Six different Agave 'Joe Hoak's have sent up bloom stalks. From past experience with this Agave, as the daylight hours shorten and the nights get slightly colder, the stalks will pause so the flowers open early next Spring.
Finally after years of waiting and many doses of chealated iron and soil sulfur, the 'Superb' Grevillea down in the gully is flowering:
The first Aizoaceae flowers of the cool season out front:
This Lantana-of-dwarf-shrubby-habit was a dud last year. Glad I didn't pull it: 'Princess Alexandra Of Kent', an Austin rose, finally (third location) has a spot to its liking.
A flower to my liking!
The very last Dahlia of the year, and the only flower this poor plant was able to produce. Should move it before it stops coming back--love that dark foliage!Yet another 'Snowbird' flower. Great, great rose. 'Valencia' is a beauty, but the plant has struggled. Perhaps I should buy another: 'Rouge Royale':
Sweet 'Irene Watts' aka 'Pink Gruß an Aachen'
Unsure still about keeping 'Ducher', but it's better and better as it settles in:
Plant looks excellent, but the individual flowers still underwhelm.
'Julia Child' with very late purple Trachelium and red Pentas:
Another red Pentas with Lomandra 'Platinum Beauty' as background:
Another round of Hemerocallis, in November? Okay...The Bougie took its time about flowering this year. Worth the wait, though brilliant pink in November is so...subtropical. Another beauty, 'Dee-lish'. Silly name, if apt. The fragrance is indeed delicious. 'Bishops Castle' rose is the background for Agave attenuata 'Kara's Choice', which looks like it will flower soon. Aeonium waking up on the rightAloe 'Rooikappie' flowers on. A few of the autumn blooming Aloes are starting to send up flower stalks--thraskii, rubroviolacea, suprafoliata, 'Moonglow'. They are late this year. Foliage relief moment: Echeveria harmsii 'Ruby Slippers'. Love the pink!Blackfoot Daisy, Melampodium leucanthum, a beautiful small plant native to the Sonoran desert. I'd have more of them, but they have not been particularly happy here.
Much new growth and flowers on the hard-pruned Grevillea 'Moonglowlight'. Sometimes you just have to love vigor. More flowers from Clematis 'Etoile Violette'. November is good for roses this yearSalvia 'Black and Blue' I've been trying to get rid of for ten years at least. As aggressive as it is gorgeous. An unlovable level of vigor. I advised a friend who bought one to grow it only in a pot, where it's done great for her. I'd grow it again myself in a pot, on hard ground it could not escape into, or concrete. Stunning flowers. Winter dormant, even here. 'David's Choice' Abutilon won't give up, brave thing. The right kind of vigor. It fought its way through two Hydrangeas to reach the light and flower.
Peeking through:
There. Finally got a pretty picture:Austin rose 'Darcy Bussell', to close out this post:Darcy was nearly murdered by rabbits this spring, despite protective fencing. She's managed to leap back. Hail, vigor.
Your roses are spectacular! Mine have NOT done anything this fall but I guess I shouldn't be surprised as they also performed poorly in spring and summer. I tried 3 dahlias with dark foliage this year - 2 ('Mystic Illusion' and 'Dark Side') were very disappointing. 'Waltzing Matilda' did better but still wasn't a profuse bloomer (although to be fair it got a very late start). My reblooming Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem' is also developing a flower stem :)
ReplyDeleteI had one dark-foliage Dahlia that did quite well, but it vanished. The demand for them seems to be so high that what gets sold is maybe not healthy and shouldn't be.
DeleteNot a good year for Dahlias here--maybe next year. The roses are having a pretty good year--it makes up for the Dahlias.
Dark foliage Dahlias are rather stunning (I got a couple myself). I love lantana for the pungent smells of its leafs when mauled, and your lantana, tucked between the two agaves, is certainly not a dud anymore. I suppose you'll have to prune it regularly so it doesn't take over its neighbors.
ReplyDeleteI like dark foliage plants a lot. They are a neutral yet eye-grabbing at the same time, and go with everything.
DeleteThat particular lantana isn't nearly so vigorous as the white/yellow one--the less-vigor has actually been a plus--it's just vigorous enough and no more. A few snips of the most damaged foliage and that was it.
Lots happening, especially those beautiful roses. Sounds like the agaves have all gotten together and decided to bloom all at once. Love how the giant infloresence looks like a skinny tree in the background. Oh to have a salvia that gorgeous in my garden. Grass is always greener.
ReplyDeleteYes the grass is always greener...even when the garden has no grass! LOL.
DeleteWow, so much beauty. I don't know where to start. But the Aizoaceae are really special. They're so unique. And of course the Camellias and Roses are always favorites, too. Stunning blooms!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Beth. Glad you liked the pictures. I do love roses.
DeleteOh yeah, the problem of Salvia 'Black and Blue' . I dig up at least half of it every winter to reduce the clump. Can't imagine getting rid of it altogether. I'm willing to do the edit.
ReplyDeleteI dug B&B up thoroughly (twice!), and it keeps coming back. It's all involved in the roots of poor 'Irene Watts'/'Pink GAA', so I haven't been able to get rid of it. But yes those flowers are simply breathtaking.
DeleteBeautiful blog
ReplyDeleteNovember is our rose month too - after the rain and before summer crisps the flowers
ReplyDelete