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| The November view at my favorite dog park. |
It's mid-November and most views in the surrounding landscapes are brown and gray, with spots of green grass red barns here and there. Just imagine the color in this field of native plants during summer and fall. Now most of the grasses and forbs have gone to seed.
But there are a few blooms hanging on here and there in area gardens and in nature. In my garden, the blooms of note include this surprise potted Mum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) from a mixed planter we received earlier in the year. I plopped it into the ground with low expectations, so I was thrilled to see the pretty blooms in early fall. They've lasted through several frosts and freezes now.
Most of the Blue Mistflowers (Conoclinium coelestinum) are gone to seed, but these blooms in a vase on the screened porch still sport that lovely shade of lavender blue. I have to admit the soft, fluffy, "warm" seedheads slay me even more than the flowers.
The 'Autumn Joy' Sedums (Hylotelephium telephium) are transitioning, too. I found this one chewed off by a rabbit, so I plugged it back in among the autumn leaves.
This tiny fighter is Calamintha (C. nepeta). Again, most have gone to seed, but a few stems near the warm house still bloom! Actually, this pollinator favorite blooms from late spring until the very end of the growing season.
What's blooming in your garden? Check out those highlighted for this November Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.
Great that you still have a few flowers as of this post. We're expecting our first freeze tomorrow night -- not a hard one, but a freeze, nevertheless.
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa: It seems like a few things hang on every year until the snow and cold take over for the long haul. There's probably stuff sticking on even under the snow, but at that point I want to be inside most of the time or walking quickly to stay warm. Speaking of that...stay warm and safe!
DeleteBeautiful blooms. What a stunning mum blooms.It would be my pleasure if you join my link up party related to gardening where you can share posts related to plants and flowers here at http://jaipurgardening.blogspot.com/2020/11/garden-affair-happy-diwali.html
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'm amazed that the mums just keep on blooming. My other mums aren't quite that hardy.
DeleteEnjoy your late season blooms! Boo on the pesky rabbits eating your sedum. They've never touched mine but I'd better keep an eye on them.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karin. I haven't really noticed rabbit damage on the Sedums before, but this one was really pretty far along, so maybe that's why. They come back fast and full in the spring, so I'm not too worried. Rabbits seem to nibble on everything here that isn't tough, poisonous, or protected with cages...and sometimes they laugh at those barriers, as well.
DeleteI'm glad you found flowers to delight you despite the colder weather, Beth. I always admire the chrysanthemums grown in cooler climates than mine.
ReplyDeleteIt seems something hangs on each year, much later than I would expect. The Mums are amazing, for sure. How do they do that? ;-)
DeleteLucky you having some blooms this month. Happy GBBD.
ReplyDeleteThe ones that hang on through multiple frosts and freezes do amaze me. Gotta focus on those before the snow flies. ;-)
DeleteHi Beth,
ReplyDeleteWe have our first snow staying on the ground now here in Northern Wisconsin. The birds are loving all the seed heads in the garden. My aster was the last to hang in during the early cold weather we had in October. A little burst of purple still shows, but most is now brown.
Oh gosh, I'm so not ready snow. We had a touch of it today, but it melted right away with the bright afternoon sun. Our weather has been like a ping-pong ball lately--bitter, then mild, then back and forth, over and over again. I'm trying to enjoy the mild days as much as possible. Stay warm and safe!
DeleteOur herbaceous plants can be so tough! No flowers in my beds, but still healthy first-year rosettes for the perennials I seeded last spring ... even after -26ºF one night last month! Enjoy :)
ReplyDeleteSo true! Wow, you've been very cold already! It's amazing what survives our cruel climates. Stay warm and safe!
DeleteAny flowers in November in Wisconsin must be a surprise! The Calamintha is lovely. I used to have C. nepeta nepeta and I loved it but it got crowded out. The fact that Calamintha is a pollinator favorite makes me really want to try it again, perhaps in its own pot this time.
ReplyDeleteYes, we appreciate flowers any time of year, but we certainly marvel at them any time from November through March! I love the Calamintha! I started it from seed many years ago; I thought I had ordered C. nepeta nepeta, which is sterile, but I got C. nepeta instead. It does re-seed, but I have it in a spot where it can't spread much. Love seeing the pollinators enjoying it! :)
DeleteYour Calamintha looks very healthy, Beth. I would love some but wonder if it is aggressive as it is in the mint family? P. x
ReplyDeleteHi Pam: Yes, it does spread, but I have it in an area where it can't escape much. There is a subspecies C. nepeta nepeta that doesn't re-seed, so that might be a great option for you. The pollinators love both the straight species and the subspecies. :)
DeleteSome plants are more beautiful once they have gone to seed.
ReplyDeleteYes, so true, Diana. This is the time of year when we--here in the colder climates--have to appreciate those amazing seed structures!
DeleteIt seems any blooms this time of the year are enjoyed. I have a kale plant that has bolted and has a beautiful yellow flower on top. A bolting vegetable plant normally doesn't give me pleasure but in these dark, rainy days, I enjoyed it. It will be picked and tossed into a salad to bright it up.
ReplyDeleteJeannie@GetMeToTheCountry
Oh, that sounds lovely! Kale plants are so beautiful in all their stages. I have some ornamental ones in pots on the front porch, and they really hold their form until it gets brutally cold. Enjoy your salads!
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