Welcome to Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day for November 2009!
This fall season seems to be one of the longest I can remember, as though it started much earlier in a summer that never seemed to get all that hot and still lingers on through ever-shortening days that seem warmer than normal.
I expect I’ll wake up one morning and winter will have just arrived with no warning. But that won’t be for awhile, if you believe the ten day weather forecasts.
Outside in the garden, we have had a killing frost so there are just a few new blooms, like these errant little blue flowers on Vinca minor, which grows in a little patch on the side of the house. It isn’t unusual to find these “spring” flowers after a warm stretch in the fall.
Nor is it that unusual to see old-fashioned Sweet Alyssum, Lobularia maritima, still blooming in a pot not yet emptied out.
This is a variety called ‘Oriental Nights’ from Botanical Interests Seeds. I sowed the seeds inside this past spring a few weeks before I planted them out in containers and thought they did much better than flats of Sweet Alyssum that I’ve purchased in the past. I’m planning to get seeds for several varieties this coming spring.
Out in the front garden, there are still a few mums hanging on, accompanied by some rather raggidy looking pansies I planted out in September and a few white roses on a carpet rose.
With such mild weather this fall, I’ve been able to take my time and enjoy the process of fall clean up. I have just a few containers left on the back patio to clean out and some perennials I would like to cut back to discourage rampant self-sowing. And I hope to mow the lawn a few more times, the last time dropping the blade an inch or so to cut the grass shorter for winter.
Then I can turn more of my attention inside for the winter, where the “Thanksgiving Cactus”, Schlumbergera sp., is in full bloom.
My records show that this particular Schlumbergera always blooms in November. I’ve had it for years, along with another one that blooms white around Christmas and a new passalong plant that is supposed to have orange blooms, but so far has no flower buds.
It’s accompanied by the blooms of an African violet, Saintpaulia, a rescused Fuchsia, and the tiny pink blooms on Crown of Thorns, Euphorbia milii, which always has a bloom or two. I consider Crown of Thorns my “emergency flower”, the one I can always point to when I quote Elizabeth Lawrence once again and say, “We can have flowers nearly every month of the year.”
What’s blooming in your garden on this fine November day? I hope you’ll join in for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day by posting about what’s blooming in your garden on the 15th of the month.
It’s easy to participate! Just post about what’s blooming in your garden, then leave a link to your post in the Mr. Linky widget below so we can find you and a comment to tell us a little about what we’ll find in your November garden.
(Then if you haven’t checked out the book giveaway, go to that post and check it out.)
All are welcome to participate!
“We can have flowers nearly every month of the year.” ~ Elizabeth Lawrence
All the best for Thanksgiving (on the 26th) and I look forward to seeing all the other posts!
Mark
Your description of fall applies where I am too. My neighbor's cherries and figs are full of green leaves. Meanwhile the maples have all dropped.
Looks like your climate is similar to ours here in Toronto. I love the dark purple alyssum; is it fragrant?
Ah, I like the thought of having the Crown of Thorns as your "emergency flower"… I need to find one of those kinds of flowers, myself, or I may not have anything to show next month! 🙁
Fall here in PA has been similar, weather- and bloom-wise.
Great color on that alyssum!
We have not had a frost yet, last year's was the 17th, so I still have quite a few blooms. However, the Nor'easter did its best to beat the flowers off the plant. Thanks for hosting this great event and happy Bloom Day to you.
Bloom Day: After The Beat Down
Hi Carol, we had a killing frost early last week, but it didn't affect the garden due to its sheltered location. I was happy for that since it saved a few remaining Bloom Day blooms. 🙂
I might have to try those alyssums from seed – the cell pak variety I've tried here, although it says it's for full or part sun, doesn't bloom much in part sun here. I love alyssum's sweet fragrance.
This month's scan is a little on the somber side. Not surprising. http://www.remarc.com/craig/?p=769
Thanks for hosting.
Although I don't have any Alyssum growing in my yard, I always notice them this time of year in the yards of others. They do like the cool weather, don't they?
I have no house plants worth mentioning and now that we've added a cat to our family, I doubt there'll be many indoor plants. Your "Thanksgiving Cactus" is so pretty. Wish I had one.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, Carol.
Love the Thanksgiving cactus! Mine actually has blooms, despite a huge fall (and many broken off pads) a few months back. Doh!
As far as I'm concerned, fall can last as long as it wants:) I planted some alyssum seed directly into the garden last year, and it did well. Maybe that's why I had some self-seed this spring for the first time.
By the way, I didn't mean to be a pig on your book giveaway–I was glancing at your lasr post while typing into Mr. Linky and must have hit something. I accidentally signed up twice there instead of here. Please don't disqualify me:)
We still have blooms but anticipate frost any time this month.
