Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - October 2011

An inch of rain earlier in the month and a good mulching shortly after has brought forth purple, blue, yellow and pink blooms in time for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Normally I would have cut back the salvias in late summer to stimulate blooming, but held off as the plants were under severe drought stress. Turns out there was no need to prune.

In front of the house:

'Ruby Crystals' grass & 'Violet Velvet' salvia
'Ruby Crystals' grass (Melinis nerviglumis) and 'Violet Velvet' salvia (S. greggi 'Violet Velvet')


'Mealy Blue Sage'
'Mealy Blue Sage' (Salvia farinacea)


Non-native trailing purple lantana
Lantana montevidensis, a non-native variety


Winter daffodil
Winter daffodil or Southern Fall Crocus (Sternbergia lutea), an heirloom bulb from 1596.


In the back yard:

Barbados cherry
My Barbados cherry is blooming for the first time.


Barbados Cherry blossom
Close-up of a Barbados cherry blossom


'Sapphire Showers' duranta
Duranta repens 'Sapphire Showers'


Pink portulaca
Pink portulaca


Passalong buddleja
A passalong buddleja from my mother-in-law in Virginia


What's in bloom on October 15 in over 100 gardens around the world? Visit May Dreams Gardens and see.

Words and photos © 2009-2011 Caroline Homer for "The Shovel-Ready Garden". Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Comments

  1. Nice results from rain and mulch, and such a variety. I recall Barbados Cherry from Florida plant lists I made for a project there, but the Southern Fall Crocus is a new one to me!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful post...I'm super-intrigued by that Ruby Crystals grass!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Isn't it wonderful that things are starting to recover with just a bit of rain? I hope it continues to rain over Texas. Your blooms are very sweet. Love the fact that the heirloom bulb is from 1596! Amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Shocking to see Crocus blooming. And the blooms on the Duranta are really nice. Happy GBBD!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Fall crocus is stunning. I think I need it in my rock garden. Looks well behaved.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love the Crocus! You have some beautiful blooms this mid October.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh my gosh. I have to agree with HolleyGarden. It is amazing what a little rain can do. We have little sprouts of green coming up all over the yard. It seems more like Spring than Fall.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment