‘To set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For summer has o’er-brimmed their clammy cells’.
Ode to Autumn. John Keats.
John Keats must have been talking about a summer like the one we have had this year. We are told that we may be in for the worst of winters and that El Nino could bring us months of snow and icy conditions. But right now, the flowers in my garden seem to think that it is still June. For instance, I have a delphinium in bloom!
I’m not sure which rose this is, it was here when we came. In front, there is a Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’. The little blue flower is Catanache caerulea. The Nicotiana langsdorfii are still going strong and the lovely, pure white Anemone japonica ‘Andrea Atkinson’ blooms for ages. I think it is an improvement on the old favourite ‘Honerine Jobert’.
I think this bed still looks very summery. The cleome are good value, I sowed the seeds a bit late, but they will probably go on until we have frost.
I am mad on salvias and I wrote a post about them last year. Today, I will show just a few. The pale blue Salvia uliginosa or the ugly-nosed Salvia, as I call it, grows tall and is reasonably hardy. The electric blue Salvia patens is quite hardy too. The dark purple Salvia ‘Nachtvlinden’ mean moth, so I took the photo just as the light was going yesterday to make it more moth-like. Actually, it didn’t work, it just looks dark. I included it for Christina to see, as I have just sent her a cutting.
I just love salvias and beg, borrow or steal bits whenever I see them. ( It’s alright, I don’t really steal them, at least never out of peoples’ gardens. I beg if I am in a private garden. But, I might pocket the odd cutting or seed from a public place such as a car park and it is a shameful habit. Yes, I know the Utilitarian philosophical argument, ‘What if everyone did it? ‘ Fortunately, it doesn’t occur to most people. So, I am afraid many of my plants have a dubious origin. Please don’t tell anyone. I blame my grandmother. She was one of those appalling, old women with large bags, who shamelessly stole cuttings wherever she went. She was a constant source of embarrassment to me. Stealing seeds and cuttings from peoples’ gardens is just not on. I used to open my garden for the NGS and I was appalled how many people stole cuttings. They only had to ask and I would have given them gladly. But in a public place there is no one to ask, so the odd seed falls into my handbag. Anyway, here I am, going off on a tangent again, or a tandem, as a friend used to say. I should have corrected her, but I thought it was rather a delightful malapropism.
More summer flowers include a bright red Penstemon ‘King George v’ and a really dark Campanula ‘Purple Sensation’
Penstemon ‘king Georgev
Campanula ‘Purple Sensation’
I have used the lovely, late-flowering Dianthus rupicola in quite a few vases. I think it is a star.
Dianthus rupicola
Much more seasonal are the colchicums which have been blooming for ages but some are beginning to go over now. The queen of the colchicums has to be the lovely white one.
Colchicum speciosum ‘Album’
Colchicum autumnale
Cochicums look lovely growing with Liriope spicata.
As well as colchicums, flowers of Cyclcamen hederifolium are making carpets of pink or white.
Cyclamen hederifolium
Another October flowering plant is the Hesperantha, as we have to get used to calling Schizostylus. At least it is easier to spell now.
Hesperantha coccinea ‘Pink Princess’
I bought this one as ‘William H. Bryant’, but I believe it is now called the much prettier name of ‘Pink Princess’ It is always the first one into bloom in my garden.
Hesperantha coccinea ‘Sunrise’
Some Kniphofias are blooming now. I used K. rooperi in my recent Vase on Monday, but Beth Chatto’s ‘Little Maid ‘ is in bloom too. I think she looks very pretty growing with the daisy flowers of Arctanthemum articum. This used to be a Chrysanthemum, but the Chrysanthemum family has gone down the same baffling road as the Asters; chopping and changing and acquiring unpronounceable names.
Arctanthemum artiicum with Kniphofia ‘Little Maid’
In the shade I have the pretty Saxifraga fortunei ‘Rubrifolia’. Fortune brought this lovely plant from China. It has attractive, red leaves and starry flowers.
Saxifrage fortunei ‘Rubrifolia’
The stars of my October garden are the lovely Asters or Symphyotrichum, as we have to call them now.
One of my favourites is S. Le Vasterival ‘named after the late Princess Sturdza’s wonderful garden near Dieppe.
