The Last Remnants-Bloom Day November 2012

The end is near.

Only a few pristine petals remain.

Most of the Sheffield Hill Pink mums, known affectionately here as the Sheffies, written about here, look sodden and sad.

Some plants are hidden and protected, helping their blooms persist. Lantana camara ‘Miss Huff’ is said to be hardy here in USDA Zone 7a Southeast Tennessee. It has not proven to be true, but this might be the position to make it so.

Some have gone from many flowers to only two. Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’ and several S. greggii cultivars will shoot out the occasional flower most of the winter.

There are the stalwarts of the post-frost garden, like Camellia sasanqua ‘Chansonette’.

The uncropped longer view of Chansonette shows it to be a sprawling shrub, not upright, not showy, but pink blooms as the year winds down, faithfully.

Planted in March and blooming ever since in the blue pot on the front porch, sweet alyssum, Lobularia maritima ‘Snow Crystals’ and heliotrope, Heliotropium arborescens ‘Marine’ still survive.

In the greenhouse/sunroom, an Echeveria ? has sent out a long and trailing bloom.

The Cattleya orchid Pumpkin, Cattleya Slc. (Pumpkin Festival ‘Fong Yuen’ x Naomi Kerps ‘Fireball’) which was recently praised here, has four blooms this year, a new record.

Still blooming, still pink, the muhly grass, Muhlenbergia capillaris closes out the sharing of flowers for this November 2012. Be sure and check the rest of the Garden Bloggers Bloom Day posts over at good friend Carol of May Dreams Gardens to see what is blooming for November 2012 around the globe.

Frances

About these ads

~ by fairegarden on November 16, 2012.

Posted in Garden Bloggers Bloom Days

20 Responses to “The Last Remnants-Bloom Day November 2012”

Love those sheffies. I don’t have any. I really should seek them out. They are popping up on many November posts. All seems a bit droopy here too. It is just that time of year. I forgot to post about a begonia that is inside blooming. It is looking better than when it was outside. Go figure. Love those orchids too. Happy GBBD. Have a good weekend.

Hi Lisa, thanks. The sheffies are certainly worth seeking out. They stand out amongst the crowd of mums with that unique color and are hardy as nails. I am glad to hear you have flowers indoors, too. You too have a wonderful weekend and holiday ahead.
Frances

Lisa at Greenbow said this on November 16, 2012 at 5:46 am | Reply
The sun is shining the the shortest day of the year is close at hand. Enjoy that muhly. I love that. Your orchid is cheery as well.

Hi Layanee, thanks for those cheering words. Dreams of spring can’t be far behind that longest night. The muhly is wonderfully cheering, as well.
Frances

Layanee said this on November 16, 2012 at 8:14 am | Reply
Frances, Don’t you love finding blooms after frosts and freezes…I persist in thinking it’s magic even though others want to convince me it’s a warmer microclimate. I hope your Lantana is winter hardy~I will make sure I get ‘Miss Huff’ next year. Love the camellia~the pink flower and deep green are wonderful. Happy Bloom Day, have fun in the garden this weekend. xoxogail

Hi Gail, thanks. I do love finding the little odd bloom here and there during the winter months, even though it is not quite yet winter officially. I will let you know about Miss Huff, the butterflies love the lantanas so. Happy GBBD!
xoxoxo
Frances

gail said this on November 16, 2012 at 8:56 am | Reply
Nice to see your muhly still showing off its pink glow…even if the clock is winding down. Your orchid is beautiful. It has to be incredibly satisfying to gaze upon that beauty whenever you pass by where it is so happily situated.
I’ve been pleased that my masses of volunteer zinnia angustifolias are still in prolific bloom. They are fairly insignificant as individuals but since they tend to show up in generous clusters, they make a statement (plus they smother weeds….yay for them!).

Hi Michaele, thanks for adding in here. I love the thought of your zinnias. I can never get those little ones to do much here, let alone self sow. I might try them again with your inspiration! The orchids do make me happy, yes.
Frances

michaele anderson (@meander1) said this on November 16, 2012 at 9:19 am | Reply
- This year I also got a much appreciated number of gold lantana ( and just a couple of red/gold) that voluntarily showed up throughout the growing season. I’ll be curious to see if that happens again next year.
  
  How wonderful, Michaele! I have had volunteers before, too, but they never amounted to much. Congratulations!
  Frances
  
  michaele anderson (@meander1) said this on November 16, 2012 at 11:03 am | Reply
Your blog makes my day. I look forward to opening it up every morning. Thank you!

What a nice thing to say. Thank you.
Frances

kwgarden@gmail.com said this on November 16, 2012 at 9:51 am | Reply
I am trying to root cuttings of lantana in water. That’s how my friend said she did it, but so far, not so good. Have you ever tried rooting cuttings of lantana?

Hi Kathy, I have not ever tried to root cutting of lantana, but have had it seed itself. The problem with the seed grown plants was that they took so long to get to blooming the frost would get them. I am hoping for these to winter over, will not cut them at all, as I read was an important step to their hardiness in my zone. I will report in the spring if they made it or not.
Frances

Kathy from Cold Climate Gardening said this on November 16, 2012 at 10:30 am | Reply
Your ‘Chansonette’ has so many pretty flowers still. Its looser form actually works fine under the trees, as a more informal look, and you have to appreciate its generosity with blooms so late in the season. I love the scent of Heliotropium. Does it still have a strong perfume this late?

