Bloom Day OCT 2008

I normally don't submit anything on Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. I usually post about my blooms a few days after the big event on the 15 of each month. But since I am posting all week long to give Tina a well deserved break and GBBD falls in the middle of this week, I am going to talk blooms today...

Before we look into my Georgia Garden, lets go to Florida. Lola recently sent me these pictures of her Canna's still in full bloom!

I really do like this beautiful bloom of yellow or is it orange? Hum, I will call it a yellowish orange. How is that for a compromise!

After I posted about my Cannas and Caladiums last month, Lola decided I needed to add to my collection. She got busy and dug up some of her bulbs and sent them to me! Thank you so much for the kind gift Lola. I will cherish them!

Now lets see what is happening in my Georgia Garden...

Ah, such a busy Monarch on the Pale Purple Butterfly bush!

The Silvery Checkerspot is still enjoying the Deep Purple Butterfly Bush and the White bush also continues to gather butterflies, bees and even a hummer or two.

The Periwinkle (Vinca) in colors of purple, pink and white continue to thrive.

The Begonia in colors of Pink and White and Marigolds also continue to bloom. As do the Cosmos, Mexican Heather, Purple Queen, Salvia, Sage, Petunia, Blue Daze, Lantana, Verbena. I am sure you are tired of seeing the same old blooms each month from me but those are my drought loving long bloomers! I cannot go wrong with those selections in my dry garden. The Caladium continues to shine and I see an occasional stray Black eyed Susan pop up with a glow. The Black Elephant Ear also gave me several more strange looking yellow blooms.

So lets don't waste time looking at my repeats from all summer long. Lets move on to some new things spotted in my garden.

I spotted these yellow wild flowers on the county right of way while spreading pine straw nearby. What are they? I know the one is either Ragweed or Golden Rod. Which is it, can anyone help me here? If it is Golden Rod, I may have to move it off the county line and onto my property line. And what is the cute yellow daisy looking flower?

I also spotted this tiny purple flower near my creek which has stayed dry for most of the summer. It looks like some type of Sage. Any guesses?

Here is a bloom which I have neglected to share which has bloomed all summer long also. It is on a bush and I am guessing a Spirea. Am I correct with my guess?

Ah, what would fall time be without mums popping up. I had mums in a hanging basket years ago and when they were all played out, I planted them along the creek. I did not know that mums do not like the shade but these little things still pop up and are begging me to move them to a sunnier place so they can thrive for me.

Here is another mum of pink color asking me to please give it some light so it can spread its wings and fly for me!
My poor little Pampas grass have given me only two little Blooms this fall. The Saint wants to cut this thing down so badly but I will not let him. I keep telling him that one day it will be healthy like the other ones we see full of blooms all over town.

Here is a tiny blue flower I spotted on the county right of way along side the other wild flowers. See how tiny the bloom is to the right? I circled it to show you how small it is then zoom in to give you a better view of the little pretty. Any guesses as to what this cutie could be?

And just what is this bloom? Oh, my, goodness, it is an Azalea that has gone crazy! Azalea's do not bloom in the fall unless it is an Encore variety which this one is not! Tina had a similar strange occurrence with her Azaleas a while back. Hum, wonder if the cold snap we had a few weeks ago confused this baby...

The Saint and I went up into the Georgia Hill Country looking for some color on Columbus Day. It is a bit early for major color but we did see some yellowing with red dogwoods. We did not see much color in the trees but we did find this pretty along side of a beautiful stream.

Ah, I want to go back to that pretty stream!

Here is a closer shot of the blooms. Does anyone recognise this wild flower? I really do not know my wildflowers and should invest in a book to learn more.

And just what is this in the below picture?

More little purple blooms which I have no name for. This one kind of resembles the one found by my creek. Hum, a creek loving wildflower perhaps?

And yet another mystery bloom to me in the form of this wild flower which I spotted all along the roadside of the Hill Country. I wonder if any of these wildflowers could be Mountain Laurel?

Here are some more beauty's we found when we stopped for a break along our journey.

The setting was a marina but to our dismay, the cafe was closed so no lunch by the water side.
The containers were still so full and lush with blooms.

Ah, a little reminder that it is indeed October with a bit of corn stalks in the background. Our day in the Georgia mountains was full of beauty and my drought tolerant flowers continue to give me blooms, this OCTOBER GARDEN BLOGGERS BLOOM DAY, In the Garden....