16. November 2016

In Bloom in November

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography

It is the middle of the month now, the middle of November at that! Time for a look at what is blooming in the garden with Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

This is a lush season here in the desert, as temperatures are quite comfortable. It might be even lusher if we could get some rain, but so far that hasn't happened. Perhaps a little later... Meantime, here is what the garden is doing. This month I divided the plants according to seasonality, only to find that this is not at all a precise way of doing it. Still, we shall try...

Plants returning to bloom

The first set of plants comprises the long autumn/winter/spring bloomers - or so I expect. At any rate, they are not autumn-only and should give color for months.

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, gaura, oenothera, lindheimeri — Gaura (Oenothera lindheimeri) is coming back magnificently from its recent trim.

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, salvia, farinacea — I have so enjoyed Salvia farinacea; but it was quite a shock, both this year and last, to have it abruptly collapse at summer's end - the whole plant little but dying stems - only to start over with lush new growth and bloom for autumn.

Next is a trio of flowers from various plants of Salvia greggi. Although this is a classic autum/winter plant, none are blooming as well as I would like, presumably because most have gotten too woody. The white flowers on the right are from a seedling growing next to "Autumn Moon" (center). The blooms are a bit small, but it is intriguing to have a nearly all-white seedling of this normally brilliantly colored Salvia. The usual color is shown in the first flower, another seedling.

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, salvia, greggi

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, justicia californica, chuparosa — Justicia californica coming slowly into its long bloom season.

It's wonderful to see blooms on Callistemon californica "Baja Red" now. It has had a slow start, poor thing, planted in a spot that had been a trail for our rabbit-hunting BettyTheDog. I need to put up some sort of barrier to keep it from getting constantly trampled! The brilliant bottlebrush flowers light up the area beneath the nearby Lagerstroemia.

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, callistemon, baja red, baja fairyduster — Callistemon californica "Baja Red"

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, miniature rose — Another miniature rose in bloom for the first time in the garden. I carried this one through the summer in a container. Flowers are proving much better formed now it has been planted out!

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, cuphea, ignea, vermillionaire — Cuphea ignea "Vermillionaire" is thriving now.

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, lavender, lavandula, goodwins creek gray, butterfly — The incomparable Lavandula "Goodwin's Creek Gray" and friend (Checkered White?). Lavandula dentata is also blooming now, but I failed to get any pictures, though it figured in Monday's vase.

Autumn-blooming plants

These are plants with a shorter burst of bloom for the autumn season, though this is a very imprecise definition, as the Muhly grass will give months of beauty from the drying stems, and Chrysactinia may well throw off sporadic blooms at any time of the year.

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, muhlenbergia, regal mist, muhly grass — Muhlenbergia capillaris "Regal Mist"

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, chrysactinia mexicana, damianita — Spring-blooming Chrysactinia mexicana (Damianita) gives a distinct second season of bloom in this garden. It has always been a favorite with the smaller butterflies.

Plants that bloom through Summer

These are the plants that have flowered reliably throughout the summer, some of which are expected to stop soon, such as Hamelia patens; others, like Russelia, are truly everblooming.

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, hamelia, firebush — Hamelia patens will trade its bright, tubular flowers for a bit of autumn leaf color as temperatures drop.

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, ruellia — Ruellia brittoniana. The longer it goes on flowering, the better, since the hummingbirds adore it. How it does this on almost no water, I don't know!

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, lantana, denver red — All the lantanas are blooming well now; this is the named variety "Denver Red".

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, berlandiera, chocolate flower — Berlandiera lyrata, looking a bit ragged. I trim it back in spring and would like to do so now. But I would prefer see new growth from the base of the plant before I do!

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, perovskia — Perovskia atriplicifolia has bloomed well for weeks; it is now mostly a mass of spent blooms.

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, catharanthus, roseus, vinca — I am still not sure what to expect of Catharanthus roseus, which performed valiantly throughout the summer. It is a tender perennial, and this will be the first winter I have grown it here.

