Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - November 2013

To say this Bloom Day snuck up on me would be an understatement. I literally didn't realize today was Bloom Day until yesterday morning at work. Knowing that it would be too dark after work to take photos, I ran home during lunch and snapped a few photos of what's in bloom right now.

We're having a wonderful Autumn here in Portland this year, I love the crispness in the air and the sweet fragrance of fallen leaves...come along and let's check out what's blooming.


Most of the Agastaches are pretty much done, although they still toss up the occasional bloom. Here, we have 'Blue Boa', one of the more compact Agastaches.


One of my favorite late bloomers, Chocolate Joe Pye Weed (recently re-named Ageratina altissima). Seeing these fluffy white blooms scattered throughout the garden (I have quite a few) always brings a smile to my face. A nice bonus is that their foliage turns a lovely warm caramel color as the weather cools.


Such a stubborn group of plants, the Persicarias (this is 'Golden Arrow') just refuse to stop blooming.


Another Persicaria, 'Inverleith' always gets a nice second wind in Autumn, the cooler temps seem to suit it.


You can always count of Knautia macedonica to keep blooming until frost hits (which should be any day now, unless we have another winter like last year).


The patch of Teucrium is dominated by slender, twisting seed heads...and I almost missed the handful of small blooms. Last year I was puzzled why I didn't have any seedlings around this patch, as it was reputed to be quite prolific in that department. I needn't have worried, this year they've more than made up for it...I'll be in for a bit of weeding next spring!


The pathway up the driveway, past the house and into the backyard is quite forlorn right now, being somewhat in flux...I can't quite decide what to do with the area...and it's become something of a half-way house for plants that I haven't found a spot for. One of the permanent residents, however, are these Verbena rigida 'Polaris'. While I prefer the voilet-magenta of the straight species, this softer lavender is so nice at lighting up this shady area.


While most of the Echinacea are now blackened sentinels in the garden, proudly offering their seeds to ravenous finches, I did spot this one, lone bloom.


Good old Geranium 'Rozanne' just won't stop blooming...not that I'm complaining. It's interesting how the blooms in the front gardens are blue...while those in back have more purple in them.


My favorite Aster, the wonderful 'Prince' just keeps going. There is nothing quite like seeing this wonderful cloud of white, surrounded by billowing grasses and the bare, sere stems of Agastache 'Golden Jubilee'.


One of the plants that I can't honestly decide whether I like or not, Impatiens arguta. Oddly, in this cooler weather, the blooms are more pink, while during summer they are a purplish-blue. I will say that it survived being unceremoniously dumped behind a fence and left to fend for itself earlier this summer. I was shocked to see it was almost 3' tall and high a few weeks ago!


And lastly, we have the sumptuous purple blooms of Salvia 'Amistad'. I have this is a pot, and am not sure it will survive the winter...I guess we'll find out!


There were a few more things flowering, but that's most of it, as I just ran out of time and had to head back to the office. In closing, let's take a wider look at the whole garden!


Here's the Front Border looking South.


And again, looking North.


Here's the North Border looking West.


And the same looking back East.

There you have it! For more posts on what's blooming around the world right now, head over the May Dreams Garden! What's blooming in your garden...have any of you had frost yet?