Symphyotrichum ‘Le Vasterival’
My friend’s cat, Lucca likes it too.
S.’Little Carlow’ is another winner.
S. Little Carlow’
We will be here all day if I name all the Asters which I enjoy, so here are a few of them.
I will finish with a beautiful climber. Solanum jasminoides is late flowering and lovely.
Solanum jasminoides
I bought a new Solanum from Beth Chatto last year which is even lovelier. It is called rather bizarrely Solanum laxum ‘Creche du Pape’. The flowers are delicately tinged with lilac.
Solaanum laxum ‘Creche du Pape’
Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day is hosted by Carole at Maydreamgardens. It is on the 15th of every month. Why don’t you join in and show us the blooms which are delighting you at the moment?
Chloris
It does look like a June garden, but then again, your June garden was magnificent, as I recall. I like your rationalization(s) on seed/cutting appropriations. Very nice. 🙂 That Campanula took my breath away-gorgeous. Kitty is pretty cute, too.
This October has been so mild that the garden seems to think that it is still summer.
You have so many beautiful flowers, looking as though summer is still with you. But then, the stars of the late summer borders, Symphyotrichum (doesn’t sound right does it?) start flowering and bring a whole new dimension to the garden, they are wonderful!
I love asters; symphyotrichum is such a mouthful isn’ t it? They light up the October garden.
A fabulously flowery post Chloris! Love your salvias – I remember admiring them last year.
I love salvias too and they bloom for months.
Your blooms are beautiful. Salvias are my “go to” plant, as deer and rabbits don’t eat them.
I suppose deer and rabbits don’ t like the smell of salvias. They are wonderful and so easy from cuttings.
Some nice features here. The white Colchicum really is a stand-out. Glad you’re enjoying your cleome. Mine usually blooms until frost but this year it gave in to the dry weather.
The white colchicum is a delight, my favourite.
Delphinium does not thrive in our garden, even in June. So nice to see it blooming at your place.
I can’ t remember delphiniums blooming in October before, they are a real bonus.
Wow, you have impressive collections of Asters, Colchicums, and Salvias! Your garden really shines in the autumn. How interesting that you are expected to have a colder, harsher winter from El Nino. They’re saying we will have a milder, drier winter than “normal.” Who knows? My only hope is that it won’t be too brutal for any of us. For now, Happy Bloom Day!
I hope this El Nino prediction turns out to be wrong, I hate snow. I hate days when I can’ t do anything in the garden.
There is so much to enjoy from all the different flowers you have blooming in your garden, I have always loved asters from childhood, they were in my parents garden. Your picture of the penstemon makes me pine the loss of mine following the last harsh winter.
It’ s always worth taking cuttings of penstemons, they can’ t cope with harsh winters.
So many glorious flowers, I have made a note of ‘Andrea Atkinson’ as I am after some white anenomes. Your hesperantha look wonderful, and I love that combination of Cochicums and Liriope spicata. Not sure where I can squeeze that in, but it is going in my “good combos” notes… Do you have slug issues with your kniphofias? I planted 3 ‘Little Maids’ the Spring before last and they disappeared on me, never to return. I haven’t dared try again yet…
I haven’ t noticed slugs damaging kniphofias particularly. How sad to lose your ‘ Little Maids’. I put coffee grounds round susceptible plants. Slugs and snails hate it.
The Cochicum/Liriope combination is wonderful! I will be stealing that (not physically), although I must confess to carrying envelopes at this time of year lest I should see a ripened seed or two of a wish list plant.
Salvia uliginosa might not be the best behaved Salvia on the planet, but it is one of the best pollinator-friendly plants I have ever grown – I love it! I also love the idea of going off on a tandem. I don’t know how you kept a straight face.
Colchicums and liriopes look lovely together. I’ m glad you collect seeds too. I think all gardeners do it, even though they might not admit it.
How wonderful that you are enjoying a late summer. So many things to admire, but I particularily like the rich color of George V. We’ve had the same distressing news regarding winter, which may begin sooner than expected, as our forcast for Monday night is 36 F (2 C). Ouch!
On dear I hope the cold weather predictions are wrong. So far it is still mild here but it often is in October.
