It was a hard job to find some flowers to photograph for today’s Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, everywhere in the garden is so wet and everywhere looks a mess with plants collapsing all over the place. I went out with the camera yesterday because the forecast for today was even more torrential rain. I took my usual route through the garden, starting in the front, but I had to watch my step because everywhere is so slippery and the lawn was absolutely sodden.
By the front door, Winter Jasmine is flowering with lots more flowers opening every day.
Anthemis Sauce Hollandaise is still putting up a few flowers, it never seems to stop.
Verbena bonariensis is still flowering around the garden, this one is still in the front garden by the drive.
Still by the drive is Penstemon Garnet, which has been flowering all summer long.
By the gateway is quite a large mature Ivy which the bees love while in flower and birds love when the berries form in the winter.
Rosa Bonica is still making more buds, it is determined to carry on.
Also Rosa Buff Beauty is still flowering, we are still waiting for our first frost, so these buds will probably get caught out sometime soon.
In the bed round the dead oak, Hydrangea Ayesha is flowering again. The petals of each little flower is curved inwards like the flowers of a lilac. This had a pink flower when we first planted it, it has taken almost 20 yrs to decide to be blue instead!
Next to the Hydrangea is Mahonia Charity which has been flowering for a while now, lovely flowers for this time of year.
Underneath the Mahonia is one of the two heathers that are in the garden here. I’m not fussy on heathers in a garden but it forms good ground cover under the very prickly Mahonia, so it saves having to weed there!
In the border by the field, Rosa Graham Thomas is still flowering away, with lots of buds still to come, it all depends on the weather if we will be able to enjoy these flowers.
When I got round to the bog garden, I found candelabra primula Apple Blossom trying to flower, the flowers seem to be opening while the stem is very short.
Another Apple Blossom, this time a Penstemon in the border opposite the back door. Penstemons are such good value for money, flowering from June onwards.
Double Feverfew has been flowering all summer, visited by bees for months.
In the far corner of the back garden, Garrya eliptica is getting ready to flower in the new year. The bush is covered with these lovely buds so I’m hoping for a good display in January.
Ubiquitous Campanula porscharskyana is still flowering. Everywhere we have a clump of this plant, a few flowers can be seen amongst all the leaves.
In the border by the back of the house is Fuchsia Delta Sarah. This has flowered since July making quite a statement, I really must take some cuttings next year so that I can plant it elsewhere in the garden.
Flowers were hard to find this month, I feel the garden has most of its colour from the lovely autumn tints that we have in November and also from the red stems of the Cornus and the white bark of all the silver birches, the flowers are taking a back seat. Do you find the flowers are eclipsed by super foliage colour at this time of year?
Thanks once again to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting GBBD each month, do pop over to see the other flowers from round the world.
You have many beautiful blooms. I am intrigued by the Garrya elliptic! Did you find that at a local nursery or mail order?
Jayne, it was one of the few shrubs that was already here when we bought the house. I’m sure the people got it from the local garden centre. When the flowers open they are about three times as long, lovely tassels.
You made a beautiful presentation despite rain and slippery ground. It’s always a surprise what turns up once you get out there.
Thank you Jean, the ground is even worse now, the rain has been torrential tonight. We have just got in and the roads were all like rivers, I’m glad to be home again. There were a few flowers but I had to search this time.
Lovely to see all the late blooms. Is your Garrya elliptica ‘ James Roof’ ? I haven’ t checked mine to see if it has any tassels emerging. It is just recovering from the big freeze of the year before last.
I love Ayesha, it is so different. I had a blue one in a previous garden but the cutting I brought with me is decidedly pink.
I don’t know which variety the Garrya is Chloris, it was here before we arrived. It could be James Roof as the tassels are nice and long. I keep threatening H.Ayesha that she has to buck up or she will go, she then responds by producing lots of flowers, so I guess she will stay for a while longer!
Pauline, You amaze me with all the blooms you have! When you said you were looking for the last few I thought you meant very few. Everything is beautiful….I love the double Feverfew and Penstemon as well as you roses……Enjoy!
I had to search for them though Sally! Flowers in November are a bonus I think but they never look their best as they are surrounded with dying foliage, they will look better when I have cut back the dead leaves of plants near them.
