Sunday, November 15, 2009

Bloom Day-November 2009

From In the Garden

November in Tennessee has been a bit above normal this year. Normal would mean we'd have had a very hard freeze by mid November and most flowers would be gone. Not so this year. While we have had freezes my garden is fairly protected by an overhead canopy, additionally the freezes did not last more than a few hours so the plants were able to come thru unscathed. The above cosmos is growing in a plant pot on the south side of the house. It is most happy but most of the cosmos have gone by.
From In the Garden

Pineapple sage I wintered over as cuttings last year is in its full glory. It grows on the north side of the house in the Northside Shrub border. The red is most welcomed here. These will not winter over for me but I've got new cuttings growing in the garage under lights.
From In the Garden

The angel trumpets still shine. This particular one is huge! Probably about 8 feet tall which amazes me. I think it is so big because it has been in the ground for two years. I do not do anything special for it as in adding fertilizer, but I do add compost. I have purchased bales of hay in preparedness for winterizing these angel trumpets. They need to be cut down once the freeze gets them. I then place either a bag of compost or a hay bale on top of the root ball until spring. It worked well with this orange angel trumpet last year and I hope it will work with it again this year. I have added three additional ones I need to cover this year as well. Two have not bloomed but I am hopeful that if they winter over they'll reward me next year. This orange one is also still putting out a lovely fragrance at night. Both this one and the pink one are still growing new blooms. Unusual but most welcomed. The bananas are still standing tall behind the angel trumpet. They are a bit shredded but still a welcomed bunch of green. I'm not looking forward to cutting them down.

P.S. Jane, I'll save you a cutting for next year if you'd like one. Just email me in the spring sometime so I can hand it off to you.

From In the Garden

Azaleas still bloom. This particular one is an Encore 'Autumn Chiffon' and is most happy. We shall see how it does this winter.

From In the Garden

The butterfly weed is still going strong and bringing in the butterflies though I haven't seen any monarchs within the past few days.

From In the Garden

As pitiful as it may be, the heliotrope has finally bloomed. I've been growing it in my garden for two years now. I wintered it over by taking cuttings but will not do so again this year. It is just not worth the trouble for the very little it adds to my garden. A pretty bloom though.

From In the Garden
The Sunny Perennial Border is still quite a focal point. Here I show you the begonias which are going strong. Cannas are also still blooming here but are not pictured in this angle.

From In the Garden

A hedge of yellow mums blooms. This 'hedge' started life as cuttings last summer. Running out of space for them I wound up sticking the cuttings in this new bed. Little did I know the cuttings would grow into a hedge. I kind of went overboard with taking cuttings. At the time it seemed like a good idea but now I have so many yellow mums I think it may be overload. I'll be thinning the yellow mums soon as they are taking over my gardens.

From In the Garden

The front foundation garden. This garden still makes me smile when I come home. Walking to the front door means walking through a cloud of butterflies. They love the lantana, salvia and zinnias that grow here. The cool shaped tree that has an awesome shadow on the house is 'Lavender Twist' redbud. It used to grow in the backyard but like most gardeners, I decided it needed to move. So one dark night I recruited Mr. Fix-it to help me dig it up and transplant here between the two windows. Even though this tree had been growing in its prior spot a mere two years, the roots extended six feet out from the plant. I fear I may have killed it by digging it up and severing those roots. For that I'll be most regretful because it is such an awesome little tree. Hopefully spring will prove me wrong. Cross your fingers that it comes back to life somehow, someway.




From In the Gard
A teenaged bloom in the form of the Jimster. He is busy here concentrating on his design for his pumpkin during our annual tradition. You can see the concentration on his face and I love this picture of him.

Finally, some other blooms not pictured: alyssum, camellias, dahlias, zinnias, foxgloves, 'Diamond Frost', calibrachoa, montauk daisy, pinks, some phlox, pansies, and impatiens.

in the garden....

35 comments:

  1. So, just what did you feed your Brugmansia to get to grow 8'? Happy Bloom Day!

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  2. Awesome, Tina! I'm definitely getting some pineapple sage next year! Love that the azalea is blooming now, too! Great luck with your redbud ;)
    Jimster...cute!

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  3. Everything still looks good Tina...your son is serious about that pumpkin!

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  4. Tina girl !
    My goodness you still have a lot of beautiful plants on the go there .. we too have had a strange November so far , this is what October was supposed to be like ?? I love seeing your pineapple sage .. I had some fun with comments on my sages bringing up pineapple sage because of its amazing scent .. also I talked about lemon verbena because it has a remarkable smell (even though it doesn't look all that pretty). Make sure you have pictures of that pumpkin please ?? LOL
    Joy

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  5. Hi Tina, I love all you blooms, esp. the pineapple sage and the pineapple fountain (I never thought I liked pineapples as fruit because I'd only ever had canned, but MAN are they good fresh!!!). And it's cool the Jimster doesn't think he's too cool to carve pumpkins as a teen! :)

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  6. Wonderful bloom day post!! I love the pineapple sage, I think it is the perfect fall bloomer, the red is perfect and the flowers remind me totally of flames. I didn't even know you could overwinter brugs in the ground here. Of course now I want to try!!

