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Red Dirt Ramblings®

Firmly rooted in the Oklahoma soil

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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: October

16 October, 2014 By Dee Nash

by Dee Nash
16 October, 2014Filed under:
  • Annuals
  • Bulbs
  • Color
  • Flowers
  • Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day
  • Garden Design
  • Garden Worthy Plants
  • Native Plants
  • Oklahoma
  • Perennials
  • Roses

Good morning or afternoon depending upon when I get this October edition of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day posted. Thank you to Carol from May Dreams Gardens who makes this fun possible. A few days ago, I profiled plants for pollinators, and I’ll try not to rehash those blooms, but I don’t know how many more I have. The garden is becoming more sparse as winter encroaches, but some plants I would normally post in October–like the mums–are not yet blooming. What gives?

Tricyrtis hirta, toad lilies growing in partial shade.

Tricyrtis hirta, toad lilies, growing in partial shade.

Toad lilies have bloomed for nearly a month. They are not native, but they look so good next to the native Drummond’s aster and common mountain mint that I will keep them here. Unlike other plants, they also seem to have the ability to duke it out in their corner of this shady bed full of colonizing perennials.

The roses are back and blooming. I have many left that aren’t sick, and they love this October weather. Below is a Red Drift® ground cover rose with one of my many coleus. I don’t remember the name of the coleus. Some I do, but some were given to me by my friend, Beth Teel, of Tulsa. I love how the reds complement each other here.

Rosa Red Drift with a red coleus. I can't remember the name of the coleus. I have too many now.

Rosa Red Drift with a red coleus. I can’t remember the name of the coleus. I have too many now.

Salvia ‘Wendy’s Wish’ is still really out doing itself these days. It takes a long time to gear up and bloom so some people won’t plant it. I can’t imagine my garden without it. It’s hot pink and exotic looking–like something Carmen Miranda would carry in a bouquet. Hummingbirds think it’s grand. ‘Wendy’s Wish’ puts on a show when not much else is blooming. Foliage is blue-green in the partial shade. Plus, the bees like it. All good reasons to grow this tropical.

Salvia 'Wendy's Wish' is pretty easy to grow. It doesn't overwinter here though.

Salvia ‘Wendy’s Wish’ is pretty easy to grow. It doesn’t overwinter here though.

Grasses are blooming now with abandon. Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ switchgrass is the Perennial Plant of the Year for 2014, and I think they chose wisely. This grass is nearly no care. It comes back every year getting better and better. Mine grows about five feet tall, not as tall as ‘Cloud Nine’, but taller than ‘Dallas Blues’ and some of the other switchgrasses. Like all switchgrasses, ‘Northwind’ wants full sun and well-drained soil. So, if you’re growing in clay, work in a lot of organic matter and dig a hole larger than the root ball. By next month, this grass will turn yellow as in years before. Mine needs to have some of the grass taken from the edge because it is lying in part of the path. It also may have too much fertilization. I added Back to Nature to this bed last year. Only shredded leaves for it from here on.

Panicum 'Northwind' Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ with sunlight showing through.

Another perennial grass I especially love in fall is ordinary Miscanthus sinensis, maiden grass. If I were replanting this space in this time and place, I would choose ‘Morning Light‘ or ‘Adagio’ instead, but I planted this before those selections were readily available. You can now find them at box stores and nurseries. Remember that grasses look like nothing in the spring, but that’s the time to plant them if possible. You can also plant in the fall, but if they sat in their pots all summer on a sale table, they may be very unhappy. Give them plenty of water in the South. I also know that maiden grass is invasive in some parts of the U.S. It isn’t here. Thank goodness.

Ordinary Miscanthus sinensis, maiden grass, blooming its heart out with Hydrangea paniculata 'Pinky Winky' in front.

Ordinary Miscanthus sinensis, maiden grass, blooming its heart out with Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pinky Winky’ in front.

If you’ve stayed with me this far down on this long post, here’s a lovely combination, Muhlenbergia capillaris, pink muhly grass, with Salvia leucantha, Mexican sage. Good things come to people who scroll.

Muhlenbergia capillaris, Pink muhly grass with Salvia leucantha, Mexican sage.

Muhlenbergia capillaris, Pink muhly grass with Salvia leucantha, Mexican sage.

