Fall Camellia white hybrid

We are still in an extended Fall season that has been remarkably temperate.  The weatherman says we could have frost any day now, but meanwhile we (and the plants) have been enjoying the mild weather.  The prettiest flowers for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day are the Fall Camellias.  Not only do they have the wonderful evergreen leaves, but the flowers are lovely and pickable for further reflection in the house.

Fall Camellia red

This particular camellia is particularly rewarding because I cut it way back and was ready to remove it after a hard freeze when I noticed a little green shoot coming out.  It’s now almost to the size it was originally and is covered with buds.

A bit more surprising is to see a flower on one of the Spring camellias.

Camellia japonica pink

This will get blasted when that frost comes along.

As you go about the yard it’s hard not to notice the wonderful color of the Japanese maples this year.

Japanese Maple in color

Dwarf Japanese Maple in fall color

And the green patterns on the cyclamen are also very striking.

Cyclamen hederifolium

In the front yard the yellow corydalis has continued its unabated flowering.

Corydalis lutea

Back in the vegetable garden the annuals are still flowering, though running out of steam.

Marigold

Most striking by far are the calendulas.

Calendulas

Calendula

And the greenhouse has offered up a South African native Nerine.

Nerine undulata

As a side note, I tried growing Leonotis this year after seeing it in flower just last year for the first time.  I was looking forward to that mane of orange yellow flowers that you can see in the catalogs.  Unfortunately it looks as though, even with our long season this year, we may not have enough time to see the flowers before frost.

Leonotis leonuris

So my plan is to see if this South African native will grow back from the roots next spring and maybe get an earlier start.  Stay tuned.