of Fairegarden for sharing this amazingly late bloomer.
I don’t know if you’d call this bloom display on ‘Kumson’ forsythia (Forsythia viridissima var. koreana) amazingly late or exceptionally early. Either way, it’s not nearly as showy as the usual spring bloom, because the leaves are in the way now, but it’s still a nice treat.
Most of the interest around now is from foliage. Above is Blackbird euphorbia (Euphorbia ‘Nothowlee’) with Mellow Yellow spirea (Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon). Below is a ‘Neon Glow’ chard – one of the few clumps left not devoured by the voles.
Above is ‘Redbor’ kale in all of its glorious fall purpleness. And below (clockwise from top) is ghost bramble (Rubus thibetanus), Arkansas bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii), frosty creeping bramble (Rubus pentalobus), and Dakota Goldcharm spirea (Spiraea japonica ‘Mertyann’).
Golden lace (Patrinia scabiosifolia), above, is showing some superb foliage color right now. Below is bistort (Persicaria affine) with ‘Big Ears’ lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina).
Several geraniums are also looking good right now, including ‘New Hampshire Purple’ bloody cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum) above and G. wlassovianum below.
There’s also still foliage color on a few woodies, including ‘Washington Park’ witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) above and ‘Grace’ hybrid smokebush (Cotinus) below.
It was a delight to find some lingering allium seedheads, too. Above is one from Allium schubertii nestled into ‘Brookside’ geranium; below is one from ‘Mount Everest’.
And finally, a bit of northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) draped over some frosty ‘Little Gem’ cotoneaster (Cotoneaster adpressus; a.k.a. ‘Tom Thumb’).
Now, don’t forget to visit Carol’s Bloom Day post at May Dreams Gardens to find links to other November gardens all over the world. Thanks for visiting!
As lovely as ever! The little Cotoneaster was really nice – and the best part is C. is common here and can survive!
Hi Susie! I need to do a bit more digging on the cotoneaster ID, actually. Out of three plants I received as Cotoneaster ‘Tom Thumb’ (which is apparently now called ‘Little Gem’), two look like perfectly miniature C. horizontalis plants and one has rounder leaves with an equally low but rather different habit. I hope to confirm the ID on the two horizontalis-like plants, because they are very handsome.
-Nan
A lovely garden with some spectacular color for mid November! My ‘Big Ears’ lamb’s ears is happy in it’s new home. Thank you Nan.
Glad to hear the ‘Ears’ are happy in their new home, Marie. I have the cannas and other treats you shared with me tucked away for winter and look forward to enjoying them next season.
-Nan
Lots of color in your garden, as well as bloom. I am also enjoying all the color and bloom in your book The Perennial Gardener’s Design Primer. For the first time I’m not only reviewing for the newspaper but on my new cable TV show. It is a beautiful gift for the gardener.
Way to go, Pat – now you’re on TV? Good for you! Sheesh, I’m embarrassed to be *so* far behind in blog visiting. Thanks for the kind words about the book.
-Nan
Most of your plants are in color the same as up further north. PA always seems to have longer falls than us, but you seem on the same schedule. We might be a little further along, but not too much frost here yet. But many plants are brown and black. Love your images. I feel so right at home.
This fall certainly was a surprise. I thought we wouldn’t have any color at all, but it turned out to be a longer season than usual, I think. No one big show, maybe, but it’s been nice to spread out the color.
-Nan
Neat! I like the frost pictures. I have a little ‘Kumson’ forsythia that hasn’t bloomed yet but maybe this spring. The foliage can be just as stunning – or even more so- than the blooms!
It’s definitely worth growing for the foliage alone, Dave, but its tendency to produce blooms almost any month of the year is a plus too. I also like its color, which is a bit less brassy than some of the usual spring-only bloomers.
-Nan
They’re all lovely, but that ghost bramble photo shows an amazing composition holding up beautifully into November. Bravo!