On to the dahlias…below is ‘Juanita’ a little past her prime, but still so beautiful. Here’s the thing about dahlias, they take forever to gear up and bloom–silly things. Also, smaller flowered ones like ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ are easier to grow if you’re just starting. I still love dahlias, and I grow quite the mix in the garden. I do lift most of them. You can either pack the tubers in sand or leave them in pots in the greenhouse or indoors. I wait for the first real frost and then dig the ones I really want to keep. Some on the east side of the house stay in ground and do fine. These are the Bishop and Bishop’s children who seem to have a bit more cold tolerance here. One more thing…I like the historic dahlias best so far. I buy most of mine at Old House Gardens. They seem tougher. The dahlia in the featured photo above is one whose name I don’t remember. I bought it at TLC Nursery last spring.

Dahlia 'Juanita' past its prime, but still so beautiful. I bought this one because it carries my grandmother's name. She shortened it to Nita.

Dahlia ‘Juanita’ past its prime, but still so beautiful. I bought this one because it carries my grandmother’s name. She shortened it to Nita.

Be sure to place stakes near your dahlias just as they come up. Otherwise, you’ll forget them because they aren’t doing much at first. Then, they won’t have strong stems and will flop over onto neighboring plants. The one in the featured photo was staked late and flopped onto a coleus. I took cuttings of the coleus for the greenhouse so you can’t see much of it in the photo.

When you look at an overall picture of my garden in mid-October, you can see blooms are getting fewer and fewer. The garden becomes a story more about foliage than flower. So, this post is also linked to Pam Penick’s Foliage Followup gathering on her Digging blog. Soon the trees will turn shades of golden orange and then brown as will the grasses. It will all be even more beautiful against an Oklahoma October blue sky.

Blooms are fairly sparse in my fall garden.

Blooms are fairly sparse in my fall garden.

Berries also become more important as the season wanes. Birds depend upon berries the same way pollinators require nectar. A good garden should have all of these so I added a chokecherry to the garden three years ago. It is a slow grower.

Berries on chokecherry. This started out as a sapling, and this is its third season. I would say it's slow growing.

Berries on chokecherry. This started out as a sapling, and this is its third season. I would say it’s slow growing.

Rosa ‘Softee’ (syn. ‘Jefferson’) is one of the first roses I added to the garden when I laid it out over twenty years ago. Although the back garden started out as a formally designed vegetable garden, roses were always a part of things. ‘Softee’ is a miniature rose (about three feet tall) growing close to the arbor where the two ‘Cl. Old Blush’ roses, removed because of Rose Rosette Disease, once lived. I hope by removing them, I’ve spared dear ‘Softee’ which is now somewhat hard to find. I hope. Everywhere that I remove a rose though, I plant something for pollinators or birds in its place. Plenty of shrubs with berries and nectar-rich vines are now part of the garden which is a good thing.

Rosa 'Jefferson' or 'Softee' as it is now identified.

Rosa ‘Jefferson’ or ‘Softee’ as it is now identified.

One more plant, and then I’ll let you go. Below is ‘Haight Ashbury’ hibiscus named for the streets and region in San Francisco where the hippie movement had one of its heydays. I can’t say enough nice things about this plant. In full sun, it grows so nicely and has such great foliage. Everyone who lives in a warm climate should grow it. It won’t bloom unless you’re in a tropical place, but who cares? The blooms aren’t that great anyway. We grow it for the psychedelic foliage. So, even if you didn’t go to Woodstock or San Francisco in the Sixties, grow this plant. This plant will always have a place in my garden. Happy Bloom Day my friends.

'Haight 'Ashbury' hibiscus is one cool plant even if you aren't taking drugs.

‘Haight ‘Ashbury’ hibiscus is one cool plant even if you aren’t taking drugs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. Rose says

    20 October, 2014 at 7:07 am

    I’m so glad to see your roses, Dee. After some of your earlier posts, I was afraid you had had to cut all of them down. I’ve always loved the Pink Muhly grass; I just wish it was hardy here. And you know I share your love of ‘Wendy’s Wish.’ I forgot to add a photo of mine to my Bloom Day post. Your post is a great reminder of all the lovely blooms that don’t come into their own until fall but are well worth the wait.

    • Dee Nash says

      21 October, 2014 at 4:24 pm

      Hey Rose, I just did a post with you in mind. You can see my other roses. I still have many left.

  2. Donna@GardensEyeView says

    19 October, 2014 at 9:38 am

    Dee while the blooms may be sparse they are still glorious and much more than here suddenly…love those dahlias! Your garden is green and still thriving.

  3. Dee Nash says

    19 October, 2014 at 9:01 am

    Thanks Patrick.

  4. Beth @ PlantPostings says

    17 October, 2014 at 1:15 pm

    Wow, that Muhly Grass/Salvia combination is fabulous–I agree with the others! Actually, you have quite a few stunning blooms still going strong in your garden. And the grasses–wow!

