Monday, October 13, 2014

Lots of Photos and a Few Questions

The days are winding down so I've been taking photos like mad. 

Dahlia 'Dutch Explosion' is still exploding.

Abutilon 'Nabob' is such a sweet thing.

Rosa 'Jacques Cartier' is one of my favorite roses. Every few days it puts out a few roses for me to bring inside. 

This crazy Alstromeria has been blooming nonstop since it began back in May. 

Rosa 'Jeanne LaJoie' is a miniature climber that I love. 

Pelargonium 'Filbert' is still blooming. 

I purchased Indigofera kirilowii from Nowlen's Bridge Perennials 
in early July. I cut it back and it came back strong. 

Thanks to multiple trips to Fry Road Nursery in the past several years,
I've got Fuchsia madness in my garden. This one is 'Baby Ann'.

F. hatsbashi is a "climber" but needs support. It also reseeds! 

F. 'Baby Ann' 

Another shot of 'Baby Ann.' I can't help myself. 

Fuchsia 'Island Sunset' is a variegated cascading variety. And hardy!

The foliage on these little Impatiens is getting sad but the flowers are still cute.

Impatiens species from Fry Road. I am going to attempt to winter over this tender guy. 

Tinantia erecta that I grew from seed is still blooming. Such a darling shade-lover. 

The stamens remain after the petals have dropped.
They remind me of little tongues. 

The other day, my Melianthus major really captivated me with a sprinkling of dew.
I took a bunch of photos. 







Overkill, yes but you have to admit this foliage is pretty cool. 

On the left, you can see I expanded this bed a bit to make room for next year's growth
(hopefully) on my clump of Japanese Blood Grass. 


Random shot of the north part of the garden. The Heptacodium miconioides (Seven-Son Flower)
is dropping its leaves and making a mess. 

Question One:  

Here is a shot of my Seven-Son Flower. It's been in the ground here
since 2002 so it's quite mature. However you can see that it has failed
as it does every years, to form the pink calyxes. 

Here you can see that a few have formed. 

And here, sorry for the blur. 

And here. But why doesn't it form them like it's supposed to? Any idea what I could
be doing wrong? It's in full sun. I've experimented with watering
and neither wet or dry soil seems to make a difference.
Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks. 
Question Two: 

In the red pot is Astilbe 'Color Flash'. The leaves are solid green but they're supposed to look like this: 

My question is, how much sun does it need to color up? 


The garden







14 comments:

  1. Melianthus certainly has fabulous foliage Grace. Your garden is looking good. Sorry but I can't answer either of your questions but hoping that somebody can.

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  2. Once again I am totally amazed at the blooms and foliage of your gardens. So much color and diversity. It's always a treat to visit here. It's all beautiful!

    I can't answer your questions, but hopefully someone will be able to.

    FlowerLady

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  3. The Heptacodium miconoides at Treephoria has masses of those bright calyxes. Mine looks more like yours. I asked our very knowledgeable guide about it and all he could come up with was not enough sun. You just shot down that theory. I'm wondering if you and I just got inferior product (unlikely, since mine came from Joy Creek). I'll ask Maurice about it next time I'm there. Not much else to complain about in your garden from what I can see.

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  4. Oh Grace! I have no answers for your questions--only sheer admiration for your gardening and photography skills! Those last photos of your garden are so gorgeous. What a delightful place it must be in person....

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  5. I agree the Melianthus is stunning with its foliage. Actually I would say your garden has yet to wind down...love the roses. The astilbe I believe needs part sun. I had no luck growing it here. Great walk through your garden Grace!

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  6. Every time I visit your blog, I'm blown away by how incredible your garden looks--the paths, the rocks, the pond--everything about it! I think we must have similar aesthetic preferences, except your garden is more organized than mine. I'm learning so much from you, Grace! Those Dahlias and Fuchsias and Roses are stunning!

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  7. Your garden doesn't appear to realize that the season has changed - it's beautifully floriferous. I'm afraid I can't help with the tree or Astilbe questions.

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  8. That Melianthus is gorgeous! Love, Love, Love it.
    Your flowers/gardens are gorgeous! I really am so happy when you post pictures.

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  9. Lovely as always...your garden is still abundant with color. Am I mistaken, or isn't the "Abutilon Nabob" a red Luna hibiscus? It sure looks like mine did.

    I'm loving the cooler temps but will miss the flowers on the deck this winter. It appears you will still have a lot of green around.

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  10. Gracie girl .. I can hear the gravel crunch as you do your walk about checking the gardens out! haha
    That tinantia erectus ? reminds me of tradescantia with the shape of the flower ... so pretty and delicate.
    I have to try some hardy alstomeria in my garden next year!
    I have a few Colour Flash astible in my front garden and they have always coloured up wonderfully for me .. they go against the rules and take some afternoon sun .. and get a bit dry at times .. I am finding quite a few astilbe are more sun hardy and handle dry conditions better than thought!
    You know you have a WONDERFUL garden girl! wink wink
    Joy : )

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  11. Your pictures of the garden - even the detail shots - belie the fact that it's mid October. How do you keep everything so green still? I love the way Melianthus major holds water so beautifully. Mine is still so short I can hardly see it, water or none! And I'm another that has no answers to your questions. One thought about the astilbe is that it might get redder when it gets colder? But it should be red now, right? Hope you get answers!

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  12. And I have no answers either! But your garden is gorgeous!!!!
    We're watching some asters and our staghorn sumac and that's about it right now.

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  13. A fuchsia that reseeds?! Sign me up!

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Thank you for being here! Your comments feed my soul.