Flowery Fall Friday
Hey, look who’s put in a reappearance, after I’d practically written him off for dead: one of the torenias I received from Proven Winners to trial in my garden. In fact, after languishing—and looking dreadful—during mid-summer, these cute ground-huggers are making a tentative comeback. Welcome back, guys! I know exactly how you feel.
‘Candy Corn’ trailing abutilon suffered through the summer in part shade, but now two flowers dangle like gaudy earbobs.
Ditto for the pineapple sage (Salvia elegans), which miraculously survived several near-death experiences this summer, coming back from a crispy wilt more than once. A scarlet flower is forming.
Bulbine frutescens bloomed faithfully all summer but looks even better now. Here it’s paired in part shade with a silver Mediterranean fan palm.
Sunny little Dahlberg daisy (Thymophylla tenuiloba) bloomed in the raised bed all summer, but again, it just wanted cooler weather and a little rain to really strut its stuff. That’s Aloe saponaria behind it, with feathery bamboo muhly (Muhlenbergia dumosa) at the rear.
‘Radrazz’ Knock Out rose—unblighted by heat now—against the blue of ‘Whale’s Tongue’ agave (A. ovatifolia).
Another look
Salvia guaranitica is flowering in electric blue in the shade.
With buds like colorful hedgehogs, a few purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) are still going.
‘Senorita Rosalita’ cleome, another Proven Winners plant that I trialed, is still blooming too, although the plant itself is leggy and thin. Well, who can blame it? It’s been going strong all summer despite the heat and drought. I love this plant. Next year, if it returns, I’ll try trimming it back in August to see whether it’ll respond with fresh growth.
And to close this flowery Friday post, the sunny faces of black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata).
Have a great weekend in the garden!
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Your Senorita Rosalita still blooming is pretty incredible. My Cleome have given up the fight though I am glad as it reseeds everywhere. I pulled a lot of it last night.
I sure hope this one seeds out, Janet. I could use some more. —Pam
What a razzle dazzle flowericious post. I can feel your rebirth this month. The abutilon reminds me of the native columbine here.
Yes, I can see the resemblance between this abutilon’s flower and columbine. —Pam
I love the mix of cacti and succulents with native wildflowers in your garden. Such a beautiful mix of colors and textures!
Thanks, Caroline. It’s hard to get flower color like I enjoyed in my former garden, which was much sunnier, but there are pockets of sun that I exploit for that effect. —Pam
Does your birthday have anything to do with making October your favorite month? Hope you have a great day on Sunday. (You share the same birthday and birthdate as my best friend, which makes it easy for me to remember.)
You have a very good memory, Vertie. Yes, the big day occurs Sunday, although I don’t look forward to birthdays as I once did. 😉 Still the love of October is probably a holdover from when I did, plus it signals the beginning of cooler weather and the approach of Halloween (one of my favorite holidays), and brings to mind pleasant childhood memories of burning leaves, football games with a nip in the air, and beautiful fall color. Since then I’ve also learned that October is a pretty nice month no matter where you live; anyplace you visit in October is likely to be pleasant, but it’s also nice to stay home. —Pam
Pam What sun conditions do you have your bamboo muhly in? I love the feathery look it gives and also wondered how tall you think it will get each year.
I too love the Senorita cleome. It has been a real trooper for me this summer.Next year I’m getting more.
Nancy, bamboo muhly will take full sun or partial shade. In full sun it will, of course, be taller—about 4 to 5 feet—and bushier. In part shade it tends to sprawl gracefully. I absolutely love this grass and find it quite versatile. You can keep it trimmed or let it be loose and feathery. FYI, it doesn’t always look great during the first year, but once it gets going it fills out and looks stunning. —Pam
It’s interesting that your Salvia guaranitica is in the shade. I didn’t realize it could take shade. Have you found any other salvias that will take shade and how much sun or shade does that one get? You give me hope that I can start putting some along my fence which is shadier.
