Apologies to anyone who wasn’t able to leave a comment on my last post, somehow the “gremlins” had got in and were preventing anyone from leaving a comment. I have had a word with the “gremlin” and hopefully this will never happen again, it should be possible to leave a message now.
I didn’t think there would be very much to photograph this time , but then, when I started looking, it was amazing what I found scattered in different parts of the garden. There are a few flowers still thinking it is summer and just about hanging on, and there are the winter flowerers that are just starting. Hanging on valiantly are the hardy Fuchsias, this one is Delta Sarah.
I have read that you can eat the seed pods of fuchsias by making them into the filling for a pie or a flan, the only problem is that I never seem to have enough at any one time.
This Fuchsia is Whiteknights Blush and is one of my favourites, a lovely pale pink.
Campanula porscharskyana is still flowering round the place. It pops up everywhere and has to be controlled with a firm hand or it would smother everything in its path.
Choisya ternata is covered in buds, this will be its 3rd flowering, if frost doesn’t put paid to its flowers.
Garrya eliptica is gearing up to flowering at the correct time, another month and the tassels will be 3 times the length.
I hadn’t realised that Liriope muscari formed lilac berries after it had flowered, yes , I know , not a flower, but I thought they looked so lovely so should be included.
I found one tiny Cyclamen hederifolium still hanging on. Their leaves are now forming a lovely patterned ground cover, soon it will be Cyclamen coum that we are looking at along with the snowdrops.
A few Hellebore are putting up their buds, I really think they should wait a few more weeks.
Mahonia “Charity” has been flowering for a long time now, providing pollen and nectar for any late bees that are still foraging on sunny days,
but just look at the gorgeous jade coloured berries that follow for the blackbirds and thrushes to enjoy.
This Chaenomeles by the back door flowers on and off all through the winter, depending on the weather, it has just started and will continue until April.
Viburnum bodnantense “New Dawn” is covered in buds, these are just about to open and like the Chaenomoles above, will continue all winter as long as the winter isn’t like the last one!
By the front door we have the winter jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum, that we inherited with the house. It is in full shade, so I’m sure it would flower much better if it was in more sun, even so, it does its best and forms a nice splash of yellow to brighten up a dark area.
A new shrub that we have just bought and planted in the woodland strip is Callicarpa bodinieri which has the most gorgeous purple berries, more food for my birds and dormice to enjoy !
Shining out from the very dark corners of the woodland are the berries of Iris foetidissima. Something is spreading the seed around all the shady areas but I’m very glad because quite often, nothing else will grow where it is so dark.
Also in the dark shade of the woodland are a couple of plants of butchers broom, Ruscus aculeatus. My plants are only very small still, but they are producing very large berries.
That’s it for November, it is a lot colder than it has been lately, but still no frosts for us so far, I think all the summer flowers will soon stop putting out flowers and we will be left with the ones that should be flowering now. Here in Devon, in about 6 weeks, it will be snowdrop time once more, the other day when I was doing a bit of tidying I noticed lots of snowdrop “noses” showing above the soil, won’t be long now before the gardening year starts once more will it , or like us, does it never stop for you ?
Pauline you always have such a lot in your garden, the fuchsia flowers are beautiful, a beautiful variety of berries too, I love them all so can’t say what I like best, Frances
I agree with you Frances, I too think the hardy fuchsias are beautiful, they have been in flower since July so definitely good value for your money. I love the colourful berries too at this time of year, it just depends how long they will last with all the birds that we attract into the garden.
Hi Pauline, thanks for visiting my blog and commenting! I have replied to your helpful comment there. Your photos are lovely and you are growing so many things I also grow and love, like Chaenomeles, Liriope and Hellebores. I have Campanula porscharskyana (wish they’d give it a simpler name!) but far from being rampant here, I have to pamper it to keep it going over summer. I think it’s worth it. But your Fuchsias! So hard to grow here without daily summer watering and protection from hot winds, and obviously so happy there with you. I’ve always wanted Iris foetidissima, and it would grow her, but I can’t buy it anywhere. Why do we gardeners always want things we can’t have? At least I can enjoy looking.
Thanks for visiting Lyn, lovely to hear from someone new ! When we first moved here, I quickly had to learn which plants can cope with very heavy clay and lots of rain, I think that is the difference between us. I love Mediterranean type plants but they just curl up their toes and die for me ! My last garden was virtually all sand so it was a steep learning curve and lots of plants suffered before I got it right, the hardy fuchsias however have always been happy here, they obviously like all the rain that we have, as we never water them. I enjoyed your blog Lyn and will be visiting again !
Wow so much going on in your garden. I do love the callicarpa and the chaenomales. I’m just wondering whether I’ve got the space to squeeze some into my own garden. Still no frost here either although plenty of rain.
Lots of rain here too wellywoman and wind is bringing loads of leaves down, more like November weather should be! As long as it isn’t freezing, this chaenomales will flower for months, such good value. I have another “Appleblossom” but that one only seems to flower in the spring. I love the colour of the callicarpa berries, that was why I bought it, apparantly the flowers are rather small and insignificant, I will have to wait and see next spring, but I think it is worth it just for the berries which look gorgeous against the leaves which turn yellow in the autumn, I was too late taking its photo, the leaves had fallen.
Pauline, I’m glad to now you are holding those gremlin off of your blog! It was a shame not commenting the beautiful pictures of your last post.
This latest is no less charming though! You have beautiful fucsias, I prefer the pale pink one too. Their berries look poisonous to me BTW.
I’ve planted a callicarpa this year too, pretty small but it’s supposed to grow fast, after planting mine has lost all the berries though. Shame but i guess it’s my fault: I planted it in september…
Alberto, I think my foliage post can now accept comments – a couple have been left so it should be ok – I hope so.
Gardening magazines tell us that Fuchsia berries can be cooked but I don’t think I am brave enough, maybe its just as well that I don’t have enough to try !
Pauline, You seem to grow all my favorite late fall/winter interest plants. It must be gorgeous in your garden right now. Glad you added the beautyberry. There are so many kinds. I saw one with variegated white leaves and white berries this fall. It was striking. Carolyn
Carolyn – I found you in my Spam box – how did you get in there !
I love this time of year with all the coloured berries and I’m sure the birds don’t mind what colour they are.
Hi Pauline, it was a shame about the gremlin, your foliage post was perfect, thank you for joining in. This time you have some lovely plants; I just love the flowers and berries of the Mahonia and the Callicarpa is lovely, I’d like to try that, I don’t think it needs excessive amounts of water. ref. your comment on my post “Gaura really appreciates free draining soil, I wouldn’t bother with it if it doesn’t like your conditions; I do think it is best to go with what wants to grow and enjoys the conditions in the garden rather than fighting nature.” Christina
I think the Mahonia gets better every day, the berries are now turning purple in colour and that is when the blackbirds and thrushes devour them, hope they will enjoy the Callicarpa berries too. I agree with your way of thinking, not fighting nature, yes, maybe killing 2 plants is enough !