Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - November 2009

Although I believe we had our first light frost a few days ago, the garden is still blooming strong. We're in what's considered "Second Spring" here in NorCal - plants often will bloom spring and fall, but take a break during the long hot summer.

Captions above pictures

While poking around for pictures today, I almost missed this Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia) bloom. I brushed the dark Amaranth foliage and it popped up! Serendipitous shot and color combo.




This blue Felicia is a stellar performer and is at its finest come December and January when everything else is resting. It's quite overgrown because I missed the window to shear it back last time it bloomed. I should do that sometime in late winter/early spring. I'm liking how the Alyssum is growing in also.




I planted Exotic Love Vine/Spanish Flag to grow against the fence, but it never did much of anything. It's just now starting to put out small flowers. It never did really fill in.




The 2 Salvias I purchased at the plant sale at Rosalind Creasy's presentation last month are still blooming strong, and covered in dog hair like the rest of my yard and house.




The Black Eyed Susan Vine is blooming like gangbusters right now. It really enjoys the cooler weather and didn't do much until late September.




I planted these cosmos near the Lantana that grows like crazy, thinking they would compliment it. It turns out these were lavender and totally clash with the red/orange/yellow Lantana below. The butterflies love both plants though.




The volunteer 'Thai Dragon' pepper is finally starting to bloom, which is too bad because it won't have enough time to set fruit before the cold nips it. But it does give the last few bees something to snack on.




And although technically not a flower, one of the most colorful things in the yard right now is the Habanero pepper plant, which I grew from seeds given to me by Botanical Interests (link on sidebar also). This plant is a lot later that Chris' cousins' crop which they had at least 6 weeks ago. But what it lacked in early production, it has more than made up for lately. I think a place in our raised beds would have this pepper plant going crazy and producing earlier than November... (And yes, Chris eats the habaneros. Crazy man.)



Also blooming:

Zinnias
Society Garlic
Salvia 'Hot Lips'
Nasturtiums
Basil


What's blooming in your garden today? Join Carol of May Dreams Gardens in for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day by posting about what's blooming in your garden on the 15th of each month.