These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

I've been making a somewhat half-hearted attempt at organizing umpteen billion photos I took of the garden this year. What's enjoyable about this otherwise mundane process is being able to see all of my favorite plants again. Here are a few newbies that surprised me with how wonderful they were.

I think this is Allium nutans.
It was just green leaves when I bought it at a garden club plant sale
and the tag said it was a dwarf Agapanthus. I was happy to see that bees found it!

Also on the subject of purple, Clematis x triternata 'Rubromarginata'
Long-blooming, fragrant, pretty... what's not to love?

Of the new Sedums purchased this year is this beauty.
I think it's Sedum hispanicum. Sedum dasyphyllum 'Himalayan Skies'
I love how it's worming around in this container.

My new Fatsia japonica 'Spider's Web' made me very happy
even it is still on the small side.

My Colocasia or Elephant Ear tubers took their sweet time leafing out
but wowzers, did they ever look perty once they did!

I've had lots of hardy Lobelia through the years.
This one, purchased last year did really well again this year.

And because the red one did so well, I bought a bunch of pink ones too.
Dang those flowers are gorgeous!

The jury is still out on Oenothera kunthiana 'Glowing Magenta'
only because in the past I always grew it in a container
and it didn't winter over for me. This spring I planted three of them in
different spots in the garden. Hopefully they'll make it
because I love those soft pink flowers.

My Desert Four O'Clocks bloomed happily for me this year.
I've got them in a pot with fast-draining soil so hopefully they can handle the wet winter.

I grew this tender Alternanthera 'Brazillian Red Hots' with a red-flowered NOID hardy Fuchsia.
Gorgeous all summer. I really should go out and dig it up before the cold weather kills it.

I trust you all are enjoying your fall gardens too. 

Happy Camper!

Yes, that's me. I'm a happy camper because finally, there is a blossom on my Desert Four o'Clock. (Mirabilis multiflora). I've been babying this guy since last year when I purchased from Annie's Annuals. 

Mirabilis multiflora

I first saw Desert Four O'Clock at Dancing Oaks Nursery a few years ago. The blue-green, glaucus foliage is  a nice complement to the ephemeral lavender flowers. 

Mirabilis multiflora at Dancing Oaks

Here you can see that yesterday's flowers are about to wither and die and today's flowers are watching the clock.
At Dancing Oaks.

Here is my plant... growing in a very well-draining, gritty soil. There's hope.
I'm concerned about winter-wet so I think I'll keep it in its container under the patio
for at least one more winter.

This silly 'Dreadlocks' Amaranthus is going to town.

Look at the all of the baby dreads it's growing.

Oenothera kunthiana 'Glowing Magenta'
I'm so glad this lovely little plant's flowers are NOT magenta but instead a perfect pink.

I'm a little obsessed with my Candy Lily (x Pardancanda 'Sangria') Check out these colors. It's just exquisite, isn't it? But I only have one variety. Amy Campion has a bunch of them. Check out her blog post here.  I'm so jealous. 

The flowers last for only one day and then they get all twisted up like this.

Kind of looks like a family of caterpillars,  doesn't it?

I love wildflowers. Last year on a hike, I found Coastal Hedgenettle (Stachys chamissonis) growing all along a creek bed. I took just a few little tiny cuttings. They rooted. And this year those cuttings are a nice plant and that nice plant is blooming! Isn't it pretty? 

I'm sure some people consider this a weed and just in case it decides to take over the garden, I'm keeping it in a container without drain holes to mimic a bog. The plant itself isn't remarkable as you'll see below, but I like it because of the flowers. There are tons more buds.

This Meadow Rue is going gang busters. There are probably two hundred tiny button flowers on this plant. Very difficult to photograph.

Meadow Rue (Thalictrum delavayi 'Hewitt's Double') 

Phlox paniculata 'Bright Eyes'

Monarda didyma 'Balmy Rose' I love this color!

New to me this year, I'm in love with this hardy Lobelia.
I love this color too. Ha ha.

Red Four O'Clocks (Mirabilis jalapa) that wintered over beautifully and just started blooming.

More Four O'Clocks. I've got them all over one part of my garden. I love them.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Fuji Waterfall'  new to me this year.
I bought it as a tiny cutting from Fry Road Nursery. 

Penstemon 'Enor' I finally found the right place for this beauty.
It needs as much sunshine as you can give it.

Aster 'Monch'  new to me last year.
I really like how well it mingles with other flowers.

I've been so enamored with this little Cyprus Vine for years and decided to grow it this year. It wasn't until the beginning of August that it really starting blooming. 

Cyprus Vine or Ipomoea quamoclit

The hummingbirds love them.

The flowers only last for the morning. 

By early afternoon they're doing this.

Cannas... I love them!

This Canna is called 'Bird of Paradise'.
I haven't seen blooms yet but it's the foliage I go for.

Tiny Wire Vine in a rusty can. Just for fun.

Honeybee on Anemone 'Wild Swan'

Bees on Dahlia 'Junkyard Dog'

Honeybee on Knautia 'Mars Midget'

Honeybee on Garlic Chives, (Allium tuberosum)

It took a bit of searching to get the identity of this little guy.
He is a Gray Hairstreak Butterfly.

And finally, on Saturday evening, all was quiet as I finished my garden puttering. But then I heard noises in the neighbor's yard. I got closer and through the fence, this is what I saw...

She had her mommy and several relatives with her but they moved on while she stayed, posing for my camera. It wasn't easy to capture her through the fence but I took as many photos as I could. And I was happy when I uploaded them and had one keeper. 

Thank you for your sweet comments, my friends.