Established Plants
Of all the Soap Aloes (Aloe maculata), only the one in the backyard still has its lone stalk topped by a colorful cluster of flowers.
A single bloom is all that remains on any of the Rock Rose (Pavonia lasiopetala) plants - it appears that any more of its hot pink blossoms will have to wait until next spring.
The Philippine Violets (Barleria cristata) have had a fair number of blooms, but they too have mostly faded, leaving only a handful of blooms still open.
New Plants in the Garden
One of my Ground Orchids (Spathoglottis plicata) started blooming back in September, and the blooms are still hanging in there. And another that I have potted has recently started sending up a bloom stalk - not sure how it'll do when I transition it out of the coming cold.
A single bloom adorns my Marilyn's Choice Abutilon, its bi-colored lantern-like flower hanging down from one of the lower branches.
Annuals
The recently added Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) has such vibrant colors and delicate petals that it catches the eye.
Tardies
Soon to be brought inside, my Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi) is on the verge of opening its colorful red and pink blooms.
Flower Wannabes
The berries of the Nandina (Nandina domestica) are starting their transition from green, through shades of orange, to their eventual vibrant red.
More and more of the Chile Petin's (Capsicum annuum var. aviculare) shiny green berries are transitioning to their bright red winter color.
It always surprises me when I discover the dull red berries on my Dwarf Chinese Holly (Ilex cornuta 'Rotunda') as it does not produce berries all that often.
But the garden's Possumhaw (Ilex decidua) always put on a fall/winter show with large quantities of bright red berries adorning the trees. And they'll show even more once the trees start dropping their leaves.
Be sure to visit May Dream Gardens to see what is blooming in other gardens.
These are lovely macro shots. The Ilex especially.
ReplyDeleteWow... that cyclamen is something else! Could be my new favorite color. All your plants are wonderfully exotic to this zone 5 gardener - quite fun.
ReplyDeleteI like your "flower wannabees" category - definitely have to do that too for my Dec-Feb garden bloom days.
ReplyDeleteThat are some rich, saturated colors for a shade garden. Gives one hope!
ReplyDeleteLovely post...that Cyclamen is stunning!
ReplyDeleteYour flower wannabes are so wonderful! Your Nandina has so many more berries than mine. Birds are hungry here in NJ :) Cyclamen is stunning!
ReplyDeleteRonnie, great pics! You have to tell me why my ground orchid have no buds and have never bloomed. I planted them last spring. They are in all day dappled shade, is that too much shade? Yours are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThat aloe bloom is beautiful, with the glowy soft orange and yellow. Actually, all the colors in your photos are pretty great. Does the abutilon like shade?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful - I love the wannabes especially! (and that orchid ... wow!)
ReplyDeletegardenwalk: Thanks - I liked that shot too (not to mention all the other red berries).
ReplyDeleteZoe: The Cyclamen really do have nice, intense coloration.
Washington: I needed some way to bring in the colorful non-blooming, non-foliar aspects - wannabes seemed appropriate.
Denise: Well, I do have color in tiny nibbles (that's why I mainly take macro shots!); I envy the large swaths of color I see in the sunny gardens.
scott: My first year with Cyclamen - will have to see how they do this winter (I have doubts).
bacon: In winter, I have always enjoyed the bright red of the Nandina berries.
getgrounded: I planted four for the first time this year - all in brighter, dappled shade (one in a pot). One got excavated by a critter, one just sat there, one bloomed (pictured) and the potted one is just now growing a bloom stalk. Sounds like your light should be sufficient.
Amy: I've always enjoyed the way the Aloe bloom glows when the sunlight hits it from behind. The Abutilon is a dappled shade/morning sun plant; this is my first year to try this plant.
kris: Thanks - the orchid's blooms are quite small (slightly larger than a quarter), so they are best appreciated up close.
I love Marilyn ... beautiful blooms and beautiful berries! So nice that you have so many berries in your garden. I hope to add more to mine over time.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe your Christmas cactus is blooming already. Mine has not a flower in sight but then everything is weird over here this year. I'm so jealous of your Salvia madrensis. It's one of my big wants. Belated Happy bloom day.
ReplyDeleteVery fun post. Sometimes I think those of us who don't get much frost should just pretend everything is covered with flowers - why admit that everything has just one blossom or too? But then I repent and, like you, tell the truth.
ReplyDeleteViolet: Its my first year with Marilyn's Choice - looking forward to seeing what it does in its second spring.
ReplyDeleteLancashire: For me, the Christmas Cactus usually just starts opening its blooms when we get our first freeze; so I move it inside and it promptly drops most of the buds (grumble).
Town: We could make the snow-bound gardeners so jealous - in November, even December, working out in our gardens in shorts! Then Texas summer arrives, and I'm the one who becomes envious...