"D**n the Torpedo Grass!"

Since the first couple of successful flowers on the Confederate rose, we've enjoyed many more.  It's strange... Apparently something changed that allowed these later buds to fully mature and bloom.  Here's one with more of the pale pink.  The pink will continue to deepen over time.

- - - - - - -

There are tons of bees out there today, enjoying the return of the sunshine.  A number of butterflies, too.  There's the occasional sulfur, but mostly it's Gulf fritillaries.  They're still flocking to the passion vine, but they're happy to stop and sip from flowers, too.

There are actually two Gulf fritillary caterpillars in the photo below, though I only saw one of them when I took the picture.  The passion vine is looking a little rough.  Those caterpillars do some serious chomping.  There has not been a single flower on this purple passion vine, this year, but it seems to have recovered pretty well from an inauspicious start.  I can only hope that it comes back where I planted it, next spring.  If it does, I think there's a better chance of flowers in the summer.

- - - - - - -

I've been working on expanding the flower bed along the back of the house.

I'm digging up the existing monkey grass border and thinning it to make it stretch further.  This involves trying to remove as much as possible of the torpedo grass that has invaded some of the monkey grass.  (Not a fun job.  Tedious and tiring.  It would be better if I felt confident that the torpedo grass wouldn't be right back in the monkey grass, a year from now.)

As part of the expansion process, I'm digging out the grass and weeds in the area that will now be part of the flower bed.  It's actually precious little grass.  Almost all of it is weeds.

There's also a lot of torpedo grass just outside the new boundary of the flower garden, unfortunately.  One day, before frost, I need to go out and spray some weed-killer along the edge of the monkey grass.  There's nothing "real" to protect, and I think that's the only realistic way to combat widespread torpedo grass, unfortunately.  I'm simply not willing (or able) to dig it all out by hand.  Maybe if I get enough of it before frost, I'll have a jump start on dealing with it, next spring.

(It's also taking over parts of the "lawn" on the pad, but that's a whole other nightmare-- a nightmare that leaves me tossing and turning, murmuring things like "solarization"... "weed and seed"...  "RoundUp! RoundUp everywhere!!"... Right now, I'm focusing on eradicating torpedo grass from my precious flower beds.)

In the photo below, you can see just a bit of the as-yet untouched monkey grass (right in front of the butterfly ginger), to give you an idea of how much I've expanded the bed.

It's not a very wide expansion, but it stretches all the way across the back porch, so it'll still add a fair bit of planting real estate.  Drought-tolerant sun-lovers will be ideal for this area.  Blanket flowers, the toughest daylilies, coneflowers... coreopsis... cosmos and zinnias?  Marigolds, at a pinch... I'm sure there won't be any problem finding suitable plants.

At one point, you may remember, I was considering putting in a new, oval-shaped flower bed somewhere on the pad, somewhere along the left-hand side of that photo.  That's still a possibility, but I don't know if I'll do it this year or not.  I already have a full to-do list for the garden, what with flower bed expansions on the front and back, gravel still to lay, plants to plant/transplant, and trellises to build-- not to mention repairing and repainting the covered patio and possibly putting in a new fence.  (I'm probably forgetting something, but that's enough!)

- - - - - - -

I may not bother with "garden survey" photos for November... Time's getting away from me, and things probably won't change much until everything goes brown and dormant for that "dead of winter" look.  But we'll see... It's probably worth the effort...

October into November

I suddenly have a large number of new plants gathered on the covered patio, waiting for me to determine their fates.  It started a couple of weeks ago, when we went to the local(ish) botanical garden's fall plant sale.  I'd been waiting for this sale for months and began poring over the plant list as soon as it became available, curating a personal "Most Wanted" list.  There were a couple of things they simply didn't have (a good climbing rose, for instance), but I came away happy with my purchases and excited to place them in the garden.

Then, not even a week later, Mom offered me another bunch of plants.  She happened to be shopping the clearance at Lowe's when they were actively trying to sell as many "end of season" plants as possible.  (Otherwise, they would just have to throw them away.)  She ended up with a vehicle loaded down with plants-- all for $10!  She generously gave me many of the duplicates, so now I really need to get into planting mode!

Two of the plants from Mom are passion vine.  One has bloomed, and they're most likely both the same.  I think this might be 'Lady Margaret', which should have a chance of returning here (especially with winter mulching)-- or it can be a houseplant.  It's gorgeous!

There are a couple of roses of Sharon-- different from the ones already in our garden.  There's a white with red center ('Red Heart') as well as the one in the photo below, 'Double Purple':

I don't think this next vine was very clearly marked.  There was a tag for orange trumpet vine, which it clearly isn't (because the flowers are pink, not orange).  Then there was a sticker on the pot: "Pandora".  But that's yet another different plant.  I'm pretty sure I've correctly identified it as Podranea ricasoliana, pink trumpet vine, also known as Port St. Johns creeper or Queen of Sheba.  Anecdotal evidence suggests this one has a good chance here, too, with winter mulch.

