What’s in bloom, mid-November 2014

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, a meme originally introduced by May Dreams Gardens, is the 15th of each month. I usually miss it, being as unorganized as I am. This month, however, I’m only two days off, so I thought it would be nice to take a look at what’s blooming in my mid-November garden.

Aloe cryptopoda against ‘Desert Museum’ palo verde (Parkinsonia ‘Desert Museum’). This aloe was already blooming in mid-September when Loree ‘Danger Garden’ Bohl photographed it (click here to read her write-up about my garden) and it’s still not quite done. Great going!

Callistemon citrinus ‘Little John’. I’m including it because it’s currently residing in our front yard although it technically belongs to friends. I picked it up for them while they’re out of town. (It’s in a 5-gallon nursery can.)

Salvia mexicana ‘Limelight’

Salvia mexicana ‘Limelight’

Salvia mexicana ‘Limelight’

Grevillea lanigera ‘Coastal Gem’

Grevillea lanigera ‘Coastal Gem’

California fuschia (Epilobium canum ‘Carmen’s Grey’)

California fuschia (Epilobium canum ‘Carmen’s Grey’) with ‘Violin Music’ autumn sage (Salvia greggii ‘Violin Music’)

California fuschia (Epilobium canum ‘Calistoga’) and chocolate flower (Berlandiera lyrata)

California fuschia (Epilobium canum ‘Calistoga’)

California fuschia (Epilobium canum ‘Calistoga’)

Agastache ‘Kudos Coral’, a new dwarf variety from Terra Nova Nurseries

 

Agastache ‘Kudos Coral’

Veltheimia capensis

Our oldest autumn sage (Salvia greggii). I can’t remember the name of the selection. It’s been in this spot for seven years and it blooms virtually year round.

Variegated Mexican bush sage (Salvia leuncantha ‘Variegata’)

Salvia leuncantha ‘Variegata’. Here you can see the variegation, or rather lack thereof.

Sundrops (Calylophus drummondii 'Southern Belle')

Leucadendron ‘Jester’. Not a flower, but it sure looks like one!

Winter is my least favorite season and it would gladly skip it if I could. But there’s one thing I do look forward to at this of year: aloe flowers. One hybrid in particular will be particularly stunning this year, Aloe ‘Moonglow’. My friend Sue and I split the contents of a 5-gallon container this spring. I ended up with four plants, and all of them are pushing flowers. I’ll soon have a detailed post on this yellow-blooming hybrid from South Africa’s Sunbird Aloes hybridization program (available in the USA under the Blooming Aloe brand).

 

I’ll leave you with a shot of the western end of the desert bed in the front yard. I love how much color there still is.