Summer after Fall

 No need to expand on the subject line; we often get our nicest weather in late September through mid-November. A bit cool in the morning but then lovely blue skies and pleasant to warm weather. I always think, tell your out of state friends to visit in early November. It's likely really cold if not wintry already in their home state and meanwhile it's a balmy 70 degrees here. If that doesn't make them want to move here then I guess they're not meant to.

Our gardens also benefit from this extended summer, with certain plants continuing to bloom well into December. Today's photos somewhat mirror that situation, with much still in bloom in my late October garden. Meanwhile, a wicked cold front is moving down the east coast. Okay, then, here are this week's photos. 

For some reason my usually spring blooming Clematis Belle of Woking is blooming in October. Must be the warmth. Then again, there are a few clematis that are repeat bloomers.

Dianthus seem to bloom nearly round in the milder areas of the Bay Area. They are incredibly hardy, toughing out winter temps.

There are summer blooming Oxalis and there are winter blooming types. Here's one of the winter types, O. triangularis. Hailing from South America, it is one of the hardiest of all Oxalis species.

Though not yet in bloom, my new Erythrina crista-galli, curiously known as Cockspur Coral tree, is putting out a healthy set of leaves. This is my second attempt at growing it. If it can make it through the colder climes at Ruth Bancroft Garden, it should be fine here in Oakland.

Speaking of confused, this newly arrived and potted lily has put out its first flower. It too must be confusing the warm weather for spring.

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Barry's Silver.' One of my favorite dwarf conifers.

Eriogonum crocatum. One of the most silver of all the California buckwheats. Sweet!

Another usually spring-blooming Clematis, this C. Niobe is eager to show off its velvety rich burgundy color.

Blue Bear's Paw fern. One of my favorite ferns.

This new addition to my Begonia collection is called 'Frosty.' You can see why, with its silvery sheen.

Pelargonium Fireworks Red and White. A reliable bloomer and one of many red-flowering plants in bloom in my garden these days.

Here's another red bloomer - Salvia regla 'Huntington Gardens.' This sage also has fragrant foliage.

Mina Lobata vine has a neat trick, with flowers opening a vivid red, then aging through orange, yellow and white.

My Rudbeckia Indian Summer keeps on flushing out large golden flowers with chocolate centers.

Most of my Mimulus varieties are also in bloom. Here's my M. Jelly Bean Gold.

I had to temporarily move my Neoregelia Orange Splendor into the shade, whereupon it lost its color, reverting to all green. But back in the sun for only 3 weeks, it's already reclaimed most of its dark red tone.

Perhaps the reddest flower in my garden, Ruellia elegans is the very embodiment of vibrant red color!

I recently did my first order with Kartuz Greenhouse in Southern California. They specialize in Begonias and semi-tropical plants. Here's one of the latter - Breynia disticha Minima. As the variety name implies, it stays small. Love the delicate and variegated leaves.

Billbergia 'Halleluja.' This is the most reliable bloomer of my large collection of bromeliads. It has 3 open flower spikes right now, with two more coming on. Spectacular!

3 Weeks to hasta la vista Trump!

 So, I'm stocking up on my party supplies for election day (or the day after, or two days after ...). I may be obsessed with my garden, with music and with art but nothing is more important than sending The Donald packing.

Okay, yes, gardens. Still plenty going on in my garden so let's go straight to the photos. This week I used my telephoto lens which allowed me to zoom in on smaller flowers.

My Rudbeckia Indian Summer has been a blooming machine. The R. hirta hybrids may not be as good in year two but they often bloom up till XMas here in Oakland.

The same can often be said for Calibrachoas, like this Cabaret Diva Orange.

My Justicias are blooming a bit late this year but I'm getting the best bloom season yet on my J. fulvicoma.

Monardella linoides. This hard to find Coyote mint is wonderfully aromatic, with lovely flowers that butterflies adore.

Salvia guaranitica Black and Blue. My zoom lens allowed me to get in for a closeup of this flower's black bract and violet petals.

Ditto for the unusual Ruellia brittoniana. It has simple purple flowers that remind me a bit of those on Solanum genus members.

The recent heat seems to be agreeing with my Grevillea Superb. The blossoms have a bit more color than those from even last month.

These curious little flowers belong to Berzelia lanuginosa, a S. African native. Called appropriately Buttonbush, the flowers come out pure white then age to this color. I love 'curious' plants.

My Hibiscus Adonis Pearl keeps on blooming. This isn't the best photo but I do love the huge flowers that, as I've mentioned, stay open much longer than with typical Hibiscus varieties.

This shot shows both the handsome leaves and an unopened flower bud on my evergreen Magnolia grandiflora Little Gem. It finally has rooted down through its huge pot and got a good root system established.

