Aloe hybrid, maybe a ferox or arborescens cross Cosmos pulled, Dahlias cut down, lots and lots of trimming, chopping, and cutting back. Still, lots to chop. Last winter's wonderful rainfall made the garden lush.
TBD when the Zinnias are finished:
Oh my. The green bin will be full:
Weeds pulled that were hiding under other plants--but without sunlight, pulled before they could produce and distribute seeds. That's something.
Many beautiful roses still, thanks to warm October weather. Warm days, cool nights mean roses thrive. 'Snowbird':
Red 'Firefighter' and peachy pinky 'Easy Does It':
'Gruß an Aachen' (pink version):
'Princess Alexandra of Kent'
Unexpected: the Noisette rose 'Crepuscule', one of the first roses I ever planted, got a very difficult place, up on the west slope with insufficient irrigation, plus root competition from tougher plants. It vanished quite a few years ago. And yet, it has re-emerged:
I'm impressed and humbled, 'Crepuscule'. Also unexpected, the rapidity of 'Moondance' rose's recovery. Just a month ago dug up and potted:
Yesterday:
Two more quite unexpected bloomers in October. A Cybister Hemerocallis 'La Paz':
Richer color this time:And even more unexpected, a Foxglove(!):
Explanation: this was a tiny weak seeding from the batch grown last fall. I couldn't bring myself to dump it so shoved it in a shaded spot and left it to do what it would do. It endured, to flower now. Huh. How 'bout that?
New plants that are performing well here--why not add more of the same? Another 'Mount Tamboritha' Grevillea, another 'Arctic Frost' Lomandra, another Calylophus 'Southern Belle'. Must get into the ground before the Santa Anas start blowing.
Some sweet peas started from seed planted into the ground. Many donated for a garden club fundraiser--they all found homes and raised a bit of money for the club.
Some areas of the garden that are mostly ignored during summer's heat are the front slope and Proteana.
Out front. Not bad from a distance.
A critter has been digging around out there, but nothing appears to be getting eaten. I've pulled and poked around, but plants with digging around them remain firmly in place and seem fine. I'm puzzled.
Agave parrasana still slowly flowering. It's been feeding bees and hummingbirds for weeks and weeks. Not the prettiest flower stalk,but beneficial:
Emerging flowers from Aloe suprafoliata. It was partly engulfed by the monster-sized Leucospermum 'Yellow Bird', which conveniently (for the the Aloe) died of old age last year:
A trio of Aloe striata plus Agave 'Ivory Curls' looks even better surrounded by a froth of Lotus hirsutus:
Agave ovatifolia, one of Moby's plantlets, emerging radiant from a mass of Centaurea ragusina, like Aphrodite from the sea:
Whoa! The 'Suffolk Red' table grape grown last year from a clipping started climbing Aloe 'Hercules'. Another unexpected surprise.
Out Back. In Proteana, Protea 'Claire' looks good...
...as does Salvia leucantha......while Aloe thraskii still has one of last winter's bloom stalks. I can't reach it to pull it off. It will fall off eventually. And the little Bismarkia, which isn't as little as it used to be, but is littler than it will be:
Well, back to cutting back. Is it time to compost summer in your garden, too?
I love the wide shot of your front garden! The light was perfect in all your photos. Your roses always make me sigh.
ReplyDeleteI spent 2 solid days working in my garden at the end of the week. Half of that time was given to the deconstructing the summer cutting garden and I'm nowhere near done yet. I need to get rid of some of the dahlia tubers rather than storing them, especially as I already have an order in for a few new varieties. It's an obsession it seems...
Needs mulching out there but the past 2 rainy winters did it some good. :)
DeleteYour summer garden brings joy to so many with your arrangements of them--a great year for your Dahlias! Always fun to try new ones, isn't it? And less long term need commitment than roses.
"Not bad from a distance"? I think it is OMG spectacular from any distance! Aloe 'Hercules' is drop dead gorgeous: what a trunk!
ReplyDeleteLoving plants with blue tones so it's nice to Aloe suprafoliata with more room to show its stuff. And the little Bismarkia: what a beauty!
Chavli
Well up close there are some improvements to be made. But, blue tones, silver--love those! They work so well in this climate.
DeleteYour garden (and great photos) never disappoint! I can definitely feel the change to Fall now, with the cooler nights. Crepuscule was hiding out, what a nice surprise. I love that Aloe/Agave/Lotus photo, gorgeous! And your Bismarkia, dang that color is fabulous.
ReplyDeleteThere are some Bismarkias planted at a home a few miles from here, and they spent big bucks on prime specimens, and they are gorgeous! I hope to see mine look somewhat as good in a few years. Yes, cooler nights--love those, easier to get a good night's sleep.
DeleteLoveliness, all of it! I don't know where to start. I haven't cut down my Cosmos yet because I still have a few buds and blooms; same with the Zinnias...until the frost. That 'La Paz' is something special, as are all your amazing Roses. All your photos are exquisite. <3
ReplyDeleteWe got some serious heat there and the Cosmos got tired. Frost does not happen here so pulling them is a gradual activity. Happy you liked the pictures!
DeleteOh your roses look so lovely Hoov. The sun is quite low in the sky now up here and many plants in my garden are done producing flowers-not to mention mornings in the high 30's. I pulled my Jalapenos and tomatoes today and have already pulled all the mildewy zinnias. Tomorrow night we get rain !
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed the roses this year. Still am, actually. Rain tonight? Enjoy!!! We have a chance of light, widely scattered showers this weekend, so I'm not holding my breath. Mornings in the high 30's--ooh! No wonder your plants are slowing. we get a few of those mornings in January, but not every year.
DeleteHow wonderful to see a Moby baby all grown up. My poor plant didn't stand a chance, we've got to start with good sized agaves if we want them to survive up here in the PNW. Thanks for the wide-view of your garden, it reminds me of the *gasp* I made when I pulled up out front several years ago.
ReplyDeleteI have 5 Mobys by accident because I got 2 plantlets, one of which split into 4--I've see that happen on a Blue Glow' plantlet or two. I gave away one of the Moby's but still have 5 out front here and there. They are beauties!
DeleteWow on Moondance's recovery. It looks like a completely new plant! I dug up one of our roses too - to save it from a construction project and then move it to a sunnier, more appropriate place. It's put out new growth, just in time for cold weather. Now, trying to figure out whether I move it into a cool greenhouse for winter or leave it outdoors. Your front garden looks amazing - love the towering aloe and the wispy dancing Nolina/Dasylirion-esque plant on the right. Love the backlighting on the centaurea/agave shot as well as the photo of Salvia leucantha in the grevillea.
ReplyDeleteI was happily surprised with the rose. It's getting ready to bloom again soon.
DeleteYour rose will probably be okay in the ground unless you get freeze-thaws they are brutal to roses. Deer and rabbits though...
You have such a huge variety of plants in your garden, there's always something interesting to see. I look forward to every new post.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing Moby do so well--all five of them.
Grevillea 'Mount Tamboritha', Lomandra 'Arctic Frost', and Calylophus 'Southern Belle', these do well here in Davis, too. Fantastic plants, all of them.
Mediterranean mishmash. :^) If those plants do well in your summers, they are indeed tough!
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