September Bloom Day 2009

Since we are late, let’s get on with the show. It begins with a vegetable flower, okra, Pitre’s short red bush cowhorn. Added: yes, this is a member of the hibiscus family, or was before they decided to change the name.

It is almost time to bring the orchids into the sunroom/greenhouse for another winter. First they need the dip of death before coming inside. Click here to read the explanation of that process. Starr Wars, Paphiopedilum (Starr Warr x Maudiae) ‘Pisgah’ x Paph. Dark Spell ‘Wolf Lake’, on the left and Raven, Paphiopedilum Raven ‘Forever More’ x Paph. curtisii ‘Imperial Purple’ on the right have swelling flower buds. Is it their bloom season already? Looks like it.

Three types of Anemones bloom in the fall here. Anemone hupehensis ‘Robustissima’ on the upper left, A. ‘Praecox’ on the right and in the first garden shot and from under the pine trees, A. sylvestris ‘Madonna’ started from seeds many years ago. Madonna is one of the toughest of ground covers, having to do battle with Vinca major and still spreading nicely in spite of that onslaught.

A stalwart soldier in the battle against the little leaf syndrome is the Black and Blue Salvia, S. guaranitica ‘Black And Blue’. This is true civil war for a brother to black and blue, S. greggii fights flower and stem on the side of the little leaves.

Equal in value to flowers are the berries in the garden. Belamcanda chinensis, Blackberry lily is sporting that for which it was named in the shed bed. Also seen are Helenium autumnale and Nasella tenuissima.

There are natives in our midst, including the white snakeroot, Ageratina altissima…

…and blue mist flower, Conoclinium coelestinum.

Along with beautiful blooms and fabulous foliage there is an amazing scent that drifts over the entire Fairegarden. A head will tilt and turn, looking for the source of this sweet fragrance.

The source is the insignificant looking but packing a wallop flowering of the Tea Olive, Osmanthus fragrans. The name gives it away. Some references said the exquisite smell is like a ripe peach. To this nose it is more like warm honey. In any case, it is indescribably delicious!

Looking like it has been slimed, Leo, Leonotis leonurus, from last month’s bloom day post, click here to read about the team, has grown yet taller and his blossoms have begun to open. ADDED: Deciding to do more research into why this plant is so much taller than the 4 to 6 feet specified on the seed packet, I now believe it to be L. nepetifolia ‘Staircase’. The leaves are not the narrow ones of L. leonurus, but rather larger like a Nepeta. Makes sense.

There is just one teeny tiny bone that needs to be picked with this potted seed grown athlete.

The flower shown on this plant is at the top of a stalk that is at least twelve feet off the ground. Our tallest folding ladder is eight feet. I am just over five feet tall. As you can see by this expertly drawn diagram, the feet of the photographer were on the second step from the top, even though common sense tells us not to go above the point where hands can hold onto the ladder, or something, anything. The things one will do for the blog. Do you like the pink camera? Can you see the orange flower? It is circled with yellow and cyan, but still is hard to make out in this photo. A teepee of birch branches holds up this silliness and has withstood a couple of strong wind storms. We are hoping for some blooms to develop a little closer to earth, or this will be considered a one hit wonder in the Fairegarden.

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To see more blooms from around the world, check out the blog of the vivacious Carol at May Dreams.

Frances