Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - November 2012

GBBD November 2012 copy
Um wow...I didn't realize it was Bloom Day today until last night...this one REALLY snuck up on me! Of course, that's partly due to the fact that I never really think the garden will still be doing much in November. Where I grew up, we were generally well into winter by the time November rolled around, with several hard frosts under our belts.

Luckily, here in Portland, we haven't had any frost yet, and the weather has been pretty nice...I haven't even needed a jacket outside yet. As a result, the garden is still alive...if not exactly the picture of lushness it was a month or two ago.

north border november
Sadly, I got word from the camera repair guys the other day that it would be 3-4 weeks before my camera is fixed...and since I've been working late every night for the past few weeks anyway...well, I don't really have ANY super-recent photos for this post! These few I mananged to scrounge up were from the few times on previous weekends were I got out for a bit to snap some shots.

persicaria inverleith & joe pye 2
I'm always amazed at just how the Persicaria in my garden just don't give up until that first hard frost turns them to mush. Above are both Persicarias 'Golden Arrow' and 'Inverleith'. They are slouching a bit, to be sure...having been lashed by a few torrential downpours, but otherwise are blooming happily. Here they provide a skirt for the autumnal beauty of Panicum 'Shenandoah', Eutrochium 'Gateway' & Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm'.

persicaria firetail
This is Persicaria 'Firetail', mingling with Panicum 'Blood Brothers'. While many plants have slowed down considerably, the Persicaria in my garden act as if they couldn't be happier...they are full of gorgeous scarlet blooms.

Northeast Corner november
While Fall in Portland generally means generous rainfall, most days still have a few hours of bright autumn sunshine...and if you're in the right place at the right time...MAGIC!

front garden november
The front border always seems so bare once the 'Tiger Eyes' Sumac drops its leaves...it really starts to seem like fall...and for the first time since June or July, you can actually see bare ground again.

Aster prince & agastache golden jubilee
While a few of the Agastaches still have blooms, 'Golden Jubilee' has transitioned into full-on seed production. Aster 'Prince' is still blooming...although its starting to fade a bit as well. I love the arching wands of Muhlenbergia rigens in the background.

Back Yard november
The backyard jungle sort of collapsed in on itself after our first rain last month...and it received a brutal cutting-back to open up the path once more. I have to admit...it seems slightly luxurious to be able to walk through the backyard once again! I've made a firm resolution with myself that next year I WILL cut back all these plants in mid-spring to keep them under control...and I'll probably thin them out a bit...moving the plants that are now obviously too big for the space, which, sadly, will probably mean relocating my beloved Stipa gigantea. Back here, Geranium 'Rozanne', Knautia macedonica and Agastaches 'Blue Blazes' & 'Ava' are still throwing out the occasional bloom. While smothered in wonderfull, fluffy seedheads, Clematis tibetana also started reblooming this past week.

knautia seedlings  2901
After I chopped back the majority of the plants back here, I noticed the mini-forest of Knautia seedlings. Naughty Knautias, indeed!

Corner View november
So, there you go...lack of a camera certainly makes choosing photos for these posts much quicker! For more bloomy goodness around the world, check out Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

39 comments:

  1. Hi Scott, i've just been here a couple of minutes ago, and i'm here again. Even without the camera the photos are still stunning. I love most that wide angle view of your house. I am imagining that will entail a lot of man-hours again to rebuild after winter.

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  2. Boy, you can see the advantage of lots of grasses when you get to fall. They just keep looking better, in my opinion. Especially that huge clump of miscanthus you've got.

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  3. Scott,

    I really love your blog, your pics and your grasses !!

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  4. Beautiful!
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
    Lea
    Lea's Menagerie

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  5. That is a long time to repair something but I guess it's worth waiting vs buying a new one. You still have a lot of structure in your garden for mid November though.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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  6. Oh, to be without your camera! There should be a rent-a-camera store. Everything still looks great by you and I am afraid we are anticipating winter and thinking of holiday greens. I guess I thought winter was never coming this year!

    Eileen

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  7. Such gorgeous golds. Beautiful as always Scott! Seems like a long time for the repair. The store should give out loaners like some car places do!

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  8. Hi Scott,

    Lovely photos, and you still have plenty of colour and foliage around! Most of our leaves have fallen now, or are close to. So other than the random bloom here and there, there's little else to look at!

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  9. Scott -- pick up a cheap point-and-shoot camera and use it as a backup. That's what I do. Plus it's great for taking with you when the big camera is just too much hassle. They usually have pretty nice macro capabilities too.

