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• Autumnal Fruits November 22 - 12:07 am [4]

It is hard to claim autumn when the temps are still in the 90's. But hey, the weatherguy said it was 109* on this day, 2 yrs ago,,, so 96F is feeling pretty good at this point.
But the Sedum spectible still thinks Sept is autumn here in NC Tex. The Frosty Morn is in bloom and the pink ones are just starting to open in other beds.

I am loving the creeping Artemisia in front of the sedum. I found it 2 yrs ago at a local shop and thought it would never make it through the year. It looked a goner this spring until I dosed it with some mushroom compost, which perked it right up again. Would love to have many more clumps of it. Could try dividing it and take the risk of losing all the bits,,, hummm nevermind. I'll just try to keep this one safe!

Here is that chocolate plant we talked about with David last year. The first one he brought me grows under the oaks and hasn't gained much size since last year. I suspect it isn't getting enough sun. But the baby one he brought me this spring is four times larger than the original one in the bed.
I moved this potted one around a lot to find its fav exposure and sure enough, it grows well with only morning sun and despises any other combination. The slow one is under shade tree all day long.

Lovely leaves Maggie. Is it frost hardy? What is the latin name?

Aren’t they gorgeous! It is Pseuderanthemum alatum from David’s AOGC plant pages here
They return from winter dormancy in his NC Texas shade garden and self sow easily for him. It was the one that I was wondering why it was called ‘Chocolate Plant’, since it didn’t have that tasty fragrance to the blooms. It is because the leaves are chocolately colored.

Gee, That David is such a .......NICE....guy......
and you are correct Maggie, the plant does like to have some sun, or bright filtered light......

Yes he is. If there is anything better than a loyal friend, it is one who drops by with treasured plant gifts. :-) I see your friendship all the time, all over this garden David.

The Rosy sedums are fully opened, now that we have passed the official first day of fall.
This one came mislabled as 'Ruby Glo' so I don't know what it is for sure, but it grows to the same height of the 'Autumn Joy' variety that is a much lighter pink with a flatter umbel.


We were talking about the blue centered, white African daisy on MK's autumn thread.
Here
is where I grew them sev years ago.

The scene looks much different now a days.

It seems we gardeners can never be happy with a bed for long. I do like the newer bed best Maggie.

I'm so envious over your sedums. They are beautiful. Any I have ever grown have wonderful rosettes of leaves when young, then just get floppy as they grow and never have any significant blooms. Since most I have inherited I guess I should go out and buy a reliable variety, maybe something Maggie is growing

Isn't it the truth MK - another case of the getting there is often as good as the destination.

David - look at that Persian Shield on the left. I didn't expect it to get so large! but glad it did.
And here's the Sweetpea rose that I chose just for its name.

Still no autumn leaf colors, but now that the asters are blooming and the weather is cooler, it does feel like autumn proper.

I put in some Encore azaleas last year - marketed to bloom more than once a year. This is their 3rd flowering in 2002. All of the terminals have buds that will open soon.

Love the Asters, such a pretty combination. I'll have to mark that in my list of future plantings

I'm taking notes MK ;-)

I really like seeing things growing out of broken pots - Nicola puts primroses in hers above a stream for better drainage. Tonight I was putting some things in the grnhouse for the season. When I lifted a Boston fern that had been plopped into a big broken pot (that lays on its side) I found it had rooted itself into the ground.

Here's a scene I've really enjoyed this year.




I found the new 'broken'pot on the top step at Redentas this year, soon after a friend had given me the pot on the middle step. He brings garden things back from Asia to use in his landscaping jobs and has just now starting offering them on his website
HERE.

Hello Michael