Your Christmas cactus is so far ahead of mine, whose buds look like babies' teeth.
It always troubles me that 19 people signed upahead of me, but only 8 took the time to comment.
Thank you for hosting this fun event.
I don't mind this long fall, either. You can see that I still have not completed the fall cleanup, but today promises to be a good garden day. My own Bloom Day post is modest.
Carol, I am loving this Indiana fall weather this year!
With the frosts we've had, I'm surprised to have anything left blooming!
I need to know your secret to the cactus, mine is still alive but nary a bloom in sight.
Dear fellow Bloomdayers,
I apologize for cheating. My garden has a few flowers – snapdragon, yellow Kock-out rose, sweet alyssum and calundula. But my post is about the Bethlehem Garden Club Flower Show. Lots of interesting plants and arrangements there. "The devil made me do it!"
Happy Bloom Day! I love the bright purple color of your asylum. It's definitely fall here in CT, so most of the color in my garden is from leaves and berries.
Hey Carol, We still have not had our hard frost. Raleigh has been mild as well. I too am slowly putting the gardens to bed; its been nice. I've never had a Christmas cactus a.k.a. Thanksgiving cactus. Very pretty.
We've had frost, too, so not much flowering. But still more to see than I first expected as we walked around. Thanks for hosting and I'm off to visit your visitors!
It has been a sweet fall, though it's interesting that your pansies are on the wane, and we shouldn't plant ours for another week! Love that Thanksgiving cactus and the purple alyssum!
We share cactus stories but I refer to mine as a Holiday cactus. It will bloom on and off from now till spring.
Hi there Carol, Happy GBBD to you and a Happy Thanksgiving too 😀
Love your Sweet Alyssum… I've a feeling it has caught my eye in your garden before. We've only had one frost so far and the garden seems to chugging along for the moment. Luckily, we've managed to escape the winds and floods for the moment too 🙂
Hi Carol,
Thanks for giving me inspiration to try to remember next spring, to plant the allysum seeds I bought for this year. The ones I bought in packs are doing well, but it's nice to start from seeds, when they do so well that way. Yours is a nice color.
Your Thanksgiving cactus is cool. The stems are longer than the 'Naomi' I got on sale from the floral department of a grocery store, where my daughter is a floral designer. I am tickled that it's blooming now. It's in my last collage on my bloom day post, but it's even fuller this morning, so I may decide to do a post featuring it so I can show larger photos of it.
Our weather in Nebraska is turning cold. I'm not sure how long it takes to get to your area, but it appears to be on its way.
Thanks for hosting GBBD! (By the way, I thought you may enjoy my word verification. It's "hoetrial". LOL
How neat that you still have Roses blooming. I love Sweet Allyssum too. You should try sprinkling some of the seeds around outside, they germinate easily. Happy Bloom Day!
Hi Carol! This fall season is one of the longest in our area too. Usually, nasturtium is the plant telling me about the end of the gardening season. It's still going! It means, we didn't have decent frost yet. I want to thank you again for hosting GBBD. It helps me to remember to take pictures of what's blooming every month.
I love your Sweet Alyssum! I've tried seeds a few times before but haven't had much luck with it here. Our heat and my timing are probably to blame.
Happy Bloom Day!
Just posted my flowers for this month. Funny to read that you are also having a milder autumn this year – it's the same here on the other side of the ocean (Netherlands). An early frost and temperatures between 10 and 14C ever since. Lots of grey, dull weather and rain. I long for winter!
I'll have to check out the Sweet Alyssum you mentioned. It looks much deeper in color in your photo than the image on the package. That could work well for me in a few spots.
Hi Carol, fall does seem to be lingering here too. No frost here to kill anything, but the Nor'Easter that struck our area this week has damaged the blooms I had. Thank goodness I took my photos earlier in the week. Happy GBBD, thanks for hosting. 🙂
We too had a killing frost but a few of my flowers by the house were not affected I have a few petunias nicotina and a primrose( which has bloomed all spring and summer long)
We have a few things blooming that normally are long finished, one being Ladies Mantle and also Hellbores seem about ready to bloom which is 2 months early. So a little strange here too.
I love the purple of the Allysum. I love seeing some roses in bloom in November.
Thanks for hosting another Blooms Day.
Love the one about Crown of Thorns being your "emergency flower" Mine is always is always in bloom it might as well be a plastic plant!
Hi Carol! Things are winding down over here at the Havens. I believe that the vanguard of winter is on its way today. Say, I have one of those "Thanksgiving" cactuses too, only this year it was a "Halloween
"cactus".
