BLOOMS AROUND THE YARD-

Autumn is like a second spring! Sure some things are dying out, but other plants are really hitting their stride during these shorter days. Here’s a little garden bloom tour from my yard! 

Exclusive to autumn - Fatsia Japonica! The blooms remind me of golf balls. It’s really unique. The leaves  huge and stays green all winter as long as temperatures stay above 10F. I’m also enjoying the new blooms on my English lavender. The leaves stay interesting all winter long. Dahlias bloom summer through the first freeze. Usually the wet weather ruins the blooms but that’s not a problem this year!

I have some fun summer annuals and tropicals that still look good right now too. Marigolds do fantastic this time of the year. I’m growing African marigolds for the first time which are a taller variety and are such a strong bloomer. They’re growing next to my tomatoes which are still blowing! Tropical hibiscus will bloom really late into the year too. They need heat for flower buds to form, but the buds will keep opening even as the weather cools down. Mandevilla is a fun plant to this time of the year! 

kumquat centennial variegated

Passiflora lavender lady

Hedychium Vanilla Ice

HEDYCHIUM FIESTA

 All my chrysanthemums are in bloom, and there's so much more to these plants than meet the eye. Did you know there are more than 20-thousand recognized varieties and 13 unique flower shapes?

We only see one type of mum flower at most stores. They are often very rootbound and need a lot of water to do well during dry times like this. However, chrysanthemums are hardy perennials and will come back the following spring if planted in the ground.

BRINGING PLANTS INSIDE

We haven’t had a frost yet, and it’s another unbelievably warm week, but I’ve been busy bringing plants inside my house … well it was my house, now it belongs to my plants LOL. I cleared out my dining room to turn it into my plant room. But all the rooms in my house have plants crammed around the windows. 

Although many of these plants could stay outside a bit longer, it’s easier to take care of it now instead of bringing them all in at once. This “elephant ear” is actually called a philodendron cortadum. It’s SUCH an easy houseplant and does great in shade during the summer. Look at how big it is, and it’s surprisingly light! 

Cutting up the banana plants!

 LONG ISLAND, NY - Z7

I started cutting and digging up the bananas for winter storage, but it's so warm they are growing back! Highs the past 2 days in my yard were 81F (about 27.7C).

I won't bring these into their winter storage spot until temperatures drop below freezing which looks like won't be for a few more weeks. Hopefully we can get through the first half of November without a hard freeze!

Musa Basjoo

Ensete Maurelli

Musa Ae Ae

Musa  veinte cohol and needle palm

Musa Sikkimensis

Musa sikkimensis and Musa sumatrana cross (Zebrina x Gran Nain)

Musa sumatrana cross (Zebrina x Gran Nain)

October blooms around the yard

 

Plumeria Divine and Ginger

Check out the hedychium ginger!

I love african marigolds! 

This Purple Dahlia is giving it its all 

A mix of winter kale and pansies and the summer banana plants and majesty palm / sago palm cycad

I love pansies

Plumeria divine

Zinnias looking great here

Flowering maple Abutilon

 

Geraniums and everbearing strawberry "Buried Treasure"

Castor beans, zinnia, and windmill palm with some nice fall foliage in the backdrop!

Fatsia Japonica first year in the ground in this spot & going into the winter strong! It's about to bloom

Hedychium Vanilla Ice Ginger is in bloom!

It's in bloom! I usually dig these up after the first freeze, but they didn't bloom last autumn so I kept these alive last winter inside. They are much smaller than most other hedychium and so easy to keep inside the house.