Some October pictures

[charlie]

Odd though it may sound I feel a bit in limbo, waiting for things to go into winter mode, enjoying the show still but aware of the work to come, conservatory and greenhouse have been cleaned and tidied ready but I just can't bring myself to cut stuff down while its still flowering!

Bomarea 'Fiesta' I do hope this first flowering is not a one off due to the mild winter last year
001 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Senna corymbosa, always reliable here in the late season, would be evergreen but I tend to hard prune like buddleja in winter.
002 by charliepridham, on Flickr

003 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Hedychium greenii still looking passable
004 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Outside the kitchen door (and making getting in and out tricky!)
005 by charliepridham, on Flickr

I see this Isoplexis is now Digitalis canariensis either way its been flowering since March
006 by charliepridham, on Flickr

[Chad]

A real mix of 'Summer not yet gone' and Spring on its way! All today.

Chad.

[charlie]

I am more than a bit jealous of the Erythrina, if I put them out they are so slow to start and they are barely in leaf by August and if I keep them in they have red spider and no leaves by June (you can tell why I don't gamble!!)

[Chad]

The one shown is E.bidwillii. It was slow to start, but has been less spider mite infected than crista-galli. I've been wondering about moving them out after they have started in early summer - as much to make space as to control the mites.

Chad.

[charlie]

A few more pictures from the end of the month

the Senna still looking good
senna corymbosa 020 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Behaves a bit like mint and runs about all over the place but its a lovely colour blue and more perennial than S. patens for me
salvia cacaliifolia 018 by charliepridham, on Flickr

The Trachelospemum in the back ground has gone a good colour this year (hope it doesn't mean its dying!)
rosa x oderata mutabilis 023 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Seems excessively early
mahonia 024 by charliepridham, on Flickr

geranium procurrens 025 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Abutilons really are fantastic value
abutilon milleri 022 by charliepridham, on Flickr

abutilon milleri 021 by charliepridham, on Flickr

019 by charliepridham, on Flickr

[kGarden]

Hedychium greenii still looking passable

I'm bored with mine (and several other Gingers), I'm thinking to only keep Hedychium gardnerianum going forwards, as it has (for me) the most dramatic foliage, and the flowers heads are a decent size, compared to the others that I have which all seem a bit pathetic by comparison. I suppose I should also keep whichever is the smelliest - haven't conducted a test of that though, and missed the boat now, for this year.

Behaves a bit like mint and runs about all over the place but its a lovely colour blue and more perennial than S. patens for me

My Salvia (Oxford Blue and a lighter one, might be Cambridge Blue) are now long stalks of finished flowers, how are yours not all spent-stalks? Perhaps you cut the flowering stalks back at some point in the season to get a fresh crop?

Seems excessively early

My Mahonia ("Charity" I think) is going full-tilt already, seems early to me too.

[charlie]

I'm bored with mine (and several other Gingers), I'm thinking to only keep Hedychium gardnerianum going forwards, as it has (for me) the most dramatic foliage, and the flowers heads are a decent size, compared to the others that I have which all seem a bit pathetic by comparison. I suppose I should also keep whichever is the smelliest - haven't conducted a test of that though, and missed the boat now, for this year.

I have you got/tried H. wardii? if you want to try it let me know it has great leaves and seems very reliable for flowering as well, scent possibly

not as strong as gardenerianum though.

My Salvia (Oxford Blue and a lighter one, might be Cambridge Blue) are now long stalks of finished flowers, how are yours not all spent-stalks? Perhaps you cut the flowering stalks back at some point in the season to get a fresh crop?

no I don't dead head it, must just be the difference between the forms of S. patens you are growing and S. cacaliifolia which is what I have

[kGarden]

have you got/tried H. wardii? if you want to try it let me know it has great leaves and seems very reliable for flowering as well, scent possibly

not as strong as gardenerianum though.

Administration cockup, as it turns out! It was on my WishList but I bought seed years ago, no idea what happened to that ... but consequently it was on my GOT list and I haven't pursued it since Doh!

must just be the difference between the forms of S. patens you are growing and S. cacaliifolia which is what I have

and that one is on my list as "Unsure", presumably from whatever photographs / catalogue I was looking at at the time! Looks much more worthwhile from your photo, so I've moved it to the top of the Salvia WishList, thanks.

[kGarden]

Lost a bit from me reply :?

I've love a piece of H. wardii, and also some Lapagerias, but as ever the distance to transport them is my biggest problem. I did look at venues you were vistiing this year, and the closest one was definitely do-able, but we were away that weekend :(

[charlie]

:) I will be putting next years program up soon so may be next year will work better! but I don't mind sending you a baby wardii free gratis, if interested PM your postal address