November Blooms

Yes, it is the 15th of November so time for Garden Bloggers Blooms Day which originated with Carol of May Dreams Gardens. Although many bloggers have participated for many months and enjoyed it, November Blooms has been dreaded by many. What to show when your garden is covered in snow or it's too cold for anything to bloom? Well, you are allowed to show what's in bloom indoors too, which must come as a big relief to quite a few participants.

Here at Bliss we still have blooms outside, not the plethora like we had for such a long time, but still enough for a show and tell. And at this time of year I enjoy hunting for blooms in my garden as you are bound to find at least one or two surprise blooms which is such fun.

In bloom in the kitchen garden:
Even though I chucked them on my compost bin weeks ago, the nasturtiums are still flowering. There's not a lot in flower in my kitchen garden anymore but a few herbs are still going strong:
- basil
- fennel
- borage
Also still in flower are:
- Cerinthe
- Oenothera glaziouana
- Periwinkle
- Centranthus ruber
In the Victorian greenhouse:
- Solanum crispum is still flowering its little heart out.

In my new borders:
- Verbena bonariensis is still putting up some flowers
- the Dahlias have a few flowers left
- in flower is Trifolium rubens, which is very surprising as it should have finished flowering months ago.
- this plant is flowering profusely, a real joy at this time of year. I bought it at Piet Oudolf's but unfortunately misplaced the label so if anyone knows its name, please let me know!

In the border around my walnut tree I stumbled upon another surprise bloom;
- Japanese Anemones, I thought they had finished flowering a few weeks ago but no, I found 2 more flowers today.
- Achillea ptarmica The Pearl is still having a few blooms
- a hardy white Fuchsia, a new garden friend that I got from friends a few weeks ago. Pretty isn't it?

In pots:
- some pink Verbena
- this one I've forgotten the name of , but it is still flowering away with gay abandon
- white daisies
- blue Lobelia
- pink Camelia
And to be put into pots soon:
- Pansies in white, blue, yellow and burgundy.

The South borders:
- Lavatera, that has been flowering for months and months now
- pink Geraniums putting up a few more blooms
- Centranthus ruber
- yellow Wallflowers, another surprise bloom from my garden
- Polygonum, deep pink
- pink Spirea
- Cosmea, the last few flowers
- and of course ........Sedum!
Another find was this Campanula that self seeded at the edge of my decking.

The front garden:
- Rosa Moonlight, that has been flowering for 8 months now.
- Rosa Madame Alfred Carriere, with still a few blooms
- Rosa Sombreuil, the last blooms of this year, I think
- Rosa Guirlande d'Amour, almost as long in flower as Moonlight, is still having a few blooms here and there
- white Bacopa
- lilac Asters (the last blooms)
- white Gaura, still going strong, some plants are simply amazing!
- this one, Persicaria amplexicaulis
- my Winter Jasmin really gets going now


Today is a special day for me as it is my mother's birthday. She is 78 now. Happy birthday Mum!

And I'll leave you with a pic of that most fantastic rose Moonlight that is even now putting out some new buds, unbelievable!

copyright Y.E.W. Heuzen

If a plant bores you, something must be done about it. The simplest course, if it belongs to you, is to throw it out. If it is someone else's, look the other way. If it belongs to someone you rather dislike anyway, don't be ashamed to let it confirm you in an inclusive repulsion.
Christopher Lloyd (who else?)