There are two of Duranta erecta 'Sapphire Showers' (golden dew drop, sky flower, pigeon berry), which has decorative yellow-orange berries in addition to the clusters of purple flowers.  It seems a little iffy for our zone (8b), but we'll give it a try.  I've read about someone in North Carolina having it return year after year, but with reduced blooming.  Maybe if I give it a sheltered spot it will surprise us.

I don't yet have photos of the other plants from Mom, but I'll include a list (for future reference):

--canna lily (not sure what type)
--Miscanthus sinesis 'Gold Breeze' (maiden grass/zebra grass)
--Mascagnia macroptera (butterfly vine)
--'Little Bonnie' dwarf spirea (Spiraea x bumalda)
--Juncus effusus 'Spiralus' (corkscrew rush)

Edited to Add:
I forgot two other plants, which I'm trying to grow as houseplants:

--Heliconia psittacorum 'Lady Di' (parrot's beak)
--'Purple Queen' bougainvillea (Bougainvillea 'Moneth')

The Heliconia I have high hopes for, but the bougainvillea... Well, I don't think it can survive our winters, so it's worth a shot as a houseplant, but I'll be surprised if it lasts until spring.  

- - -

Then there are the plants from the botanical garden sale.  I don't have photos of all of them, yet, either, but I'll just introduce them as the photos come along.

Not yet planted, here's a salvia that I think is 'Waverly':

This is a sub-par photo of Salvia leucantha ('Purple on Purple'), Mexican bush sage, but so far I haven't been able to get a good picture.  It's a very appealing, tactile plant with fuzzy blooms and calyxes and fuzzy silvery-green foliage.

This plant first came to my attention when I was trying and trying to learn more about our Mexican purple sage (Salvia purpurea).  This plant kept showing up in my online searches.  (Spoiler alert: They're definitely not the same plant.)  After seeing it so many times and reading so much about it, I wanted to give it a try, too.

(The grassy seeds in the photo are muhly grass, another plant sale purchase.)

I'm a little nervous about any plant that is described as needing moist or "evenly moist" soil, but I'm still giving a few of them a try.  (Shady and moist may be do-able, with watering during dry spells.  Sunny and moist?  No.)

This shade-lover is China moon Solomon's seal (Disporum longisylum or bodinieri 'Shina-no-tsuki', aka fairy bells):

This is another shade-garden addition-- Japanese shrub mint 'Golden Angel' (though I've seen some call it 'Gold Angel' instead).  I love the color of those leaves and think it will make a nice, bright spot in the shade, if it can get established.

That's it for the photos of new plants, for now.
More another time?

- - - - - - -

Donald and I thought more about the end of the gravel path.  We laid out a garden hose, and I've dug a trench in an approximate outline of the area we plant to gravel.  It'll be a small spot for a chair or two.  We're planning to put up vine-covered trellises on the east and north sides, and I'll be extending the plantings around it on all sides (with the exception of a stepping stone path on the southern side).  That expanding clump of bamboo will be moved to a spot with a little more room.

Trixie tested out the sitting area.  (It'll do.)

One vine of Spanish flag is still blooming, though the others gave up weeks ago (probably would've lasted longer with more sun).

KO roses are still rosy.

'Joseph's Coat' rose, too.

The butterfly ginger casts a wonderful fragrance that sometimes reminds me of honeysuckle and other times is more reminiscent of gardenia.  In this climate, it's easy to care for and eager to multiply.

I wasn't the only one drawn by the butterfly ginger's perfume.  I'm not sure exactly what this insect is... Some type of sphinx moth, I think.  They're not very pretty (imho), but they feel almost magical in the twilight garden, hovering over flowers, gently skimming here and there.

I'm still trying to decide precisely where the bamboo will go when I move it.  (Also, whether I should try to take a piece off during the process.  If I'm going to want a division, now's the logical time, when it's already going to be up and out of the ground...)

So far, two of the Confederate rose blooms have managed to open.  This may not sound like much, but I'd already resigned myself to no flowers at all, this year.  At least now I know for sure what ours looks like when it blooms.

They start off white (sometimes with a little pink edging to some petals).  Gradually, the flowers age to pale pink and deep pink.  (No photos of that, I'm afraid.  The timing just didn't work out.)

Here's the one that had pink edges on some petals.

They are impressive flowers.  I just wish the plant hadn't dropped so many buds, this year.  I'm still nervous about its likely performance in years to come, and it's still slated to move elsewhere in the yard.

It's interesting how the shape/color of blanket flowers can vary from plant to plant.  We have one that has a slightly peachy tone to the yellow, and more drooping petals.  Then there's this one with more tubular petals:

The purple heart (Tradescantia pallida) cuttings from Granny L.'s garden seem to have taken root!  They're definitely putting out new growth and are looking healthy and happy.