Hope you have time to stop by, I know you are very busy.http://healingmagichands.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/garden-bloggers-bloom-day/
Once again I appreciate the monthly reminder to assess where the flowers are on the seasonal chain of events. I'm glad to see you can still see a rose or two. Thanks for hosting…
Hi, Carol;
I'm a newbie to this (first time participating.) It's been fun to take a virtual garden tour on this cold, snowy morning. Thanks for coordinating this!
PS: Sweet Alyssum is a favorite of mine. Yours has a lovely color 🙂
This has seemed like a very long fall here in the Midwest, and it's definitely odd how warm this month is compared to last month. There's still a handful of blooms in the garden (come see my raspberries!), but I look forward to seeing everyone's indoor plants for the next few Bloom Days.
Happy Bloom Day! I love the blues and purples of the vinca and Sweet Alyssum. The white rose is exquisite.
I didn't have time to comment earlier as my family wanted me to hurry up so we could go to church. Our fall has been like yours, but cooler temps and rain came today. I moved my agaves out of the rain and put them against the house. Because we live further south not as much cleanup here. Happy Bloom Day, my friend.~~Dee
Hi Carol,
Here's a whole bouquet of blooms for you dear! We are in the midst of some glorious golden autumn days and chilly autumn nights, but any significant frost is still weeks away.
Thanks as always! llsxoxo
Hi Carol,
How nice to see the alyssum flowering – it always reminds me of my childhood. I've put my post up – thanks for hosting GBBD!
After several hard freezes, I've barely anything for my first-ever bloom day post. A snapdragon, a verbena, and a not-quite-open bud on Rosa 'New Dawn' Whatever am I going to do for December and January?
It has seemed like a very long fall! I'll take a long fall and short winter any day though. I was surprised by how many things were still blooming around here. I suspect the warm weather has fooled the plants into thinking about spring.
All lokks lovely Carol, Thanks for hosting!
No Killing frost here yet in Southern UK, but lots of rain and wind. – Hadn't thought about my Schlumbergera, – it's a plant I ignored in a pot outside all summer then repotted it in early Sep and it's blooming!- has made me think again about Houseplants. Will have to get some more for this winter season
hi carol, that oriental nights alyssum is so pretty! great color. i had a little vinca bloom in my garden a few days ago, too, but couldn't find it today. i have waaaay too much of that plant, but it's really nice under the daffodils in a few months. always enjoy your blog.
How nice to have a Thanksgiving cactus! I noticed a few days ago that mine's just starting to bud, and your post is reminding me to bring it inside…and do some fall clean up. Happy Bloom Day.
Happy Bloomday once again. No frost here in Portland, Oregon yet…although we've came close. Since I am more of a foliage gardener than a flower gardener there isn't much to see in my garden. But I did find a surprise bloom here in town to share with you all!
Oh, the little white roses won my heart. I have a few that may make it to the Thanksgiving table.
Happy bloom day! One of my favorite days of the month! Sorry so late a comment. Took the kidlet to the beach and my brother in law surfing!
I am from the Pacific Northwest and just recently transplanted to Austin Texas. I have squash blooming in my yard! It just seems wrong. My cosmos are still going strong and the sweetest little sedum is contributing to the riot of yellow. I still have swallowtail butterflies hanging out on my citrus trees (I'm sure they are scoping out where to lay their eggs. Those caterpillars love my key limes!) I am awed and amazed. A lot to be thankful for this month.
Nice Thanksgiving Cactus, one of my favorite houseplants. Lots of participants as always. Thanks for hosting
I'm so jealous of your Thanksgiving cactus! I have not had much luck with those guys, which is sad because I love them. Beautiful!
I've posted my slide show just in the nick of time! Not much left blooming here with all this crazy weather and days long Nor'Easters we keep getting. And I had to take the pics with my cell because I exhausted my camera batteries taking pics of the USS NY this afternoon! Hope everyone's had a great day and I'll be taking a look at as many as I can tomorrow!
That cactus is awesome!
Thanks for hosting!
Carol – Your white rose is just beautiful — so classic looking. And I can't believe you have a Thanksgiving Cactus! That's a hoot. Mine is no where near bloom, just trying to keep it alive until Christmas. I didn't realize different varieties bloomed at such different times. Happy GBBD. Go Colts tonight!
I am nearly late again Carol – and so many bloggers still have some thing to show in their November gardens – amazing.
I do like that Sweet Alyssum – what a glorious colour. We are far too soggy and wet here to even think about mowing the lawn – so everything is starting to look a little scraggy!
K
Carol, Late in the day, but if experience is anything I might not be the last — you always have a great turnout for your Bloomsday party. Had to look veeeeeery closely to find anything to talk about. But it's wonderful what you see when you do look. Thanks for this reminder to embrace the garden as-is, even in the dark months of the year.
