Blooms October 2024

 

Cosmos and her fierce green friend

Lots still flowering.  Though the garden, overgrown, flopped over, spilling out, towering, looming, and blocking paths, is in early autumn disarray, it celebrates what was, and what is.

A joyful mess:

Dahlias, Roses, Salvias, and Cosmos are this month's highlights, with surprise late Yuccas and Hemerocallis.

The seed-grown Marigolds, started late, came through in the hot September and warm October days:

Wonderful roses--'Munstead Wood':

'Earth Angel':

 Molineux:

'Brass Band', looking very Halloween:

Also Halloween-appropriate, Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer':

I thought to move a piece of 'Indian Summer' to a spot next to 'Brass Band'.  What do you think?  

More Halloween, an Orb weaver:

This year, Lantana was another plant that waited for the warmest weather to look its best:

Many Dahlias.  The "normal" version of this clump, a mix of yellow and red, also produces all yellow and all red flowers:

Dahlia 'Cafe Au Lait' in its faded and freshly opened colors:

 The finicky 'Cafe Au Lait' was also late to flower:

 After cramming a few flowers into a vase, I discovered I liked the color combo of these.  Roses 'Valencia' and 'Easy Spirit' with Cosmos and 'Cafe Au Lait' 

Very Easter Basket:

Floppy 'Holyhill Spiderwoman'  supported a last hurrah from Clematis 'Wisley'--a few more flowers:

Coleus (now in Plectranthus) have become a great contributor fighting the hot summer blahs. 

 Cuphea purpurea 'Firecracker' did too, though I noticed it does not attract the number of hummingbirds  'Vermillionaire' does:

Feisty, plump hummer hiding behind a fading 'Bright Star' Yucca stem:

I grew Catharanthus last year.  These came up from seed from last year's flowers.  Another very late arrival:

More Dahlias--'Duet', the old reliable:

 With one of the 'Not Marble Ball's:

One of the 'Not Marble Ball' Dahlias looks a lot like the old standard for purple dinner plate Dahlias, 'Thomas Edison', but this one is different still.  It has the 'ball' form, but of a rich wine-red color.  The petals have a white reverse that fades to a blend of white and wine:          

'The Prince', dewy.  We've had a stretch of foggy mornings lately:

The "Woolly Pocket" of Pelargonium peltatum I experimented with last year is improved this year hanging on the more shaded gate.  It still gets enough sun to be happy and bloom, and has continued to do so for months:

The last Cosmos linger, providing stalking grounds for several Preying Mantis.  I noticed tall Cosmos grown from seed bring not only color but wonderful movement to the garden, gracefully dancing in the light breezes of late afternoon. 

Happy accident, 'Wendy's Wish' Salvia and 'Rouge Royale' rose are the same shade of deep Magenta. 

Well, that's enough.  Happy Bloom Day!

Oops!  Almost forgot the Hemerocallis: