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| Autumn crocus, Crocus speciosus |
Welcome to Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day for October 2014.
Here in my USDA Hardiness Zone 6a garden in central Indiana, I am pleased to introduce a new bloom in my garden for mid-fall.
Please give a hearty GBBD welcome to the Autumn Crocus, Crocus speciosus.
It’s nice to have crocuses blooming in the fall.
Just like in the spring, the first one bloomed and I was excited. Then one day I walked out the back door and all of them seemed to be blooming at once. I could hardly contain myself.
These autumn crocuses, which are magical according to the garden fairies, are as easy to plant as the spring blooming Crocus species. Just plant the corms and forget about them.
When they bloom the following year, these Autumn Crocuses will lure you into taking many, many pictures of them, just like the spring Crocuses do. It’s as though they make you think they are the last flowers you will ever see.
Of course, they aren’t the last flowers I’ll ever see, but they are the tail end of new blooms for my growing season.
I find it hard to believe another growing season is almost over. We haven’t yet had a first frost, even though our average date for a first frost is around October 10th, but I’m expecting one next week. Then before I am ready, no doubt, we’ll have a killing frost and then it will all be over.
Brrrrr… let’s not talk about all that just yet.
As we stand on the edge of the growing season, ready to fall off the cliff into winter, what a gruesome image, there are some other blooms in my garden to enjoy.
The asters are still putting on a good show and are still attracting butterflies.
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| Aster with Monach butterfly |
The butterflies are all flitting around amongst the butterfly bushes, too.
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| Shrubs add color to the garden in fall, just like trees |
Though, in this garden area, called The Shrubbery, the real stars right now are the colorful shrubs, which are just reaching their peak of autumn color. The two tall shrubs in the back are Cotinus coggygria. On the left is ‘Golden Spirit’ and on the right is ‘Royal Purple’. The reddish shrub is a lilac, Syringa meyeri, but I can’t say it is always that red. It’s as pretty as I’ve ever seen it.
Nearby, the shrub rose, Rosa ‘Meiboulka’, sold as Oso Easy® Cherry Pie, is loaded with rose hips and one bloom.
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| Rosa ‘Meiboulka’ |
Those colorful rose hips, which echo the color of the blooms, will be around for most of the winter, providing a spot of color in an otherwise dreary landscape.
Over in Ploppers’ Field, I did notice I was a bit remiss in not weeding out fleabane, Erigeron annuus.
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| Fleabane, just a weed but kind of pretty |
I should really pull it out before it sets seed, but it is probably too late. No doubt there were earlier blooms and the seeds have already been sown for next year.
And so it goes in my garden.
The toad lilies are no longer hopping, the goldenrod is not as golden as it was in September, and all around I have decisions to make on whether to cut back now or leave well enough alone until spring.
One such decision is already made. I will definitely not cut back the Christmas Rose, Helleborus niger.
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| Helleborus niger, a flower for winter |
I’m relying on its blooms to carry me through winter until once again, the crocuses are blooming in the spring. It’s a lot of pressure to put on one plant, but so be it.
What’s blooming in your garden in October? Join us for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day and show us.
It’s easy to participate. Just post on your own blog about what is blooming on the 15th of the month in your garden, then come back over here and leave a comment to tell us what you have, and then enter your name and the url to your bloom day post in the Mr. Linky widget.
If you have any problems with commenting or with Mr. Linky, send me an email and I’ll be happy to help you out.
As the garden designer and writer Elizabeth Lawrence once wrote, “We can have flowers nearly every month of the year.”
She was right, you know.
Your gardens are lovely Carol and your new autumn crocus are such a nice addition. Happy GBBD and thanks so much for hosting this wonderful meme!
Thank you for hosting the meme yet again, this date has become fixed on my calendar every month and I have almost 3 years of monthly record to show how my garden has changed. I am so happy I started doing this 🙂
I loved your autumn crocuses, every year when I see them on other people’s blogs I think why didn’t I get some? And then I forget about it until next year. I really need to get some for next autumn.
Those Autumn Crocuses are beautiful! And your photo of the Monarchs on the Asters are so hopeful. Thanks, again, for hosting, Carol.
It is very colorful now, the fairies are happy!
Dear Carol,
Thanks for always holding this lovely meme, I love to enjoy beautiful blooms from around the world through GBBD. 🙂
I agree with others. Your garden is always lovely and the autumn crocuses are just beautiful!
Happy GBBD,
Hari.
Dear Carol, Thanks for posting. Have a nice GBBD! Groetjes from Holland,
Hetty
How wonderful the asters are this year – a really good end to the season. I'm intrigued by your upright crocus – mine always seem to flop over which is a pity 🙁
I can see that I will have to buy some Autumn Crocus to keep the Colchicums company.
Thanks for hosting once more!
I agree with the garden fairies, those autumn crocuses are magical. I haven't posted to Bloom Day for a while, but am having troubles with the 'new' thumbnail widget. When I click done after reviewing my thumbnail, I get a message from the webpage to 'close this window' and I am back where I started. Hope I can sort it out. Otherwise do drop by my blog 'Onslow and Miss B' for my Bloom Day offerings.
Your Autumn Crocus is such a pretty color, and looks great with the variegated leaves. The shrub fall color is lovely too. How cool to have a Monarch still visiting your garden, I hope someday I will see one in mine. The Japanese anemones are a big part of my fall bloom.
Enjoy the next frost-free week. We are probably looking at about 3-4 weeks before I have to worry about that. Happy GBBD to you, and thanks for making it happen.
I love your colourful shrubbery. My asters are looking very sad – only kept from complete horizontality by their supports, but their faces are staring at the ground after several bouts of heavy rain. Meanwhile, I'm puzzled what to do with my cyclamen. Any thoughts?
I too love your autumn crocus and will add some to my own garden in the future and think of you and your fairies each time they bloom. So sad to think of a hard frost already, the coming of winter, and not being out in the garden as much. Oh well, no more excuses for not doing housework. Although there are still spring flowering bulbs to plant and tender plants to bring in so maybe I can get by with a messy house for a few more weeks!
Carol I am always excited to see what blooms in your garden as your zone is a tick ahead of me…I am 5b. I have many of the same blooms although I am finding so many things blooming especially roses. Thanks for hosting and I hope you can stop by to see what is blooming in Central NY.
Thanks for hosting and happy GBBD! This is my first chance to participate this year, and I'm looking forward to meeting lots of new gardeners!
We are at the end of the cycle here. Perhaps there will be a few blooms left for the Nov. Bloom Day. Thanks Carol. Love your blooms.
I just love those fall crocus. I didn't know they came in multiple colors. Happy GBBD.
I just love those fall crocus. I didn't know they came in multiple colors. Happy GBBD.
I love those lacy purple Asters
You certainly have lots blooming! The fall crocus is so pretty–not something I'll ever be able to grow, so I'll enjoy yours. Thanks for hosting
I finally have something to show for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. The recent rains made everything bloom.
I had never heard of autumn crocuses – we don't have those here in Spain.
Thanks for hosting!
Thanks for hosting!!
? I can't get the link to post.
Asters with a Monarch is a beautiful goodbye to summer's bounty, great capture.
Thank you for another Bloom Day presentation.
We are having torrential rains this GBBD in the Mid-Atlantic — but still plenty of blooms to share. Thank you again for hosting this!
I love the autumn crocus. Fall is the start of our 2nd garden season in southern California, although you wouldn't know it from the state of my garden at the moment. Our temperatures have just begun to cool.
Thanks for hosting, Carol!
"As we stand on the edge of the growing season, ready to fall off the cliff into winter, what a gruesome image…" You have a way with words Carol.
I love the red on your lilac. My similar lilac tends to always go yellow. Always interesting how things change from year to year.
Thank you for doing this!
Whoa, I'd love to know which aster that is, Carol – such vibrant color!
Here is my Bloom Day post: http://portlandtreetour.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/october-2014-bloom-day/
Thank you for hosting!
-Julie
We are slowly drawing towards autumn here too – you've still got lots of interest in your garden. It's good to see.
Thanks for hosting 🙂
I say it every year, I need to plant some autumn crocus! waaa waaa. I am in love with those rose hips, too! Such beautiful color in the shrubbery! We had a very early frost but today is warm – so warm the windows are open! Crazy.
Such a beautiful garden! I want a Shrubbery that's bursting with fall color! hmm… you've got my wheels turning now… 🙂
I need to plant some autumn crocus too! The squirrel will have a feast!
Your garden still looks great even in October–your weather must be still fairly mild–the garden fairies must have made it so!
Thanks again for hosting.
