The Blush of Fall

No frost here yet so the garden is hanging on. Many perennials are still popping out a few flowers which the hummingbirds enjoy fight over. I took these photos yesterday, November 3rd. 

Passiflora 'Lady Margaret Red'
I'm going to do my best to insulate the roots so it will winter-over.

Fuchsia 'DeBron's Black Cherry'
Little bulbous things!

Fuchsia 'Santa Cruz' (I think)
New this year and a very happy camper.

Fuchsia 'June Bride'
So darn reliable. I love her.

Fuchsia 'Tom Woods'
Another happy camper.

Fuchsia 'Olympics Sunset'
Maybe my favorite hardy fuchsia. It's not easy to pick a favorite.

Fuchsia 'Baby Ann'
Definitely the most floriferous of the bunch.

Begonia fuchsianoidies
My gift from Mindy last May, still going strong.

Clematis 'Venosa Violacea' being coy

Clematis 'Mme Julia Correvon' getting a little bent out of shape

Bacopa and Lohospermum doing the happy dance.

Argyranthemum 'Comet Red' totally outdoing itself!

Argyranthemum 'Comet Red' ... see what I mean?

And even more! Did I over-fertilize it?

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Glowing Embers'
The first year it really lived up to its name.

Acer palmatum 'Ben Hime' starting to blush.

Acer palmatum 'Ben Hime' look at that foliage!

Macleaya cordata or Plume Poppy, a favorite!

Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty'
Apparently impervious to the end of its growing season.

Darmera peltata
Also scoffing at the time of year.

Hosta 'Great Expectations'
Expecting nothing less that a beautiful finish.

A NOID green Hosta slowly losing its green

Coleus, an impulse purchase, worth every penny.

Clerodendrum bungei
A plant that seems to pop up wherever it feels like it.

 

Cornus alba 'Argenteovariegata'
Admittedly under-valued by me. 

Colocasia sp. and Geranium palmatum
No blossoms on the Geranium but the foliage almost makes up for it.

Geranium palmatum with burgundy speckles. See what I mean?

Amsonia hubrechtii
Poor plant. I always overcrowd it.

Blueberry 'Chandler'
Everything about this plant is stellar!

Imperata cylindric 'Rubra' Japanese Blood Grass
Finally my clump is getting thick.

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Sike's Dwarf'
So many shades of autumn here.

Hardy Geranium foliage (and weeds)

A tiny baby Sweet Gum seedling! Yes, I'll be taking it out.

Deutzia foliage, even still in its pot it looks lovely.

Melianthus with water spots

More Melianthus just because one photo is never enough.

Hardy Banana foliage--still green!
A plant which relished our hot summer.

 Happy Fall, Ya'all!

Looking for Beauty

At this time of year, beauty is a little more difficult to define and even more challenging to locate. It requires an open mind and a willingness to ignore the ugly, leafy decay that dominates the garden. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those foggy winters where the sky is shrouded by a milky mist for days on end, especially up here on the hill. Although it can be a tiresome contributor to my winter blues, it's comparatively benign weather and I prefer it over the many manic alternatives. 

Looking for beauty.... 

The November frost didn't completely kill my Brachyscomb. 

My Himalayan Honeysuckle (Leycesteria formosa 'Golden Lantern') is still hanging on too. 

My Rosa 'Rhapsody in Blue' tried valiantly to bloom until November's frost halted its attempt.  

But there is promise of things to come. Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata' is fixing to bloom in a few months. 

Ditto for my Hellebore foetidus.

And Hellebore x sternii 'Hot Flash' ... hopefully. 

But until the flowers appear, I'll make do with what remains. 

I'm not quite sure why my strawberry plants are blushing so vibrantly but I'm not complaining. 

Rosa 'Cinco de Mayo' is happy too. 

Not to mention Spiraea thunbergii 'Bridal Wreath' 

And my Eucalyptus nicholii survived last winter's single digit temps and grew back from the roots to over five feet.
I love the contrast between the maroon stems and the bluish foliage.  

The Acanthus mollis isn't looking too terrible. 

Neither is the Yucca filamentosa 'Ivory Tower' 

The Cyclamen hederafolium foliage is very happy despite the surrounding leaf litter. 

Leaves are everywhere. Except in the birdbath--now that I cleaned it. 

And my patio pond. So much nicer now.  

Are you able to get any gardening done?