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  7. Great to see your pineapple sage still blooming--isn't it an awesome plant? I tried taking a cutting of mine, but it didn't root; looks like I'll be shopping for a new plant next spring. My cosmos have been long gone, but I did take lots of seeds from them, so I won't have to worry about them--I loved this vibrant orange in the butterfly garden! The Jimster looks very intent on his design; did you show his finished creation?

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  8. November in your garden is not boring, Tina! I love the last shot too!

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  9. Good morning all!

    Les, I did not feed it but really need to next year. I think the soil is rich for it.

    Lynn, Thanks, the pineapple sage is wonderful indeed. Such a late and strong bloomer. And thanks on the luck-I need it!

    Darla, He is indeed-it was sweet.

    Joy, Love the pineapple sage scent and also lemon verbena. Amazing indeed! No, I didn't post this year's pumpkins and poor Hal is now in the compost bin but perhaps I'll do it next year.

    Monica, Jimmy is a teen but still a kid at heart-if we-um-very nicely tell-no ask-him to do family stuff it works. Yeah! He was quite a leader because my neighbor's three young kids came over and carved theirs with us. Jimmy was playing it cool and being focused. Probably so he could get it done and go in the house. Pineapple is wonderful! When you buy them fresh keep the top and plant it in a pot. It will grow roots and begin to grow. I have one right here that looks lovely. I'll never get a pineapple but it is neat to have one growing here. As a bonus it does NOT drop leaves in the house.

    Lzyjo, It should be easier for you to overwinter brugs as I think you are more south. I have some cuttings if we ever hook up I'll save one for you for next spring. How is your pineapple sage doing?


    Rose, It is not too late to take more cuttings. I stick mine in a mix of potting soil, peat moss and perlite with a dip in rooting hormone. I've enjoyed them so much and they are most easy to winter over in the garage. Glad you got your cosmos seeds! Mine in the garden are about done but this one in the pot is happy for some reason.

    Tatyana, The Jimster is a sweetie. Now he does not know I posted his pic so no one tell him okay?

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  10. Good morning Tina! I am envious of your Brugmansia. So great! I think your Lavendar Twist is in a great place to be able to enjoy it!

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  11. Tina,
    Unbelievable you have so many strong blooming flower still. You can root them cut down angel trumpets if you like I hear they are easy. Well got to rake a zillion leaves.

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  12. Just stunning, Tina! Ohio is pretty barren now--at least in my neck of the woods--even though we are also having a mild November. I envy you your longer growing season. Maybe, if I can EVER afford to retire in this pitiful economy, I will move south to Tennessee one day!

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  13. The Pineapple Sage and Brug look spectacular. My Pineapple Sage was finally frostbitten last Tues.

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  14. I can only hope my trumpet will do so well, Keeping it going untill I can cover for the winter, they are soo beautiful.

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  15. Tina,
    Everything is looking fabulous! I loved the Heliotrope, a gorgeous color!

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  16. You sure have lots of color for this time of year. I still have cosmos, baby's breath and a very small yellow type of poppy and a small purple and white flower that I have no idea about (it was in a wild flower mix). Amazing, but I also have 2 buds on my yellow rose bush. Middle of November in Maine, INCREDIBLE!!!

    My fingers are crossed for the redbud to flourish come spring time.

    Great shot of my grandson!!!

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  17. Mornin' Tina, you still have so much blooming and it looks great! Too bad about the Heliotrope - of course it's only an annual here too but I usually buy a couple for the smell that is just heavenly. The Jimster is blooming very nicely too - but he's gonna kill ya when he finds out you put his picture on. ;-)

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  18. Janet, Thanks on the brug. She is a lovely gal and a gift from a super good friend so even more special.

    Randy, I have about that many leaves too-good thing it is good exercise and good for the gardens. Have fun!

    Julena, This is a great state to garden in and I think to retire too as well. One day you'll be retired too-it comes before we know it.

    Sweetbay, Bummer on the frost. We've been lucky here and I am so enjoying it.

    Dawn, Did your brug bloom? TC's bloomed and he had his in a pot so I was wondering on yours? Good luck overwintering it!

    Rosey, Thanks! It has been so nice having a mild fall this year.

    Mom, Your garden is rocking then indeed because to have any blooms in November in Maine is awesome! Yup, the Jimster is too cute. I am so happy he will still do this. He actually watched a movie with us last night and enjoyed it. It is rare he comes to our movie night but this was kind of a kids movie-Bridge to Terabithia-a real tear jerker but super good!

    Linda, Shhhh! Neither Jimmy nor hubby read the blog so perhaps he won't find out?:) I don't think he'd appreciate it but if his friends don't see it hopefully he won't be too mad? I can only hope. Heliotrope-not worth it anymore. Mine doesn't even smell and I'm not sure if I'm most miffed about that or the paltry showing it has given me.