I was out at a Cornish garden yesterday and they had a mass of Crocus speciosum on a grass bank. Beautiful in the sunshine. Mine had a stem out today but flattened by the rain! You've done better.
I am so excited because I,too, had monarchs in my garden today. If it wasn't for GBBD I probably wouldn't have gone out with my camera, and I would have missed them. Thanks so much, Carol, for hosting! P. x
I love autumn crocus. The Shrubbery looks beautiful right now. I love the fall foliage with the purple butterfly bush.
My toad lily is still blooming. I saw autumn crocus Sunday on a trip to Ithaca, New York (about an hour from where I live) and, now that I've seen yours, am thinking I could use some. Happy GBBD! Ramblin with AM
That crocus is a marvelous thing, with grand colour. Now I 'need' one. Thanks for sharing the inspiration. This is a great time of year for stretching the season as long as we can.
How nice to begin and end the year with crocus. monarchs are everywhere but they have a long way to travel from your house. better be on their way to mine.
We are enjoying some pleasant weather, and it's finally beginning to feel like fall. A few of the roses and clematis have come back to bloom and the Monarchs have visted my garden for the first time in many years. They are enjoying the nectar from the Butterfly Bushes and Milkweed, preparing for their coastal migration.
I went through all the steps, but when 'done' nothing appeared in place of 'you're next'. Oh well, it was nice to see your pretties before you have to batten down the hatches.
Happy Gbbd! Thank you once again for hosting & showing off your pretties!
I might have to move my normal Garden Update post from the first weekend of the month to the 15th so I can play along next month.
Thank for hosting Carol! Love your colorful shrubs! Looking at your crocus gives me energy to plant the big bag of crocus bulbs that I just got, crocuses are so pretty!
I love the pic of the Monarch on the asters! Thanks for hosting!
The shrubbery is looking especially fine!
Between you and Kathy from Cold Climate Gardening, everyone who sells colchicums and autumn crocus is going to wonder where all the sudden demand came from! 🙂 I'm definitely going to add some to my gardens. Eventually.
My fall crocus are just getting started. I bet more will pop up after the rain we are having.
You've convinced me I need to add some autumn crocuses to my garden! So pretty; do you plant them in the fall, as well? Love your colorful shrubs–the lilac is gorgeous! No frost here yet either, so I'm enjoying the late blooms knowing it's only a matter of time.
Thank you, as always, for hosting, Carol. Your Autumn crocus and asters are beautifully seasonal!
Thank you, as always, for hosting, Carol. Your Autumn crocus and asters are beautifully seasonal!
Another Bloom day another day late! This time,extenuating circumstances included catastrophic failure of my external hard drive–the working repository of my garden image library (thank goodness for backups). It rained here nearly all day so my blooms, my camera, and my photos are wet. I fear this was my last bloom day of the year.
It's all lovely, thanks for hosting Bloom Day. So much fun to see what's in everyone's gardens.
Loving your assortment of shrubs behind your chairs. So beautiful. So lush. Great color. Happy Bloom Day and thanks for hosting again.~~Dee
I had no idea there were autumn crocuses. Another flower to add to my garden for the fall! It's still kind of a new garden, so there's lots of room. Thank you, Carol!
I love rosehips..they remind me so much of a garden I had in South Dartmouth (Massachusetts) back in the early 2000s.
this is my first "Bloom day" linkup and I want to thank you for the opportunity to share and view all the great submissions!
Thanks for hosting – it is always fascinating to see what is blooming elsewhere and hear what your weather is like!
Love those crocus! Thanks Carol!
I have thought about planting fall crocuses; your lovely photo may actually inspire me to do it. Thanks for hosting this monthly event, Carol. -Jean
This is such a great idea; I love seeing what everyone has in bloom. There's such variety! This is my first time posting! And I love the Shrubbery area–it looks very colorful and cozy.
Thanks for hosting this lovely meme.
Your garden still looks lovely with lots of colour, Carol. Mine is sinking fast! I have a Cotinus Coggygria and it is one of my favourite shrubs. It makes any cut flowers look fantastic!
Happy belated GBBD! Those rose hips are breathtaking! And it makes me so happy to see a Monarch! 🙂 Thanks again for hosting!
Your garden is beautiful ! Great photos !
That picture with the monarch is awesome!Thanks for hosting garden bloggers bloom day!
Always a pleasure to see everyone's beautiful gardens!