Camellia x ‘Yume’

Well I have to say that camellias dominate the local flower landscape for this GBBD.  We had a dry and very warm Fall.  All of the Camellia sansanquas and hybrids are in bloom as shown above and below.

Camellia sasanqua red

Camellia sasanqua red

Camellia sasanqua ‘Double Rainbow’

Camellia sasanqua ‘October Magic’

But in addition several of the Spring blooming camellias are showing flowers.

Camellia japonica red

Camellia japonica double pink

As I said it’s been unusually warm.  One of the surprising things I’ve noticed is that the Loropetalum, which is only marginally hardy in this area has grown substantially this year.  It is literally creeping up the house.

Loropetalum almost ten feet tall

And even more amazing it has flowers showing already.

Loropetalum chinese var. rubrum ‘Zhuzhou fuschia’ in flower

Elsewhere in the yard there are seasonal signs

Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)

Corydalis lutea flowers until frost

Daphne × transatlantica ‘Eternal Fragrance’

This Daphne flowers almost all the time.  

We were threatened with frost this week but it didn’t really happen.  We ended up moving most of the fragile items into the greenhouse, but to make room we had to take a very large Elephant Ear out.

Alocasia ‘Sumo’

And then we ended up putting it in the entryway to the house where it makes a definite statement.

Alocasia ‘Sumo’ in the entryway

Also in the greenhouse is a nicely flowering Nerine

Nerine undulata

and a very early Freesia

Freesia fucata