What’s in bloom, mid-November 2014

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, a meme originally introduced by May Dreams Gardens, is the 15th of each month. I usually miss it, being as unorganized as I am. This month, however, I’m only two days off, so I thought it would be nice to take a look at what’s blooming in my mid-November garden.

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Aloe cryptopoda against ‘Desert Museum’ palo verde (Parkinsonia ‘Desert Museum’). This aloe was already blooming in mid-September when Loree ‘Danger Garden’ Bohl photographed it (click here to read her write-up about my garden) and it’s still not quite done. Great going!

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Callistemon citrinus ‘Little John’. I’m including it because it’s currently residing in our front yard although it technically belongs to friends. I picked it up for them while they’re out of town. (It’s in a 5-gallon nursery can.)

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Salvia mexicana ‘Limelight’

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Salvia mexicana ‘Limelight’

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Salvia mexicana ‘Limelight’

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Grevillea lanigera ‘Coastal Gem’

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Grevillea lanigera ‘Coastal Gem’

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California fuschia (Epilobium canum ‘Carmen’s Grey’)

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California fuschia (Epilobium canum ‘Carmen’s Grey’) with ‘Violin Music’ autumn sage (Salvia greggii ‘Violin Music’)

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California fuschia (Epilobium canum ‘Calistoga’) and chocolate flower (Berlandiera lyrata)

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California fuschia (Epilobium canum ‘Calistoga’)

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California fuschia (Epilobium canum ‘Calistoga’)

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Agastache ‘Kudos Coral’, a new dwarf variety from Terra Nova Nurseries

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Agastache ‘Kudos Coral’

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Veltheimia capensis

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Our oldest autumn sage (Salvia greggii). I can’t remember the name of the selection. It’s been in this spot for seven years and it blooms virtually year round.

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Variegated Mexican bush sage (Salvia leuncantha ‘Variegata’)

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Salvia leuncantha ‘Variegata’. Here you can see the variegation, or rather lack thereof.

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Sundrops (Calylophus drummondii 'Southern Belle')

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Leucadendron ‘Jester’. Not a flower, but it sure looks like one!

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Winter is my least favorite season and it would gladly skip it if I could. But there’s one thing I do look forward to at this of year: aloe flowers. One hybrid in particular will be particularly stunning this year, Aloe ‘Moonglow’. My friend Sue and I split the contents of a 5-gallon container this spring. I ended up with four plants, and all of them are pushing flowers. I’ll soon have a detailed post on this yellow-blooming hybrid from South Africa’s Sunbird Aloes hybridization program (available in the USA under the Blooming Aloe brand).

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I’ll leave you with a shot of the western end of the desert bed in the front yard. I love how much color there still is.

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Comments

  1. So has "winter" started? I can't tell from your photos. ;) Such great plants, especially the Callistemon which I'll always covet, and the California fuschia is really nice! I do wonder why you'd want a dwarf agastache though? I want *giant* varieties to be developed!

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    Replies
    1. Alan, would you believe it I don't have a single Callistemon? Fortunately, our neighbor right across the street has three 'Little John' so I don't feel like I need to have one.

      Usually I'm with you on giant varieties of agastache, but these new "Kudos" dwarfs are perfect for tucking into a bed that's already getting overcrowded. There's also a really nice apricot variety. I should have gotten that too. Maybe I still will.

      As for winter, it's 52°F right now at 6pm on Monday, 11/17/14, so not really. The lowest nighttime temps we've had have been in the low 40s. Nothing like what you're experiencing right now.

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  2. Oh that Callistemon citrinus ‘Little John’...I lust for that plant, I've almost bought it a couple of times even though it's hopelessly tender.

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  3. Your garden looks so colourful and vibrant at this time of the year Gerhard! Based on the pictures alone one would not guess that winter is fast approaching in your location too. Aloe flowers are something to look forward to at least during the coming months, although you're not exactly lacking in cheerful blooms at the moment :)

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  4. You have some wonderful flowers--Hummingbirds must love your garden. The 'Coastal Gem' is turning out to be a gem here.

    Looking forward to your report on 'Moonglow'.

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