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, pennisetum, rubrum, ornamental grass — A superb summer-blooming plant here, Pennisetum setaceum rubrum is still flowering heavily. Seen here against a haze of Muhlenbergia flowers.

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, russelia, big red, coral fountain — Russelia equisetiformis "Big Red" is unquestionably everblooming. It had developed a mass of spent stalks and dead old growth, so I cut it back hard a few weeks ago, leaving a few blooming stems for the hummingbirds. It is coming back vigorously!

Plants with occasional Bloom

Some plants seem to know no seasons, but they are happier now. The Eremophila is rarely without flowers; and Leucophyllum frutescens blooms in response to rain or humidity, regardless of the time of year.

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, eremophila, hygrophana — Eremophila hygrophana always has a light shower of its lovely blooms.

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, leucophyllum, texas ranger — Leucophyllum frustescens noID. I suppose it is blooming because humidity is higher now. This is not the heavy flowering we see with a good rain, but welcome nevertheless! I enjoyed the glow-through of the russet spots in the throat of this bloom.

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, wollerton old hall, rose — Rose "Wollerton Old Hall", betwixt and between flowering. It has been putting its energy into invading the adjacent patio!

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, rose, the alnwick rose — Although its heavy burst of bloom is over, The Alnwick Rose still has more buds to come.

And a surprise...

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, dianthus — I left last winter's Dianthus plants in the ground to see what they would do. Having gone fairly dormant through summer, they have suddenly greened up and put out a few flowers with the return of cooler weather.

November is a beautiful month in the desert!

small sunny garden, desert garden, amy myers, garden bloggers bloom day, gbbd, november, photography, chrysactinia, damianita, butterfly

Weather Diary: Partly cloudy; High: 84 F (29 C)/Low: 56 F (13 C); Humidity: 14%-45%

Previous Post: In a Vase: The Red Roses

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Tags: rose, Berlandiera, perovskia, Salvia, Leucophyllum, Muhlenbergia, eremophila, gbbd, russelia, Hamelia, cuphea, Ruellia, Justicia, Oenothera, lantana, Pennisetum, Lavandula, autumn2016, Chrysactinia, Callistemon, catharanthus, Dianthus

Write a comment

Comments: 4

#1
Kris P (Wednesday, 16 November 2016 17:53)

November IS a wonderful month in the desert! My own Gaura has pooped out again after our recent stretch of hot weather but I may try cutting it back another time to see if I can get yet another cycle out of it this year. As to the Salvia farinacea, I too was amazed when I saw the plants rebound in my brother's garden in the San Fernando Valley - I'll have to see if it's as accommodating in my own garden. Fingers are crossed that we both get some rain next week, Amy!
#2
Amy@Smallsunnygarden (Thursday, 17 November 2016 13:58)

Kris - We've had a very sudden cool-down here, but no rain in sight so far... definitely still hoping! Gaura is so good here, I'm always vaguely surprised it's not a SW native. I planted the small Bellezza White recently, but it was torn to shreds (rabbits, I assume). It's trying to make a comeback now - hope it succeeds... ;-)
#3
Cathy (Friday, 18 November 2016 02:37)

It is so interesting to see how plants react to a completely different climate - your blue salvia is beautiful, and to think it has recovered and is flowering again makes me wonder where these plants get their energy from! I also love your Gaura. I have a pale pink/white one which has come through two winters now. When do you give yours a 'trim', and how much do you cut back? This was a lovely post Amy, with so many pretty things! :)
#4
Amy@Smallsunnygarden (Saturday, 19 November 2016 18:31)

Cathy - Thanks so much! I have no idea how some of these plants continue to churn out the flowers; some remind me of the magic mill of Norse fairy tales...! With the Gaura, I cut back when there is new growth showing at the base of the plant. Last spring I cut to that new growth; in early autumn I cut back by about two thirds. Both times it has responded well. I love the motion it brings to the garden.