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  10. Periods of sun are always magical...and so are the plants that reach their happiest bloom before harder freezes...your Persicaria proves it. Here, it's Salvia greggii and Epilobium spp. Enjoyed the blooms among all the grasses...perfect and subtle.

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  11. Wow--your garden is so rich with colors and textures! What a lovely autumn garden you have. I, too, am always surprised to find blooms in the garden in November, since I grew up close to Chicago. South Carolina doesn't disappoint! We've had two light frosts and I've lost some plants--but many blooms remained. Your grasses are fantastic. Note to self: must add more grasses to the garden. Happy GBBD to you!

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  12. Magic indeed! Being a gardener I'm also sighing over all those backgrounds of fallen leaves in your street, waiting to be raked up and turned into fabulous compost...

    Happy GBBD!

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  13. Such golden shots of your corner, and wow the Pennisetum 'Vertigo' has gotten huge! (just between you and me I can't believe you haven't worn a jacket yet...I even put gloves on for a talk walk a week ago)

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  14. I was going to joke that I wish you'd been able to work in a neighbor's recycling bin, but YOU DID! Happy bloom day. :)

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  15. I have been following your posts for a little while now. I love seeing the pictures you post and how the combinations work. I know I have Persicaria on my list for spring! Which means it's going to be a long winter.

    Thanks for sharing!

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  16. Beautiful, lovely autumn colours! I can certainly relate to being without your camera, to me it would be as being without a limb. I have kept my old point-and-shoot camera for such occasions, a 8MP Powershot, perfectly all right for a few weeks. Happy GBBD!

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  17. Being a grass guy really pays off this time of year. The autumn colors are a wonderful contrast with your house. Who do you use for camera repair?

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  18. Scott-your gardens always look amazing and I am really enjoying the beautiful vibrant colors of fall. Your Powershot did just fine-enjoyable post!

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  19. I do like the fall views of your garden and its magnificent plants. Lovely. Sorry your camera is going to take so long....3 -4 weeks without it is just wrong.

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  20. Bummer about your camera, hope you get it back soon. I can't live without a camera, that's why I have four of them, LOL. Your gardens are certainly beautiful in the fall. You've done some fabulous design work there.

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  21. I love your mass planting of grasses at this time of year. They look so pretty in that light, really playing off the golds and reds in the rest of the garden.

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  22. I enjoyed the fall photos of your garden. Fall is such a mellow time of year. You have made some nice plant choices!

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  23. Scott, love all the pics but especially the shot of the property all up, it gives a good perspective on your whole space. Looks great.

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  24. I like it all: the plant diversity, this blog, and your appealing house!

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  25. Beautiful, especially beautiful as it transitions to winter...Scott, you have panicum cultivars I've never run across...Where oh where did you find 'Blood Brothers'? gail

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  26. So, so pretty, and still looks full and lush so late in the season. All those grasses are gorgeous.

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  27. As my mother-in-law in Liverpool would say " luvely ...just luvely "

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  28. Naughty Knautia, indeed. Except that it's so beautiful that you don't mind, right? I hope you get your camera back soon, Scott. I can't wait to see the next installment.

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  29. I nearly forgot this Bloom Day too! I was lucky that I had a whole lot of recent photos on my computer to do my post with. I think you have scrounged up some good ones too - your garden and house look stunning! It (almost) makes me wish it was autumn here as well.

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  30. Your garden is wearing late-autumn very well. I still have to add some persicaria here, I am edging towards Firetail for its darker stems and flowers, they do look so good still among your grasses at this time of year.

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  31. Magic indeed, I always love your garden and the shots near the road are simply beautiful. Christina

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  32. I love that you have every square inch planted. It looks great. The grasses beautifully catch the light.

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  33. Scott, I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to be without a camera - especially since there's still so much going on in your garden. But then I'm pretty sure there's always something going on in there. So beautiful!

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  34. I love that you have planted up the area along side the road. I suspect we would get told of if we did that here in the UK!! It looks gorgeous and I love all the grasses and autumnal foliage

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  35. I love the P 'Firetail' and Panicum 'Blood Brothers' combo. Your whole garden shines with all of those grasses for autumn! Great job, Scott. And how nice to get to enjoy things without a frost for a bit longer :)

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  36. You have such a beautiful combination of foliage and textures in your garden. The Persicaria really add a zing to it.

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  37. Scott your photos are superlative as always. You handle the camera like a paint brush, or is that the trowel and rake?
    keep up the beautiful work,D.

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  38. Not only is your garden colorful, there's a lot of colorful trees along your street too.

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  39. Gorgeous color for fall, Scott! I think this is the first time I've seen a front wide view of your house--such a magnificent garden!

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