This quirky little guy is Senecio crassissimus, sometimes known as Vertical Leaf senecio. It's a sturdy succulent with a, yes, vertical habit.

"So hardy, they'll grow in trees." Not sure where that quote derives from but it is actually true of most bromeliads. Not sure what this gift is but it has made itself at home in the crevice of this tree. I'm giving it a spray of water a couple times a week and that's it.

My Eremophila glabra cyanosa seems to bloom in fits and spurts but it is slowly adding more of these charming tangerine-colored flowers.

The flowers on Salvia bullulata Pale Form may be tiny but they're a gorgeous robins-egg blue.

Pavonia missionum is a charmer, a Malva family member that while not hard to find at full service nurseries isn't always on everyone's radar.

No idea why my usually spring blooming Clematis Belle of Woking has just put out four flowers. Confused? Just wanting to show off? It isn't obvious here but the flowers are a pale violet color.

My Begonia odorata 'White' may have taken awhile to get going but it's now a blooming machine.

While it's the antler-shaped fronds on Staghorn ferns that draw our attention, the basal (and sterile) frond is quite beautiful on its own.

Monkshood. I've always thought that a plant so incredibly poisonous as Monkshood (Aconitum) should be associated with monks. But it's true, this unique flower showcases a hood that sits atop the opening to the flower.

Alert the media! My Podranea ricasoliana has produced its first open flared trumpet flowers! And they were worth the wait!

Finally, a shot of my glorious and seemingly ever-blooming Begonia Illumination Apricot. Highly recommended for an easy to grow floriferous begonia.

Garden as Refuge

 Not going to wax poetic but in this time of sheltering and minimal contact with friends, my garden is even more of a treasure. I am lucky to have a garden with year round interest so I can go out on any given day and there is much to love and appreciate. Even the work - weeding, pruning, deadheading - is a balm these days.No matter the nature of your garden, I hope it is bringing you solace these days. 

And now the photos!

Here's my new Calibrachoa. We probably sell more of these at our nursery as a hanging basket plant than almost any other plant.

Erica speciosa. For some reason the foliage shows more chartreuse here, when it's really a rich green. A near constant bloomer.

Mandevilla Apricot. An unusual color for a Mandevilla, which are normally red, pink or white.

If this fluffy seedpod looks familiar, it isn't what you think (Asclepias). This Tweedia is however a member of the same milkweed family. The fluff, with tiny black seeds embedded, allows the wind to disperse the seed.

Helichrysum Lemon Licorice. This is a sturdy little ground cover. Pretty too!

Mimulus Betabel. Mimulus are very long bloomers, especially if they get a little regular water.

Grevillea Superb. One of our best selling Grevilleas and here's why. The colors are usually a bit deeper but they do go through a change from bright red to soft orange to cream.

Lobelia may be common but it's an easy way to add wonderful blue colors to the garden.

Here's my sweet kitty in repose as her caretaker does all the garden work!

Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (plumbago) is a wonderful late fall and winter ground cover and another way to add intense blue flowers to a sunny spot.

Although the more vibrant yellows of spring are gone, there's still plenty of bright tones left on my Cistus McGuire's Gold.

My Sideritis cypria has been a revelation. First the intense and true silvery foliage, then the curious lime bracts and the tiny yellow flowers nestled inside these bracts.

Mina lobata is another plant whose flowers go through a color change, as you can readily see here.

Aloe arborescens variegata. This super easy to grow aloe makes do with any kind of soil and sun or light shade, plus next to no water.

Calamintha. Bees love this Calamint, although my cat is so far ignoring it. Mind you, she has her own patch of Nepeta (catmint) to enjoy.

Rain lily flowers may be simple but they do add a splash of white to a fall garden.

The fine textured plant here is Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Snow.' It's already a dwarf variety (to 14") but I'm growing it as a bonsai so it really will stay small. Love that delicate texture.

Begonia Gene Daniels. It's hard to see here but this begonia has rich, velvety red undersides and then in early fall sprays of these pink flowers.

I'm still not sure which Plectranthus this is, having taken a cutting from a friend's garden.

Begonia 'Fannie Moser.' This angel wing begonia features super dark leaves. Nice!

Yes, it's the parade of begonias. Here's my B. acetosa, with its sprays of simple white flowers.

Phlebosia Nicolas Diamond. Love this new fern!

Aechmea 'Pickaniny x White Knight.' This variety is noteworthy for its dark banding on the undersides of the leaves.

One last Begonia, this one Autumn Ember. Here I love the way the light is playing in a multitude of ways off the various leaves.

Tillandsia tectorum. Still the king of silver tillandsias.

Rhipsalis species. I've lost the tag for this one but it's very happy and tumbling out of a pretty small pot.