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  19. Those Angel Trumpet blooms are glorious Tina. I can't believe how large that one plant is, it must be a happy camper. :) To answer your question on my blog earlier. I was lucky enough to escape any real damage to my yard. The sun finally came out this morning and now I have a mess of dead tree limbs, leaf debris and a ton of pecans that came down thanks to all the winds. :)

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  20. You could say that this is climate change's silver lightning. And so brilliantly presented. Many thanks for such a fantastic post.

    Greetings from London.

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  21. Your garden is still bright and colorful, but I agree with you about too much of the yellow Mum. They spread like mad, even in lousy soil. It's a shame about the lovely Heliotrope, but sometimes you've got to be tough and give the space over to something that's going to perform better.

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  22. Hey Tina,
    It had been quite some time since I came here..... U have a lovely garden... I feel 'J'.... U have lots of lovely flowers..... I'm surprised u know the names to all these flowers.... The flowers in my garden.... I hardly know their names.... I like the wreath & the fountain..... By writing here I'm just making way for the breeze from your garden, carrying the aroma of sweet scented flowers, to my home...

    Ash....
    (http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)

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  23. you have a lovely garden yet. i really like the front walk garden with the fountain.
    arthur is bad.

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  24. Racquel, Glad you did not suffer any flooding!

    ACIL, gotta love global warming indeed-makes the flowers grow and my electric bill stay low.

    Barbara, Yes indeed those mums wish to take over the world. I am only now getting to the point where I can be picky and will edit my garden. I guess it is good every now and then.

    AshKuku, It is nice to see you! The breeze you get will be a lovely breeze with a sweet scent of the angel trumpets blooming:) I can almost smell them myself (but I'm inside). As to knowing the names, boy, that takes time and much reading and learning. As long as they are pretty you enjoy-name or not!

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  25. Lola, Do take it easy and rest. I hope you start feeling better soon!

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  26. We have had a warm autumn as well and there is definately more in flower than there was last year.

    I love your yellow Mum hedge

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  27. You have so much blooming still. You know I love your Angel's Trumpets. I wish I had room for a Banana tree here. I just noticed one growing in front of my favorite nursery, I've gone there many times and never saw it before.
    I'll keep my fingers crossed for your Redbud, I'm keeping mine crossed for my little Dogwood too. I moved it and hope I got enough of its roots too.

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  28. Wow, so much color and in the middle of November to boot! We went to the Zoo and Botanical gardens in South Carolina today and we were shocked as to how much color remains in the gardens! Full and I mean full of colors as well as butterflies, bees and lizards! Was a fun day but tiring for me. What a mild Fall…

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  29. The hedge of Yellow Mums are so striking with their bright colors. I am glad the weather has been kind to you so that we could enjoy all the beautiful flowers in your garden.

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  30. Hi Tina,
    I enjoyed seeing and reading about what you have blooming. I love those brugs! That is a great photo of your son. Oh, and I liked the photo that showed a bit of your dog. I forgot your dog's name.

    Thanks for being my first commenter today. I don't have any sunflowers blooming. What you saw may have been an annual rudbeckia, or the 'Herbstonne'. Oh, there's another perennial rudbeckia there. I didn't have time to label the blooms before I posted, and was thinking about going back to do it, but haven't so far.

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  31. Your post , always like morning dew,refreshing ,keep it up.

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  32. That Brugmansia is pretty impressive, Tina. And to think you can over-winter it in the ground! Instant impact.

    So many people have mentioned taking cuttings of the pineapple sage, that I'm going to give it a try. It's still in bloom up here, too. Thanks.

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  33. Good luck little tree! I sort of like a late warm stretch in fall. We've been mostly mild too. I like hanging on to leaves and flowers for a bit longer. But I still have my fingers crossed that we'll get some true winter and snow before it's all over.

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  34. Hi Tina,
    I don't know if I mentioned I'm home sick today, with a sore throat and tight chest. Just before my nap, I looked at my butterfly book, and found the red spotted purple, thinking that's what you had. I came back to see Skeeter and others think that's what it could be. It's interesting that the red/orange spots are not there. In every other way, it looks like the one in my book.

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  35. Helen, The warmth has been most welcomed eh?

    Catherine, Thanks so much. That redbud needs all the help it can get as it is not looking too good. No green anywhere on the bark. Perhaps a banana tree in the corner behind the pond? Surrounded by the privacy fence?

    Skeeter, Can't wait to hear about your trip! Lucky you!

    Noelle, It has been wonderful indeed.

    Sue, You feel better soon and thanks so much for the help with the identification.

    Ashok, Thanks! You are very kind.

    Helen, It is most easy to winter over pineapple sage. If it is still blooming you might try cuttings now. I take mine usually before the plant has bloomed, dip it in rooting hormone and put in flats with a mix of peat moss, potting soil and perlite. I then place it in my unheated garage either on a car where it can see the light, or under flourescent lights where it sits until spring. I do have to water. The cuttings are all blooming right now. They get quite tall but it has not hurt them. It makes gardening so much easier for me when I can pull all my plants out of my garage. No shopping and spending and hauling them home. Good luck!

    Megan, I hope you get some snow too if you don't normally get it? We are lucky here we usually get one or two snows but not too much. A good thing. The redbud thanks you for your well wishes.

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