Oh bother! I took a photo of my C porscharskyana but then forgot to include it – isn’t it amazing how long it flowers for? I very nearly bought Graham Thomas for the the new shrub border but in the end got the new Poet’s Wife and The Pilgrim instead – hope they do as well as your GT. Great photo of V bonariensis – have you used a special effect in the editing? Good to see your penstemon – I still haven’t cracked the ‘secret’ of flowering success with them but they were a little better this year. Thank you for sharing your blooms.
No special effects Cathy, I wouldn’t know how to do any! My point and press camera has a macro button which I use for flowers. I like Penstemons for their long flowering period and am trying to plant up more with different colours, the bees love them too. I have The Pilgrim on the opposite side of a path to Graham Thomas, it is a lovely rose, I hope yours and the Poet’s Wife do well for you.
I must thank you very much for making an effort for us this Bloom Day Pauline. I’s much appreciated.
I love the unusual flowers on the Hydrangea, different in a really nice way. It’s not going to be too long before the Garrya is stealing the show.
H. Ayesha has lovely flowers, a bit different to the other Hydrangeas that I have. I’m glad I got the photos taken when I did as we have had torrential rain since then, I think I would sink into the lawn at the moment, it will take a long time to dry out again!
Pauline, you’ve done better than me, I gave up after the wind and rain of a couple of days ago. Another mild spell would be nice to get those rose buds opening.
Even more rain tonight Jessica, we have just got in and all the roads have been turned into rivers again, thank goodness I took the photos when I did! A nice dry spell would be very welcome but I don’t think that’s going to happen this coming week.
Isn’t this rain awful. I am down at my sisters in the New Forest and trying to get some bulbs in her garden. I think I would do better planting rice! That is a very pretty hydrangea – I much prefer the blue ones.
Half of the patio is under water again Annette, reminds me of last winter. I hope the Somerset Levels are behaving themselves! I will have to put my bulbs into pots as I just can’t get on the garden to dig in the soil. They will have to be planted when the soil dries out, everywhere is so wet! I’m glad most of my hydrangeas have changed to blue, only the ones planted right by the house have stayed pink, probably because of the cement in the soil.
Your flowers are gorgeous even if fewer in number this time of year. Hydrangea Ayesha is a charmer as is Fuchsia Delta Sarah! We are experiencing sunny but cold weather and most of our flowers are now frozen. No doubt when the rain and warmer temperatures come back, the primroses and others will perk up but it’s the end of the year for fuchsias and the like. Happy GBBD and happy weekend!
Thank you Peter, they were hard to find this time though. Our weather is the opposite to yours , warm and wet, so very wet! I think by this time of year I would prefer it to be colder and drier, hopefully the plants here have learnt to cope with their roots in water for long periods!
That hydrangea ‘Ayesha’ is so pretty Pauline – and glad you seemed to have a little bit of sun break through at least when you were photographing ‘Graham Thomas’!Interesting what you say about putting the bulbs in pots. I need to get mine out too, and if it had stopped raining I was just going to bung them in. You’ve made me think twice! I just love winter jasmine – I’ve only seen one round here, so you cheered my evening posting that, thanks!
Yes Cathy, in between the rain, we do have sunshine, I’m glad I photographed them when I did, the next day was horrendous!
I also put bulbs in pots so that I can plant them in between the bulbs that are already in the border, as soon as the shoots are showing, I know where I have a bare space.
The weather forecast for the coming week looks drier Pauline – I do hope it is in your part of the country. I wonder why ‘Ayesha’ has turned after 20 years but isn’t she simply lovely. Your post reminds me that I don’t know what has happened to my winter jasmine. Must have a look when it’s daylight 🙂
I think its going to be Thursday before we have a dry day Anna, but it will take a long time to dry the garden out, plants need water wings here!
H. Ayesha started out pink, then for quite a number of years she was a rather grey colour before this gradually became blue. It wasn’t a sudden change but very gradually over the years as we have soil that is just the acid side of neutral.
Hi Pauline,
Lucky you able to take photos.. I haven’t even tried attempting to take anything! I do hope it dries soon, everything really looks grim at the moment and two days of near constant fog has begun to grate on me.
Your Hydrangea is very pretty; I actually thought it was a Lilac at first!
