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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day November 2014

Most of the flowers outside are frozen due to our recent gift of frigid air from the north.  Here's what's blooming today in my garden.

Grevillea victoriae takes the cold in stride.
 This abutilon, not so much.

Abutilon megapotamicum, the hardiest of the lot, isn't happy but that doesn't keep it from being lovely.

Farewell fuchsia, see you next year. 

Inside the greenhouse, Impatiens 'Congo Cockatoo' continues to bloom.

As does this geranium 

and the brugmansias.
 Back outside the mahonias are keeping the hummingbirds fed with help from the feeders. 


Looks like Jack Frost won the race with the Tetrapanax blooms this year.
 The not flowers of Euonymus 'Red Ace' look gorgeous even after the leaves have fallen. 

Vinca minor which I keep trying to kill.


Fatsia Japonica.
Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is hosted on the fifteenth of each month by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.  Click over to her site to see what's blooming in gardens all over the world today.

40 comments:

  1. November is a sad month when everything starts to go and we go around seeing what fell to frost the previous night.

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    1. Yes indeed. Oh well it's time to start dreaming of spring and summer.

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  2. You are also giving me major plant lust for the fall-blooming Mahonias, like Alison. Feeding the hummers would be so nice. The Grevillea looks marvelous still, and the greenhouse blooms are great. You must be enjoying not having to drag so many plants up the stairs. The 'Congo Cockatoo' is so bright!

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    1. Not having to drag plants so far made the migration go very quickly this season. The mahonias are such a great group of plants!

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  3. Even frozen your blooms outside still looks fab (until the thaw at least) :)

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    1. Oh yes, the inevitable thaw and the collapse of everything. Maybe it's time to move to Mexico or somewhere warm in South America.

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  4. Your tetrapanax buds were so much further along than mine, so close...

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  5. I love the Grevillea, I haven' t seen that one before. I am also mad on your Tetrapanax and that is a particularly good Euonymus.

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    1. That Grvillea is quite hardy and in many years it's covered with blooms all winter long much to the delight of the hummingbirds. Tetrapanax is a great plant but does tend to spread about a bit but unwanted plants can easily be tugged out. I was very lucky to have purchased that Euonymus as it's a great late season thriller!

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  6. I hate it when the frosts stop our blooms dead in their tracks! You've some pretty flowers there and the Euonymus is a beauty!

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    1. It is a sad time of year for our gardens. I suppose this makes spring and summer that much more precious!

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  7. Only a few more days and the rain will be back, but at least it will be consistently above freezing. I am regretting not buying that Congo Cockatoo this year.

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    1. I'm looking forward to warmer temperatures even if that comes with rain! Congo Cocatoo comes easily from cuttings so be sure I give you one when you come to visit!

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  8. We have Fatsia in common, but thank goodness, not your weather (yet).

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    1. Glad to hear that you've avoided the arctic's icy breath so far!

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  9. Beautiful Fatsia! I must find one for my garden.
    Have a great week-end!
    Lea

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    1. Fatsia japonica is a great plant with big tropical looking leaves and the fun blooms in late fall and winter. I hope you find one and that you also have a great week-end!

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  10. Your flowers look better than the ones here! Everything outside is way past its expiration date. My indoor flowers are the same as last month, even most of the individual blooms are the same. Your Euonymus is fantastic!

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    1. Oh Evan, you're now living in the land of real winter where the gardens will be covered in white for several months. Fortunately you have your indoor garden to keep your gardening heart warm.

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  11. I fall in love with that Abutilon megapotimicum all over again every time I see it, which has never happened in a local nursery. Ditto the Mahonia. Given my love of yellow-flowering plants I may have to seek the latter out by mail order despite its need for "regular water." Happy GBBD Peter!

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    1. Mahonias seem to do well here with little to no summer water. Of course we have that whole rain festival thing that lasts from October 1 - July 5 annually. Abutilons, on the other hand like about as much water as fuchsias.

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  12. Yes, the freeze and drying winds kind of put an end to the flowers early this year.

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    1. I thought they were talking about a mild winter this year. Oh well, this early arrival isn't so bad as long as we don't get a lot more of these freezing episodes.

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  13. It always amazes me what survives the first frosts. You still have a lot blooming! My garden is now thoroughly dormant with continued highs much below freezing, and snow falling lightly tonight. It should be very pretty tomorrow morning. :)

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    1. In mild winters, we can have hardy fuchsias, abutilons, roses, and others blooming at Christmas time as the Hellebores begin. Of course, we live in a place that doesn't get real winter like Wisconsin. I'll bet your garden looks beautiful in white!

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  14. Happy Bloom Day! I just read over on Danger Garden how you guys are also being blasted by some cold weather. Still, your plants are so pretty. Thank you for sharing them as I sit huddled inside with snow falling in Zone 6a Michigan.

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    1. Happy bloom day to you, Jane! I'll bet you have all kinds of snow flowers! Here, when we get an inch or two of snow, schools are closed and things grind to a halt. Of course, that only happens once or twice a year. Keep warm and enjoy your blanket of white!

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  15. That Euonymus is so much more interesting than most. And, I have never seen a Tetrapanax in bloom before. It looks a lot like a much larger version of the flowers of my Nothopanax (or whatever it is) that bloomed earlier this summer. Very cool!

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    1. I lucked out with that Euonymus! Those were the Tetrapanax buds. The flowers, if they ever opened before the frost came, look a lot like Fatsia flowers.
      http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/03030800-0b07-490a-8d04-0605030c0f01/media/Html/Tetrapanax_papyrifer.htm

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  16. You deserve to feel very smug about the new greenhouse about now. The contrast between your'Red Ace' and my Euonymous could give me heartburn.

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    1. Not smug, just grateful. It's an extension of both the garden and the house. I have another Euonymous variety inside the fence that produces seed much earlier and isn't nearly as showy as the Red Ace in the parking strip. It's worth seeking out this variety!

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  17. I couldn't believe it when I saw your Grevillea, I managed to kill one, maybe it didn't like our wet winters! You have so much still in flower, it is wonderful. Your greenhouse/garage must smell beautiful with all the brugmansias still flowering away!

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    1. Grevilleas do enjoy sharp drainage in our wet winters. I love the fragrance of Brugmansias but the dominant fragrance in the greengarage during the day is that of wood and Salvia clevelandii.

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  18. 'Congo Cockatoo' is absolutely the best plant variety name I have ever heard. Though it would also make a great name for a mixed drink.

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  19. I need to get some Euonymus. I love the red berries. And I feel your pain on the vinca. Why oh why did I ever plant this! Happy GBBD! We are getting snow today!

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    1. Euonymus has many great family members and I like a lot of them! My vinca was inherited and it grows on a slope that gets full blasting sun and no irrigation. In addition, when we paint the house we walk all over it put footings for scaffolding on top of it. I wouldn't want to plant anything really great there because of all of that abuse so it stays and I mow it once or twice a year to keep it from taking over the world. Do you get to play in the snow with your adorable granddaughter?

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    2. No, she lives about 2 hours from us and with the prediction of ice we stayed put this weekend.

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  20. What an all-round good plant Mahonia is. I didn't realise it kept the hummingbirds happy too (we don't get them here). Top plant.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.