Rose Ophelia
Who would have thought that a November Garden Bloggers Bloom Day from the UK Midlands would feature a rose in full glory. I keep posting ‘last roses’ this year and still they continue.
Fatsia ‘Spidersweb’
At the same time you have the usual seasonal flowers starting to bloom such as this Fatsia ‘Spidersweb’ which is flowering for the first time and I really like the combination of the white flowers with the variegated leaves. The plant, along with my other two Fatsias are already starting to hum with late pollinators.
Mahonia x media ‘Charity’
Also popular with the pollinators is the Mahonia. I am really pleased to discover the flowers on this plant as I ruthlessly chopped it down to the ground probably three years ago to try to encourage more than one stem. It just sat there for months on end before this time last year there were signs of growth, and now we have the first flowers.
Salvia involucrata ‘Boutin’
Like the roses the Salvias are revelling in the mild Autumn temperatures. The Salvia involucrata ‘Boutin’ is like a beacon at the top of the garden with its large bright pink flowers. I love the exuberance of this plant, it is like a Salvia on steroids and have cuttings growing in the greenhouse just in case I lose the one above if we have a cold winter.
Chinese Foxglove
Another half-hardy resident is this Chinese Foxglove which I acquired back in the early summer and it has been flowering non-stop ever since. It has lived in the border but as is slightly tender I have decided to pot it up for the winter and it will probably be stored in the greenhouse or cold frame. I am just trying to work out how I would propagate it apart from seed.
Gladiolus murielae
Also waving at me from the top of the garden are the Gladiolus murielae (formerly Acidanthera). These flowers are particularly satisfying as they are from pots of bulbs that I had discarded on the very top border as there were no signs of growth and then lo and behold in the summer shoots appeared and they have been flowering merrily away. I am going to leave them in situ, maybe with a protective mulch, to see how they come through the winter.
Saxifrage fortunei ‘Conway Snow’
Finally I leave you with a more diminutive treat, Saxifraga fortunei ‘Conway Snow’, one of my alpines saxifragas. I have a bit of a weakness for these but I am keeping it firmly in check as I really don’t need any more plant obsessions!
To see what is flowering in garden bloggers gardens all around the world pop over to Carol’s at May Dream Gardens and check out the links.