Lovely plants, I particularly like the new Solanum. I did very well with the Salvia cuttings you send me (I think the dark purple one is Nachtvlinden and the red and whit on is Hot Lips). I’ve propogated both and just bough the pots into the polytunnel for the winter. Next year I may be brave enough to try leaving a couple outdoors.
The solanum is such a delicate colour. I am so glad the cuttings did well . Salvias are a joy.
your garden does have a lot of summer blooms mixed with the autumn blooms, they all look wonderful, Frances
The month has been so mild, it has been a joy to have so many summer blooms in October.
Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, the salvia you’ve sent me is wonderful, I do hope it will survive. What a shame I won’t see your garden on this visit, it looks as if there are as many flowers now as in early summer. I’m expecting my saffron crocus to be flowering when I go home at the end of next week, they usually open in time for the olive harvest.
If the salvias don’ t make it I will give you some more cuttings when I see you. Nachtvlinden is a gorgeous colour. I hope you will show us your saffron crocus.
I tried to today, but the internet failed so hopefully tomorrow!
So many things to love here….Keats, that cat pic which should be a print, King George v and Purple Sensation, to name but a few! Oh….you DID show a delphinium flowering didn’t you? Struth! The spuds I’ve missed are sprouting too along with all sorts of things that shouldn’t be.
I was shuddering at that weather forecast….please let that be wrong! I have too many plants that will certainly die!
Btw, I have to fight a daily battle NOT to be your Grandmother! xxx
The month has been so mild. I can’ t remember having so many blooms to enjoy in October before. I am ignoring all talk of a cold winter. I don’ t believe they can predict so far ahead with any accuracy.
I think all gardeners have a bit of my grandmother in them. Secretly.
Such rich pickings in your garden. I love them all! I am totally with you for the salvia collection! Interesting to see the other white anemone. In what way do you think it better than Honerine Jobert? I have been quite amazed with my Honerine Jobert’s flowering power this year. It is still going strong, definitely longer than normal.
Honerine Jobert is beautiful Allison and indeed the two are very similar. Anthea Atkinson is supposed to be an improvement, because the flowers are slightly bigger and now and again semi- double. The stems are a bit shorter too. In fact, you would have to look pretty hard to notice a difference, they are both lovely.
gorgeous selection of autumn flowers, Chloris, hope you’ve given that Miscanthus enough space as it’ll grow into a monster in no time. I have to attack mine next spring and I’m dreading it already! John Hoyland told me about a special French tool which makes it a little easier. I also adore salvias and have got Nachtvlinder not long ago. All these shrubby salvias flower for months and are such a great source of nectar. They’re pretty hardy too, Amistad keeps coming back.
I agree about salvias, they are amazing and bloom for months. They are so easy from cuttings too.
On dear, I probably haven’ t given the Miscanthus enough room. I always cram everything in far too close.
Your fall garden is as beautiful as any spring or summer garden, Chloris! I’d be impressed by a Delphinium in any season (I no longer even try to grow them here) but I’m especially delighted to see one at this time of year. My Agapanthus bloomed off-schedule sporadically last year but there’s no sign of that happening this year. I do love all the asters – the only one that has survived in my garden thus far is Aster frikartii ‘Monch’, whose name The Plant List says is still unresolved.
Do you grow any other asters Kris? They are the great delight of the October garden here. But you have so many other beauties to delight you.
Some really lovely blooms here. I have S. Nachtvlinden and love brushing against it. I also used to have Solanum Jasminoides but it rather took over my garden so I replaced it with Trachelospermum Jasminoides. The white colchicum is perfect and I will look out for bulbs next year. It has been a wonderful end to the season, although I suspect like me you never put your garden to bed and like Margery Fish you have treasures in bloom every day. Thank you Chloris for yet another inspirational post.
No, I don’ t put my garden to bed, I love winter blooming plants and I do try to garden all year round, there is always something to do.
More wonderful flowers from your garden! I am also a big salvia fan, if I was closer I would be around with my secateurs 🙂
You don’ t need to come round with secateurs, I can send you some cuttings if you email me your address.
