Bloom Day - October 2022

I'm a day ahead of the official schedule for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day but I've been busy in the garden and had to fit my post in when I had the time to work on it.  My garden is in its late-summer doldrums, worsened perhaps due to two recent heatwaves and a two-week outdoor watering ban, but I realize my climate is still kinder than many so you may feel the floral display is greater than I perceive it to be.  Temperatures have plummeted in the past week but daytime highs remain in the mid-60sF to low-70sF, perfect for tackling garden chores that have been on hold much too long.

I'll start with the plants providing the brightest splashes of color right now.

Dahlias, clockwise from the upper left: 'Catching Fire', 'Lavender Ruffles', 'Enchantress', Fairway Spur', 'Summer's End', and 'Karma Prospero'

Felicia aethopica 'Tight & Tidy'

The ever dependable large-flowered Grevilleas 'Superb' and 'Peaches & Cream'

Pelargonium peltatums (aka ivy geraniums), refreshed by a little rain and cooler temperatures

Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum'

The vast majority of zinnias have already succumbed to mildew (which really means I just couldn't stand the appearance of their foliage and have pulled them up).  These 4, clockwise from the upper left, are still somewhat presentable: Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant Deep Red', 'Benary's Giant Carmine Rose', 'Benary's Giant Purple', and'Queen Red Lime'

Ripening fruit doesn't count as flowers but it does provide color at this time of year.  The 2 persimmon trees (Diospyros kaki 'Fuyu' and 'Hachiya') are bearing more heavily than ever before despite our drought conditions.

What would a Bloom Day be if there weren't a few surprises?  Here are mine:

An Agapanthus blooming in October is just plain weird

I had a difficult time determining the identity of the 5 bulbs whose foliage showed up in the middle of my backyard border.  I finally found record of planting 5 Amarine belladiva 'Emanuelle' (a cross between Nerine and Amaryllis belladonna) in April 2021, which is clearly what this is.  The first bloom is just opening now.

I cut this Argyranthemum frutescens 'White Butterfly' back hard about 6 weeks ago in lieu of pulling it up altogether but I was still surprised when it began to come back

Yucca 'Bright Star' blooms on its own schedule.  This bloom spike popped up during the last heatwave and is already spent.

A hedge of Xylosma congestum shrubs surrounds our garden on 3 sides.  I've seen sporadic blooms on a small scale before but this month the entire section of the hedge running alongside the street is in bloom.  The area is covered in bees.

A few other plants are getting an early start on their fall displays.

Barleria obtusa (aka bush violet) usually blooms in November but the shrubs in the back garden are already getting started

All the Australian fuchsias have started to bloom.  The flowers are hard to photograph even at the height of bloom.  From left to right are Correa 'Dusky Bells', 'Ivory Bells', and 'Wyn's Wonder'.

As usual, I'll close with the best of the rest organized by color in collages.

Clockwise from the upper left: berries of Auranticarpa rhombifolium (like tiny pumpkins) and a self-seeded Cotoneaster, Echeveria compressicaulis, Cuphea 'Vermillionaire', Gaillardia 'Spintop Copper Sun', Lantana 'Irene', and noID orange Lantana

Clockwise from the upper left: fresh blooms of Achillea 'Moonshine', noID Gaillardia, Grindelia camporum, Nemesia 'Banana Split', Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope', Lantana 'Lucky White', Zephyranthes candida, and noID Angelonia

Clockwise from the upper left: noID Angelonia, noID Duranta repens, D. 'Sapphire Showers', Salvia rosmarinus officianalis, noID Scaevola, and Trichostema 'Midnight Magic'.  I still can't get over the fact that rosemary is now classified as a Salvia.

Clockwise from the upper left: Arbutus 'Marina', Cuphea 'Honeybells', C. 'Starfire Pink', Polygala fruticosa (with yellow spider), Osteospermum 'Berry White', Alstroemeria 'Inca Lucky', and Leucadendron salignum 'Blush'

That's it for October's Bloom Day.  I'm babying a handful of dahlias and zinnias but it's almost certain that all these plants will be gone well before November's Bloom Day.  I'm looking forward to getting started on my cool season cutting garden, sowing seeds and planting plugs, but there probably won't be much to see there until early next year.

To see what's blooming in other parts of the US and various locations around the world, check in with Carol of May Dreams Gardens on October 15th.

All material © 2012-2022by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party