I wouldn’t have been able to walk on the lawn the next day Liz, without sinking in, everywhere is so sodden!
I agree that H. Ayesha is pretty, the petals were what attracted me to it.
The mahonia is my favorite. The flowers are new and fresh and the foliage looks untouched by the season. It’s a nice thing to see at this time of year 🙂
Frank, I always think the Mahonia flowers look like it should be springtime, they are such a lovely yellow. Flowers at this time of year are so precious.
Your fuchsia is wonderful! I have one little hardy fuchsia, which was labeled ‘hardy fuchsia’ when I bought it. The flowers are small. Perhaps one day it will make a statement. I think I could get hooked on hardy fuchsias if I had a good source and they proved happy in my climate: a big if!
We have quite a few hardy fuchsias Deb, with smaller thinner flowers, from white through pink to deep red. I cut mine down to the ground each spring otherwise they would grow very tall and woody. I think if you planted yours in the shade to escape your summer heat they should be ok as long as your winters aren’t to cold!!
maybe it was hard to find flowers, but you managed to provide a great post. Garrya Elliptica is really elegant.
Thanks Catmint, I new they would be hiding there somewhere, most times it was just a question of moving leaves to find them. Garrya Elliptica will have its moment of glory in Jan/Feb when the tassels open and they are three times as long!
Not so very few flowers, Pauline. Many of us would be happy to have so many and looking so beautiful. As to your question I think you are right there comes a moment (maybe it is because of the light) that the foliage seems much, much more important than the flowers whether it has great autumn colour or just a strong green presence.
At the moment the garden here is very green, yellow, orange and red Christina, but it is all from foliage which hopefully you will see on Foliage Day. I feel that the few flowers in each bed fade into insignificance when they are near the mass of foliage that catches the eye.
Wow, an impressive array of blooms Pauline. I love the unique character of that gorgeous Hydrangea Ayesha.
Thanks Susie,. there were quite a few hiding in the garden! Hydrangea Ayesha gets better and better each year and its enjoying all our rain!
It is quite amazing that so many flowers are still flowering, I really like the Campanula poscharskyana. It looks lovely and I am always on the lookout for ground cover plants. Might have to get some of those next year.
The “little” Campanula Helle, spreads everywhere! It is good at covering the ground but sometimes I think it should come with a health warning!
Thanks for the warning, Pauline. I’ll keep that in mind when ordering seeds from Plant-World-Seeds. They have a mind-boggling range of campanula seeds.
Plant world to have a fantastic variety of seeds, I’ve used them a few times and have always been happy with the results. Plant world are just a short drive from where we are and the garden is fascinating with the flowerbeds laid out as the continents of the world and each plant in its correct country.
You are very clever to plant the heather under the mahonia, in addition to the practical purpose, their flower colors look very well together. Graham Thomas was the favorite rose in my previous garden; it definately belongs on a “best” list somewhere. I know many folks lament the foliage die-back, but I look forward to it. After seven months buried under a canopy of oaks, I’ll have bright light in just a few weeks more! I’m sorry to hear you’re having so much rain. It’s cold here this morning, only 19 F (-7 C), but we’ll have sun to warm us up as the day goes on.
I know how you feel Marian, when you say you are buried under your canopy of oaks. All our huge trees are on the south side of the house and cast a lot of shade. In the summer, the sun rises above the trees but always , by October it is behind the trees and it stays dark until the leaves come down. I have just watched the news showing the dreadful snowstorms in America, I hope you are all safe and warm.
Oh you still have so many beautiful blooms! Garrya eliptica was most interesting for me, never seen it before! In my garden, I could say I have exactly two blooming plants – ever-blooming horned pansy and one very late Eryngium planum.
But, we are having our first snow today! And its kind of refreshing!
The Garrya Tistou, will flower properly in Jan/Feb when the tassels will be about three times the length they are now. I feel flowers at this time of year are a bonus, your two are very special!
Enjoy your snow, will it stay with you all winter now? I hope it doesn’t become a problem like it is in America at the moment.
Oh, it is predicted to stay couple of days this time. It is very rare for first snow to stay. Usually lasting snowcover establish in January, sometimes late december.
But it is nice today. It is about 7-8 cm now and everything is turning white!