I've taken lots of photos of the Mexican purple sage to make up for the months and months of waiting for it to bloom.  It is a pretty plant.  I love the color of the flowers, and once it gets going, it's worth the wait.  It just needs a lot of room and at least one "haircut" in early-mid summer-- maybe more than one, even.  Otherwise, it does tend to flop over.  If it can be placed next to/between some sturdy shrubs, they'll probably help hold it up when it starts getting tipsy.

I can't believe it's already November; it doesn't feel like November, at the moment.  Highs in the low 80s and more humidity than I'd really like, but still a far cry from August and early September.

This month's "survey" photos are overdue, but not much has changed since early October.  The swamp daisies have finished blooming and the elephant ears continue to shrink.  I pulled out a few flopped, past-prime annuals (to get a better idea of the perennial layout) and have planted a few new things-- moved a few others to slightly different spots...

But all told, this autumn is stretching out without significant change.  I'm amazed by the number of things still blooming-- can't remember how many were blooming at the same time and level last year-- and am not sure if this is an unusually mild autumn or if it's typical.  It doesn't matter, really.  Let's just enjoy it before the first killing frosts strike it all down for the year.  (This is probably what summer feels like in many places that sing its praises.)

Late October in Our Garden

A few overview photos, just because I happened to take them (and am not sure how prompt I'll be about taking November's "survey")...

The lingering morning glory vine on that "rustic obelisk/tripod" has turned out to be the blue type.  Not a great show of flowers, but every bit of blue counts.  Next year, if I use similar obelisks, I think I'll try to get the plants growing in the ground instead of pots.  Maybe we'll get healthier, fuller, less thirsty vines that way.

The viburnum isn't looking its best, but that probably has a lot to do with the arrival of autumn.  (Sometimes it's hard to remember that many plants are already going dormant.  The Curcuma elata in the semi-shade area, for example, is rapidly turning yellow and drooping its stalks.)

Now for a few plant close-ups...

The long-awaited flowers of the Mexican purple sage (Salvia purpurea) have finally begun to appear!

They aren't quite so large as I was picturing, but measured by the whole spike, they're not bad-- and if the whole plant ever gets blooming at the same time, I can imagine it making a bigger impression.  Also, the color is very rich and vibrant.

It's extremely easy to start from cuttings (with very little effort, I multiplied our one plant into a handful in one growing season)-- but not very cold-hardy.  I'll try my best to give the plants an adequately heavy winter mulching, but I'll also take some cuttings before the first frost.  I'm still not sure I can keep cuttings alive over the winter, but I'll give it a try.

The Knock Out roses continue to do well.  I'll probably cut back most of the roses (with the definite exception of the new 'Joseph's Coat' and a gentler hand on the other climbing rose), this late fall/early winter.  I'm a little nervous about the Knock Out roses, but it should be fine.  Mom prunes hers that way, and Granny did, too.

The KO roses take a lot of abuse from some quarters-- they don't have perfume (except for the yellow); they're everywhere and therefore lacking in "rose mystique"; they're "charmless"-- but they've been effortless bloomers for us, so far, and they're beautiful, even if they are everywhere, at the moment.  

The swamp daisy is another plant (like the Mexican purple sage) that takes its time to bloom, but it comes at a time when a shot of bright color is greatly appreciated!

I don't have a great photo of them, but we've been surprised at how long into the fall these new azaleas have been blooming.  They're Encore 'Autumn Sunburst', and we're planning to put them in as foundation planting along the front of the house.

These self-seeded coleus have been impressive and easy, this year.  I never knew before that they could grow from seed, but now that I do, I'd be interested in starting some on purpose, sometime.  I'll try to overwinter some cuttings of this year's volunteers, but I don't have high hopes.

There are some new plants awaiting placement in the garden, too.  (This is prime planting-time for perennials, trees, and shrubs, in our climate.)

In the photo below there's purple muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) and Japanese shrub mint
(Leucosceptrum japonicum 'Golden Angel').

This is forsythia sage (Salvia madrensis).  When it's established, it can get pretty big-- like 8-feet-tall big-- and sports foot-long spikes of yellow blooms.  I think the highly textured leaves are interesting, too.

Here's Salvia leucantha 'Waverly'.  I hope it'll be happy in our garden.  The fuzzy white blooms make a nice contrast with the plummy purple calyxes.

This unusual-looking little flower is a toad lily bloom.  (It's a variegated toad lily, though the foliage is so blurred in the background of the photo that you can't really see it.)  Tricyrtis formosana.  I've read that these are easy to grow from seed.  No idea if it's true, but if this one does well, it might be interesting to try, if I could find a reasonable source for seeds of other types/colors.

And for our last photo, here's the Alabama ox-eye daisy (Heliopsis helianthoides).  It's supposed to be a fast spreader, but it's native to this area, so it can't technically be "invasive". (g)  It doesn't look like much right now, but I'm predicting it will be more impressive this time next year.