Jean, I’ve always grown S. guaranitica in at least part shade, never in full sun. This plant, which I dug up from my old garden, is in pretty deep shade under several live oaks, and it’s blooming well. Other salvias that will take some shade are lyre-leaf sage (S. lyrata), cedar sage (Salvia roemeriana), ‘Indigo Spires’ salvia (give it at least morning sun), and Salvia coccinea ‘Coral Nymph.’ —Pam
Isn’t it delightful out? I just want to live outside! Would never have guessed that Coneflower – it looks positively melon-colored in that photo. Thought it might be a Lion’s Tail before I scrolled down! Cleome is on my list for next spring after seeing your beautiful specimen.
Diana, the PW site says this cleome is sterile, but if it seeds out I’ll give you some. —Pam
Pam, October is the best month in a Southern garden….I love spring blooming wildflowers, but there is something about the colors of the light, the golden trees and the plants that are autumn blooming that make the spirit soar. Speaking of soaring~your flowers are deliciously colorful! Senorita R is a keeper for sure. She must make a dramatic statement among those agaves. gail
She would if she were planted among agaves, Gail—great idea! Only she’s not. She’s in the bed I reserved for my kids to grow plants from seed. But of course I’ve encroached on their space with some of my plants. —Pam
Stunning photographs!!
Thanks so much, Charlotte. By the way, I really enjoyed your recent photos of the English garden—so beautiful. I wanted to leave a comment to tell you but was not able without being logged in to Google/Blogger. Might you consider enabling the Name/URL option for those of us without accounts? —Pam
Funny when I read your comment about October being your fav month I thought to myself, I wonder if it’s her birthday month? And sure enough it is. Well I hope you enjoy your day, and your month! I think I am coming to terms with fall, finally. We had a very cold and wet week. The windows are closed now, probably for good this year. Although next week is supposed to be sunny and warmer. We’ll see. The fall colors are really starting to shine!
I hope you get a little more warm weather, Loree. Meanwhile here in Austin we’re still waiting for open-window weather. —Pam
Isn’t it amazing how nice the weather can turn in such a short time. Many summers I’ve longed for fall. This one I’m a little sad it’s drawing its final curtain over the year.~~Dee
Are you, Dee? I can’t say the same, I’m afraid. Bring on fall! —Pam
Lovely shots, my favorite time of year is fall too! My husband was just in Austin last week…but didn’t get to see the bats fly from the bridge at dusk…Oh Well. That Colorado water lily is my favorite…such a yummy color. My Pineapple sage is still blooming like crazy, but we are not as hot as you are there.
Too bad your husband missed the bats. This month the majority of them migrate to Mexico for the winter, though some will remain behind. —Pam
Oooh… this lovely bloomy post reminds me, I need to figure out how to take a cutting from my abutilon megapotanicum for you! If I don’t let you know in the next few weeks that I’ve accomplished that task, please remind me. I’d lose my head lately if it weren’t attached… I can’t remember ANYTHING. 🙁
Thanks again, Kim. Like you, I don’t always remember what I want to remember. But I’ll try. 🙂 —Pam
Wowzer! Where did that word come from? Who knows, but that is the first thing that came to mind upon seeing these photos of unbelievable clarity. Rosalita is stellar. The happiness in your voice is illustrated by the revival of the plants in your garden. Hooray for October! And the term *earbob* rang my grandmother’s voice in my brain’s recesses. 🙂
Frances
Yes, “earbob” is a pretty old-fashioned word, isn’t it? “Wowzer” is of more recent coinage, I would guess. 😉 —Pam
I’m impressed! You still have a lot going on in your garden. Maybe next year I’ll work a little more on fall color myself.
Our climate is still quite warm at this time of year, Town Mouse. Late summer color hangs on for a while and mingles with new fall blooms. —Pam
Great pictures. I love that you said earbob. I see someone else commented on that. What a sweet, old-fashioned word. I loooove October too. Halloween, Yippeeee!
It’s such a fun, low-pressure holiday, isn’t it Mamaholt? —Pam
Great flowers for a Friday! Must get cleome and remember to add the thunbergia to next year’s list. Fall is indeed the best season.
If I get seeds I’ll save you some, Linda. —Pam