Cheers from another of your growing Toronto crew,
Helen
Thanks Carol. Always amazing to me to read other bloggers posting about frost and freeze. However, down here in Austin we have a cold front coming through tonight and possible temps in the 40s and 30s for the next few nights. So we may not be as far behind as I think.
Interesting that you're having such a warm and long fall season. It's nice to have time to prep for winter, isn't it. I've spent the last two weeks doing the same since October threw me for a loop with its non-stop rain. Hopefully, I can finish what I started! I may try some alyssum seeds on your recommendation. You can't have too many of those plants!
Hello! Carol I'm new to Blogger and I'm having so much fun posting about the things I love to do. I'm very glad that I subscribed to this garden blog because gardening is a favorite past time of mine.
I love the lovely garden photos and the subject matter certainly relates to what's happening in my neck of the woods. unusual warm weather for this time of year.
I really like the color of your sweet alyssum. I hesitated over the same seed packet a couple of weeks ago but I went ahead and got the same white one I did last year, 'Tiny Tim'. Now I will have to go back and buy this one.
I think last year was the first time I sowed sweet alyssum instead of buying them in flats, too. I found them easy to grow from seed. I was surprised they survived the summer. Maybe Botanical Interests just has a super duper strain.
Hey, Carol, it has been one of the longest Fall seasons that I can remember as well.
According to the forecast the regularly scheduled November weather is due to get back to normal this week.
I've got my bloom day post up.
I love the color of the lobularia. Thanks for sharing the link to where I can get the seeds!
Oh, I almost forgot! So here I am in the nth hour trying to get my post together. Happy 15th of the month!
Thanks for keeping this lovely tradition going. It's a fun way to record what's happening and to share it! Jeannie
Like Blackswamp Kim I am totally charmed by the person who not only came up with GBBD but with your term Emergency Flower. You kill me, Carol!
My GBBD post is finally up. The dog didn't eat my homework but it took me a long time to draw the dang map.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Hi! I came through Catherin's Gardener in pogress. I liked your blooms very much. I had a schlumbergera, which died due to too much rain.
Thank you, Carol, for hosting GBBD! My photos can be viewed on my webpage, or on my Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolinehomerphotography/sets/72157622690288141/show/
Click on "Show Info" to see the descriptions.
Well, I never would have thought there'd be so much blooming in mid-November! I've got several chrysanthemums, and a few other things as well. THanks Carol for inspiring me to take a closer look at this time of year! Happy bloom day to all!http://www.greenishthumb.net/2009/11/gbbd-november-more-blooms-than-before.html
Hmm, I need to go out and check the Vinca minor. That's a plant that gets ignored a lot here. But I noticed lots of roses blooming in our neighborhood this morning. I think they're all some sort of landscaping rose and all a dark rosy pink. It seems very late for them.
I'm hoping to have camellia blossoms to show in a few weeks; until then it's mostly leftover annuals that didn't freeze.
Thanks for GBBD!
I really like that Alyssum. The white varieties self-sow for me quite easily but not so the purple. I must look for those seeds!
We are enjoying yet another sunny day here in upstate NY. Like you, I'm stretching out the fall clean-up on these glorious days, loving every drop of sunshine after our cool summer and earlier-than-usual onslaught of cold weather back in October.
I love the color of your Schlumbergera. Mine cactus is doing well this year too.
Alyssum is such a tough little plant. Yours is a lovely color. I'm hoping the purple I started from seed last spring will reseed at least a little. The white goes crazy.
We were away for the weekend so I have a very good excuse for being late this time 🙂
Happy Bloom Day, Carol!
rain, rain and more rain here. just hoping for a little break to get the bulbs in the ground. envy your long warm fall. thanks to the hostess with the mostess.
Just in from on the road! I scheduled my post but didn't get to use mr Linky! I am so going to plant the allysum! I forgot how delightful it is on cool autumn days! gail
I'm glad you're not having to clean up quickly but can take your time this year..I hate having to do that in a rush!
I listed what's blooming on a post but no pictures because I'm not at the site. You will just have to believe me!
Well, Carol, I'm back to my procrastinating ways again! Here's my GBBD post:
November Blooms at Our Little Acre.
Your white Carpet rose is pretty Carol. I have a pink one that is blooming now too. At least it has a bud. This rain might bring on the bloom. Happy GBBD. Thanks again for hosting.
I hate missing a GBBD, but I did this month. I am enjoying everyone else's. It's such a wonderful tradition.
I've been late for Bloom Day more than a few times…but I just don't like to miss it, so here's mine;-)
Carol, it's interesting to read that your fall is lingering too – I feel so disconnected from the actual date that GBBD passed me right by. Here are Blithewold's mid-November blooms, "better late" than never. Thanks, as always, for hosting!