Hi Shade, thanks for stopping by. This is the best year of bloom for the Camellias, there are three of the same cultivar under the pine trees. They would like more water since the large trees are very thirsty and take most of the moisture. The Heliotrope and Alyssum are both wonderfully fragrant still.
Frances

Northern Shade said this on November 16, 2012 at 10:48 am | Reply
Your photo of the ‘Hot Lips’ Salvia is fantastic – I struggle to take photos of my Salvias, they never come out well. Your Camellias are show-stopping! Lovely!

Thanks Christine. I got lucky with the Hot Lips. I can’t tell you how many times I have wanted to share the red salvias on the blog but just couldn’t take a decent shot of them.
Frances

Christine @ The Gardening Blog said this on November 16, 2012 at 4:57 pm | Reply
Beautiful remnants of summer, here we are deeply into spring, and my ‘Hot Lips’ are burning red dots into the surrounding green, my winter pansies still stand up smiling, as they do, with their cheery little faces. Petunias in white and red, are beginning to fill the planter box…..soon they will fill it with sun shine. I am in love with my Pierre de Ronsard rose, it’s only it’s second year and already has 100 blooms, many still in bud, but great expectations. I so enjoy all your images, should you put a book together? Kindest regards

It sounds so beautiful, Sandy and Richard, thanks for sharing your springtime garden. I will have to look into that rose, 100 blooms sounds like something that I should be growing. I actually have thought about doing a book from the blog posts, but the cost is prohibitive and everything is already right here for free on the blog. Every post, every photo will be available on the internet long after I am gone, or so WordPress tells me. I like that.
Frances

Sandy & Richard said this on November 16, 2012 at 5:06 pm | Reply
You still have an amazing array of blooms this time of yr. My roses have decided to start blooming again. Of course I have some veggies coming along. 3 lemons, 1 lime yet to be ready. Haven’t decided what to do with 1 lime. lol I have some lantana blooming & have discovered that if a limb lays on the ground it will root.
I do so enjoy reading your blog.

Hi Lola, thanks for visiting. It sounds like your garden is wonderful! What to do with one lime, I am sure you will think of something good. Also good, to know, is how the Lantana will root.
Frances

Lola said this on November 16, 2012 at 8:15 pm | Reply
Summer gone, but beauty remains.

Very true, Donna. There is planty of beauty to be seen, still, and always.
Frances

Garden Walk Garden Talk said this on November 16, 2012 at 8:40 pm | Reply
The end may be near, but your garden still looks so lovely, Frances. The grasses, especially the Muhly and the Japanese blood grass really stand out in the late garden. And the camellia is gorgeous! Happy Bloom Day!

Thanks Rose. It still looks quite nice. The blood grass and muhly grass are the last things to be cut down, to make way for the bulbs planted amongst them. We still have a month or two before that happens. Happy GBBD to you!
Frances

Rose said this on November 16, 2012 at 11:08 pm | Reply
Still beautiful at the end of November, almost..
Those(as you call them) SHeffies are so wonderful..I need to get some!
ronelle

Thanks Ronelle. The sheffies are great and add so much to a garden winding down in the fall.
Frances

myfrenchkitchen said this on November 17, 2012 at 3:32 am | Reply
Lovely as always! Thanks for joining in for bloom day.

Thanks Carol, and thank you for dreaming up this grand sharing!
Frances

indygardener said this on November 17, 2012 at 12:40 pm | Reply
Oh, how I love that that muhly grass! When I watered earlier this week, the droplets sparkling on the pink blooms made me swoon.

Wonderful Cindy! I am so happy that your pink muhly grass can make you swoon, but do be careful and have a chair at the ready to catch you!
Frances

Cindy said this on November 17, 2012 at 10:41 pm | Reply
You have a good amount of blooms, especially for November. I really need to find someone who sells Sheffield Pinks in my area. I loved them in VA.

Hi Janet, thanks for visiting. Yes, you need some sheffies!
Frances

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said this on November 18, 2012 at 9:56 am | Reply
The Muhly Grass is unequaled! And gosh I’m envious of those of you who can grow Camellias! If I ever live in a zone 7+ climate, I WILL have Camellias. Gorgeous!

Thanks PP. I have to say that zone 7 is the best place. You can still have tulips and lilacs but also have camellias and dahlias. I love it.
Frances

PlantPostings said this on November 19, 2012 at 1:08 am | Reply
Not to be a contrarian, but that lantana does not look like the Miss Huff I know, which is more orange and yellow and not at all red, it could be the way my computer shows the color though. I would think that Miss Huff would make it for you, especially if it is in an area that doesn’t stay too wet in the winter. You probably know this, but I heard that lantana should not be cut back until late March or early April. The old stems give the crown a little more protection through the winter.

Thanks for that advice, Les. The flowers on these lantanas were more yellow and pink during the summer but have turned to reds and orange as the weather turned colder. I got them from Mouse Creek, and she usually, but not always, knows her stuff. She did tell me that this is the one that can be hardy here. The drainage is as good as it gets up by the shed, at the top of the property, so here’s hoping! I have thought about adding some cages wrapped in burlap, too, maybe.
Frances

Les said this on November 19, 2012 at 9:08 pm | Reply
[...] As is the Echevaria that was also shown in last month’s bloom day post. [...]

The Hunt for Blooms « Fairegarden said this on December 17, 2012 at 5:02 am | Reply

Fairegarden