Isn’t it lovely when you come unexpectedly upon a little gem in the garden. At other times it might be the light that is just right to illuminate a plant showing it as you have never seen it before. Even though it might be cold, wet and miserable, there are still little vignettes to gladden the soul.
My first little gem is Iris unguicularis Walter Butt, flowering by the drive, it was almost hidden amongst all the leaves.
When bringing in the shopping, I loved the contrast between the purple Berberis berries and the silver lichen which is covering the branches and stems.
While rushing to the greenhouse, I noticed the sunshine lighting up Miscanthus malepartus flower plumes, they looked so beautiful in the morning light.
I went for a closer look, the leaves also look like a golden fountain.
From the other side, they look dramatic against a dark background.
Rays of sunshine in the woodland lit up the seedheads of Honesty.
I must sow some seeds on the other side of the path so that I will be able to see the sunshine through the papery cases.
Fuchsia Delta Sarah has been my best fuchsia this year, it is still flowering away with beautiful flowers, worth every penny!
A few nights ago, a heavy frost was forecast so I thought I had better take a few photos before they all turned black. Rosa Ballerina is just about hanging on.
Rosa Bonica is still doing well.
Viburnum plicatum Maresii’s second flowering is lasting a long time.
Fuchsia magellanica Alba is looking as though it is still summer.
Some Hydrangeas are still putting out new flowers, will they regret it!
The last flowers of Cyclamen hederifolium. Soon it will be C.coum flowering. but they don’t seem to spread nearly as well as C hederifolium. Maybe the ants stay tucked up nice and warm in the winter, can’t say I blame them!
I’ll finish with a flower that never seems to stop, Campanula poscharskyana.
When I stepped into the garden to take the last few photos, the wind was icy, coming from the east, straight from Russia! With such a bitterly cold wind, I was so glad to get back to the warmth of the house, poor flowers, having to stay outside. We are back to milder weather today and for the next few days, thank goodness.
Many thanks to Carol at May Dreams Garden for hosting GBBD each month where we can see flowers from around the world.
Having admired your miscanthus in previous years I’ve added three this summer. They have some growing to do but next year I am hoping for some golden fountains too.
The milder weather will be a relief. If only it would stay dry I might even get some gardening done.
I love the miscanthus at this time of year Jessica, the plumes are wonderful by themselves, but when the leaf colour changes, they are magnificent, hope yours do well for you! I’m managing to keep on top of all the leaves, so much easier to get them up when they are dry.
A weath of little gems in your November garden. So very precious and sweet!
Many thanks Peter, every single one is so precious at this time of year. So far the frost hasn’t done any damage, but we are on borrowed time!
You have a fine collection of gems. Whenever I see Honesty I think of my mother, who used to cut the dried stalks and bring them inside. She used another common name, Silver Dollar Plant.
Thank you Jason,yes, I can see why your Mum called the honesty the silver dollar plant!
Oh – that photo of Rosa Ballerina is fabulous! Is it as dainty as your photo makes it appear? My little Cyclamen was just planted this year, and is happily blooming. I do hope it spreads generously. I fell in lust with your Delta Sarah last year, and to my great joy, my friend Evan of the Practical Plant Geek surprised me with a start of it during our blogger fall plant swap. I was elated – he had taken a cutting from his own plant! I planted it as soon as I could, and it gave me two flowers this year. So grateful! 🙂
Yes Anna, it is as dainty as the photo shows, lots of very small flowers over a very long period. I too hope your cyclamen spreads, I hadn’t realised that we had ants in the woodland until I saw lots of little cyclamen plants growing where I know I hadn’t planted them, they had spread the seed. Be patient though, each seed takes about 4 years to get to flowering size! Delta Sarah has been such a success here, that I am now growing more for the garden and for friends!
I am really impressed Pauline by how much is still happening in your garden. I really didn’t think I’d hear from you before the snowdrops start appearing! The Miscanthus really is quite spectacular, I must see about getting some for my Autumn garden.
The miscanthus seem to like my heavy soil Denise, I’m so glad that at least one of the grasses likes it here! There are still more flowers to come, I have tried to have something interesting to look at all the months of the year. Unlike you, we don’t have snow in the winter where we are, or very rarely, so the plants just have to keep going and unfortunately it also means that I don’t get a rest!
I love the way autumn light captures many plants, enabling you to see them in a different light (excuse the pun!). Some people say Campanula poscharskyana takes over, but it’s easy to pull and as you show, seems to flower quite frequently, despite the season.
The Campanula flowers so much Juleanne, but I would hate to be without it! It does try to take over in certain parts of the garden, but can be relied on to provide colour when everything else has gone to bed.
Your garden is gorgeous in all seasons. Your attention to detail gives big rewards. thanks for sharing them with us. I love that you noticed the lichen on the Berberis berries!
Thank you Deb, it’s just as well though that you can’t see the untidy bits at the moment! The lichen isn’t very noticable when the leaves are still on the trees and shrubs, it is only now that the leaves are falling that it is more obvious.
So right, Pauline; it is the little gems that lift our spirits as we slide into winter. My Miscanthus is planted under a walnut tree and is being slowly poisoned I think; I must move it early next spring to somewhere it can thrive and maybe look like yours!
Sorry to hear that your Miscanthus is being poisoned Christina, Walnuts have a bad reputation for doing that don’t they. Moving a Miscanthus is a big job normally, I wish you luck with yours.
You do have some gems, how lovely to discover them. It’s always a treat coming across unexpected beauty, especially at this time of the year. That wind certainly was cold, it’s back here again.xxx
Our weather has warmed up again Dina, thank goodness, it was really bitter the other day, more like February! I love finding unexpected flowers tucked away in all the foliage, I suppose if I cleared up a bit more, I would see them more easily!