Thank you, Denise. That’s one of the very first combos I planted here, and it’s one of the few I haven’t really changed over the years. It’s also in one of my most challenging spots: complete shade until early afternoon, then baking sun for the whole rest of the day. They are tough plants!
-Nan
I usually have a few remontant Forsythia blooms every fall, but not this year. It’s fun to see them out of their season. Your Geraniums are looking terrific, especially the mutlicolored display of G. wlassovianum.
Thanks, MMD. I enjoyed seeing your much larger collection of colorful fall geraniums in your recent post.
-Nan
Nan, I am always appreciative of our zone 7 flowers still blooming, but, I love when perennial foliage gets in on the autumn color act. You have stunning examples. The geraniums are lovely and the bistort is tempting me (oh to have your full sun) Over the years I’ve come to appreciate the beauty of spent flowers, seedheads and even fading foliage. In my own garden, New England aster and river oats are brilliantly colored~how could I forget that it does that each year! gail
Your garden is rarely berift of color even if it doesn’t have many blooms. Happy GBBD.
Happy Bloom Day to you too, Lisa. I’m sure going to miss having stuff to share for the next few months. Mom and I finished the cleanup today, and things are very bare out here!
-Nan
As always, Nan, just beautiful…I’m particularly smitten by the Geranium wlassovianum…that is some STUNNING foliage! I also really love those allium seedheads, especially backed by by that reddish foliage (I think maybe a Viburnum).
That geranium is a dud for flowers (tiny and sparse), but the fall foliage really is splendid. And you’re quite right about the foliage behind the ‘Mount Everest’ allium: it’s Viburnum sargentii ‘Onondaga’.
-Nan
Great post, Nan. I love the kale and chard for fall color. I was just noticing how beautiful my smokebush is, and you have captured it perfectly. Thanks for all your help with my blog–my family thinks you have created a monster. I even put together a post for GBBD. Carolyn
Yay – another convert. See, I told you that you could do it! Blogging surely is addictive.
-Nan
Terrific pictures and fabulous garden. You have a great eye! I love the frosty Cotoneaster and the backlit Hammemelis and Cotinus.
Thanks for visiting, Sue. It’s such a treat to find special moments like this – and we’re so lucky to have Bloom Day as a reason to share them.
-Nan
This looks more like a Foliage Follow-Up post to me, and I love it! The edibles are looking very fine, in particular.
I’m envious of your lush Blackbird euphorbia. I bought 3 of these from Plant Delights earlier this year. Two died immediately, and the third is barely hanging on. What is your secret?
Hey, you’re right about the foliage factor. It could have qualified for Dave’s Fall Color Project too. It was a multi-purpose post.
Knowing that these sorts of euphorbias generally don’t survive the winter here (I planted the Blackbird this past spring), I’m guessing that the key to success is treating them as very expensive annuals.
-Nan
Wow, amazing colors. Almost enough to get me past my euphorbia-phobia.
Happy bloom day!
The euphorbias sure are a mixed group. Some of them are my most troublesome weeds, a few are dependable garden performers here, some die slow deaths, and many I can admire only in pictures.
-Nan
Beautiful, rich fall colors in your garden, Nan. You’re so good at fall foliage! The backlit witch hazel and smokebush are glorious photos, but I love all your Bloom Day shots.
The Cotoneaster is positively Christmassy :)
The ghost bramble and all its neighbors sure makes a pretty vignette.
Your mom is such a good garden helper. Lucky you!
Happy Bloom Day!
Mom is my best-kept gardening secret, Kerri. Hope you had a great Bloom Day too!
-Nan
I agree with the others, you without pretty? No way! What a pleasant surprise to see the yellow button mum blooming happily in your northern garden. It must be one of the hardy group then. Hooray! (And thanks for the linkage.):-)
Frances
It’s *definitely* hardy, Frances. We’ve been down to 19 degrees F already, and it’s still flowering on December 1!
-Nan