Bloom Day October 2019

Watering cans have become favorite vases
 
My garden's problem with bloom day is this:  plants that bloom nearly year-round.  This makes for a colorful garden, but repetitious Bloom Days.  

This post begins with somewhat less constant bloomers, with a few of the usual never-quits towards the end.  

Leucophyllum 'Thunder Cloud' blooms when humidity jumps.
 Orbea variegata is fairly new.  The plant is not well established yet, so flowering has just begun. 
 Various Aloes provide year-round bloom.  Each species, though, blooms just once a year.   It's Aloe deltoideodontea's turn this month.  This plant does not like winter watering. 
 Also Aloe reitzii's turn.  It usually blooms earlier--August or September.  Many plants bloomed late this year.

 Kalanchoe luciae
 It used to be years between each Sprekelia formisissisma flower, but since being moved to full sun, the little clump has repeated frequently--mostly in Spring, but a couple of flowers have appeared this October as well. 
Of Sprekelia formosissima, the invaluable San Marcos website says:
"We grew this bulb from 1997 until 2011 and reluctantly discontinued producing it only because it did not bloom with any regularity in the container, which made it difficult to sell"

San Marcos recommends growing it in a pot so it can be placed in an elevated location when in flower,  where it can be admired close up.  Sharp drainage or a dry winter is a must.    

Do tomato flowers count for Bloom Day? 
 Protea 'Pink Ice' flowering season is becoming longer as the plant matures and becomes large.  
Still getting daylily flowers

 And roses, of course. 
 Mexican Tulip Poppies, Hummannnia fumarifolia usual quit before now.  Plenty, still. 
 Sheared back into a more orderly bun, Gaura has been more enjoyable


The last of the Dahlias.  There are not many reasons to miss summer, but Dahlias are one of them. 
It's time to chop off summer's remains and toss them in the bin. 
Happy Bloom Day! 

Bloom Day, a celebration of what is blooming in gardens every month of the year, is hosted by May Dreams Gardens.

Comments

  1. I love your jaunty gnome. I have the same issues with my Bloom Day posts. Readers must think they're caught in an endless "Groundhog's Day" loop. Each month I tell myself I should limit my coverage to new blooms but then I have a hard time giving short shrift to workhorses like the large-flowered Grevilleas that bloom year-round. Your 'Pink Ice' is gorgeous, as is the Sprekelia. Hunnemannia gave up the ghost here in early spring so I suspect I need to try it in another spot.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here too the Grevilleas bloom on and on and on. Happy bees, hummers, orioles, warblers, and the gardener, too. :)

      Your monthly celebration through ranges of all colors is always a treat.

      Delete
  2. Ahhh! Daylilies and roses, what a treat!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are to me, too even though I see them most of the year.

      Delete
  3. Repetitive or not your bloomday entries are always gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  4. so nice to be able to continue to enjoy the gifts of your garden.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Never heard of Orbaea, which is more than enough novelty to offset your boring old roses and daylilies (kidding! They're thrilling and sumptuous). It looks like a relative of Stapelia.

    With no real rain here since late August, and the summer temperatures persisting deep into October, I didn't expect much rebloom from the stalwart 'Silver Moon' rose. But it's put on a nice show in the week of fall air we've had so far. Today's solid half inch is a great relief, and might encourage one more flush before things get frosty...
    The bloom that's delighted me most/kept me sane in the last month is from Salvia greggii: white ones that really refresh and liven up nearby purple asters, rosy-magenta 'Raspberry Royale' that echoes low sedum blooms and zings against lavender-blue aromatic asters, and the hot pink one that our local hummingbird visited multiple times daily until the temperature broke last week (apparently triggering its migration).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, closely related to Stapelia, and was once classified in that genus.

      Rain! Sigh. Frost? Yikes.

      Mine doesn't seem to be the ideal climate for S. greggii--too dry, maybe. Sounds like it is great in yours.

      Delete
  6. I never tire of your Blooms. Almost everything in your garden is an exotic to me. If I didn't see them here I would never see them. Like that first and second photo, outstanding. Happy GBBD.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Always interested in your thoughts.

Any comments containing a link to a commercial site with the intent to promote that site will be deleted. Thank you for your understanding on this matter.