You’ve a fairly mixed lot this October Chloris – nice to see them all blooming. I too may just copy your Lirope combo. I’m deliberately not using the word steal 🙂
You’ve a great selection of Asters. I just wish they did better here.
The liriope- colchicum combination is lovely and I have to come clean and admit that I stole/ borrowed the idea from Beth Chatto.
Oh so many things to admire and drool over and lots of nice details delivered as usual with your tongue in your cheek – just confirms my GBBD post was very much a bit of a cop-out!
Your October Bloom Day mosaic was delightful, such a lovely way to display your blooms.
What, we’re supposed to be calling asters some other, totally unpronounceable name? Bah, humbug; asters it will remain with me… 🙂 You have so many blooms still in your gardens — and your confused delphinium and your ASTERs are particularly lovely! Thanks so much for sharing them with us. Best Regards, -Beth
Yes, Symphyotrichum, will certainly ‘ trick ‘ em’, it tricks me anyway. But I go round the garden in October every day, addressing all my asters by their new name so I am gradually getting it fixed in my mind.
Oh, these are all gorgeous — each and every one. I planted a Solanum jasminoides this year and I am so happy I did. As for cuttings and seeds from public gardens or waysides? Propagation is conservation I say. The plants give away their seeds freely enough; it is only people who think they can own life.
I promise not to snitch on your unauthorized plant propagation activities. And what if everyone did it – there would be just a lot more Salvias for all of us to enjoy! Wouldn’t that promote the greatest good for the greatest number, even if some parking lot Salvias end up with a bonsai look to them. I also think of Salvia uliginosa as “Ugly Nose Salvia”, just as I think of Big Leaf Aster as Big Ass Leafter. Speaking of which, I can see that we share a love of Asters. Wonderful blooms you have – especially those two Solanum vines – is S. jasminoides fragrant like jasmine?
Do you have any unauthorised propagation activities? I love this way of describing nicking cuttings.
Nice to hear you have Ugly Nose Salvias too. I don’ t have any Big Ass Leafters, but then I’m English and we don’ t have such things.
I don’t do much propagation, authorized or otherwise. Unless you count dividing plants in my own garden. Sometimes I get plants from friends, but that’s not the same. However, if I were inclined to indulge in unauthorized propagation, scruples would not stop me.
Autumn is looking glorious in your garden, Chloris! Thanks for the news about Schizostylus. I’ll add Hesperantha to my list of plant names to remember. I’ve a Hesperantha ‘Oregon Sunset’ that has been a favorite for several years.
Thank you Peter. Hesperantha is easier to spell than Shcizostylus. I’ m not sure about Symphyotrichum though. It doesn’ t exactly trip off the tongue.
I haven’ t seen Hesperantha Oregan Sunset here, but I googled it and it is lovely.
Wow! Are you sure your garden knows its October? I’ve tried to grow catanache so many times but it just hates our humidity. Your campanula looks very similar to one I have called ‘Sarastro’. It’s just amazing how much you still have blooming! Everything looks fabulous! 🙂
Thank you Tammy.
I have Sarastro too and this one is very similar. What a pity you can’ t grow Catanache, it is very easy from seed here.
Your photo’s show a spectacular array of colors to close out a beautiful Fall season. Thank you for the display.
Thank you Terrry Ann, October was so mild, we have had some wonderful summery blooms hanging on.
Beautiful! Delphinium and roses are quite a May combination but they really are just as welcome in the fall.
I like all the asters. I finally found one which blooms long enough to keep my attention and fortunately it’s also a nice enough flower and color so I suppose I’ll overplant it throughout the garden. That’s probably not the worst thing since I’m a little mad right now at the rest of my plants for having died in our last freeze. Mid October is really too early to end the gardening season but I guess it leaves me with plenty of time for cleanup…
I blame my mother for my seed collecting habit and was equally embarrassed last weekend when a nursery owner took me around her display garden pressing cuttings and seedheads into my hands. Gardeners can be some of the most generous people…. if given the chance.
You have had a freeze already? What a shame. It has been so mild here that the blooms go on and on.
I have really enjoyed looking around your garden today Chloris – you have much more in flower than I do at the moment. Guess what I found in my garden today – those snowdrops I bought on our visit to Harveys are in flower – so exciting!!