    • Dee Nash says

      24 October, 2014 at 2:41 pm

      Dear Beth, I found four of your comments in the spam folder. You must have thought me very rude because I hadn’t answered. Thank you so much for your kind words about the muhly/salvia combo. I’ve really enjoyed it this year.

  5. Anonymous says

    17 October, 2014 at 9:55 am

    Your garden looks gorgeous, Dee! Mine is hanging on longer than usual thanks to warmer night temps 🙂

    • Dee Nash says

      19 October, 2014 at 8:46 am

      Thank you so much. Yes, we are also having warmer-than-normal nighttime temps. I think I’m glad. I don’t know how good our color will be this year though.

  6. Kathy from Cold Climate Gardening says

    16 October, 2014 at 6:32 pm

    I am glad to hear dahlias are slow for you, too. Mine didn’t even bloom this year and we’ve already had a couple of frosts, so I know they’re not going to.

    • Dee Nash says

      19 October, 2014 at 8:48 am

      Hey Kathy, yes, they seemed especially slow this year. The one exception to the rule was ‘Bishop of Llandaff.’ It bloomed off and on most of the summer because we had cooler-than-normal temperatures and rain. However, the grasshoppers chewed on every bloom. The grasshoppers are now mostly gone with the cooler fall temperatures, and I can finally enjoy my dahlias. Sorry some of yours won’t bloom this year.~~Dee

  7. Lisa at Greenbow says

    16 October, 2014 at 6:10 pm

    Your garden is delicious Dee. You always have so much interest. It is especially noticeable at these less floriferious time of year. Happy GBBD & FF.

    • Dee Nash says

      19 October, 2014 at 8:52 am

      Thank you Lisa. I think my garden is best in fall. It’s like the finale of the symphony. At least, I hope so.

  8. Layanee DeMerchant says

    16 October, 2014 at 4:12 pm

    Love that picture of the salvia and muhly. I also love Wendy’s Wish and really must plant some next season…well, next gardening season that is. What will be left for November’s Bloom Day? We will have to wait and see but I hope the snowflakes stay away.

    • Dee Nash says

      19 October, 2014 at 8:53 am

      Yes, me too. I could continue this into November. Definitely.

  9. Robin Ripley says

    16 October, 2014 at 3:29 pm

    Hey Dee! Your garden looks beautiful with all those blooms. Gosh, you have a lot to take care of. I haven’t visited in a while. Your blog design is looking beautiful too! Good job!

    • Dee Nash says

      19 October, 2014 at 8:54 am

      Thanks Robin! Yes, I do have a lot to take care of. I see that more and more.

  10. Deanne Fortnam says

    16 October, 2014 at 2:20 pm

    So many lovelies. How fun that I also have Miscanthus planted with H. ‘Pinky Winky’ and in my case it’s Morning Light’. I love S. ‘Wendy’s Wish’ but can’t find it here reliably and didn’t have it this summer. Tricyrtis are especially beautiful this time of the year. I’d like to plant more of them. I really do enjoy fall blooming plants. Your gardens are still fabulous Dee, TFS

    • Dee Nash says

      19 October, 2014 at 8:55 am

      Hey Deanne, I had to order Wendy last year, and I took cuttings. That’s the only way I have it too. I wish retailers here carried it more reliably.~~Dee

  11. Curtiss Ann Matlock says

    16 October, 2014 at 1:32 pm

    Thank you, darling girl, for sharing your garden–the beauty, wonder, and inspiration. Your photos are stunning. Long for the grasses. But I’m thinking most about containers in the future. 🙂

    • Dee Nash says

      19 October, 2014 at 8:56 am

      Hi Curtiss Ann, grasses look great in containers. 😉

  12. Lady of LaMancha says

    16 October, 2014 at 12:20 pm

    Oh, oh, oh. Can we see more photos of the pink muhly grass and salvia leucantha in the future? Love, love, love that combination. Sages and grasses are two of the few things that grow well in our harsh climate, and I will be copying you unabashedly sometime soon, guaranteed.
    P.S. I have pinned this photo, with due credit.

    • Dee Nash says

      19 October, 2014 at 8:58 am

      Thanks Lady of LaMancha! You’re welcome to pin anything you want. I love Pinterest. I hope the Mexican sage overwinters. Some years, we get too cold. I plan to plant more of it behind the grass, and I added more pink muhly this fall. It’s hard to find here and takes time to grow. When you get your new area set up, send me a photo. I love grasses too.

  13. Patrick says

    16 October, 2014 at 11:19 am

    Would love to see a 30″ X 20″ blowup of the pink muhly with the salvia framed on my nursing home wall.. Favorite image I’ve seen in quite a while. Nice job, my dear friend.

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