Knockout roses and Camellias are all that are left here.The only other color is the purple berries on the Beautyberry, but the Cardinals are all over it, so not for long.

Well, cardinals give you color.

Forgot about the pansies that are still blooming...not in the garden proper, but can last awhile.





Camellia peeking through bare Magnolia branches.

These are the last blooming anything here. Not even a lamium.


perennial snap salmon


perennial snap red

Thanks, Janice. I love it when a flower surprises me. I have just one lily that somehow survived the previous owner AND my digging up around it. The first year it came up a rather uninteresting and wimpy pink, but with dramatic form. The next year, I did a double-take when it had a deep, dark red-maroon with even darker center. I gave one bloom to some baristas I go to, and one of them seemed to find it ominous and kept commenting on it.

I wonder what it will do next year!

Karen:
>> Which lobelias???

I tried so many kinds, it is hard to say without checking the plastic tags I put out. Next year, I'm keeping a map!
Some of these:
- Lobelia cardinalis Blue 'Giant Blue'
- Lobelia siphilitica 'Great Blue'
- Lobelia erinus compacta 'Crystal Palace'
- Lobelia erinus [A] 'Cambridge Blue'

I found that they did poorly in pots - but then, I hardly ever fertilized after making a fast-draining soilless potting mix with almost no nutrients. Duhh!

>> my snapdragons often last 2 or 3 years here in my zone 6

Do you think they'll last longer in Zone 8? Now that we've had some frost, should I put down coarse mulch and/or compost?

I forgot: my Knockout rose keeps trying to open a few more buds. They seem to be stuck.

Yes, Rick I need to do a map, also..
Haven't had snaps here, but you've given me good ideas!

I've wintersown all my snapdragons. They wintersow well.


And, if not deadheaded, they reseed a lot, too.


If you haven't picked up the common thread in so many of my posts, reseeding is my worst garden nightmare.


Karen

Oh, Karen, they're gorgeous!!
Ok, where are the seed catalogs?

Yesterday I noticed these Sweet Autumn Clematis, and liked the seedpods as much or better than the flowers!
I have read this can be so very invasive, but have had it over 6 years and it just stays put and has behaved very well so far.

Ajania pacifica

I should have added that the above 2 photos are of Clematis terniflora

Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis terniflora)

Evan, is the Ajania blooming in your garden now?
Saw your beautiful photos of it in the DB.
Love the leaves. Must be great all year long!
I would like to add it to my garden next season.
Thanks!

Pacific Chrysanthemum (Ajania pacifica)

Yes is still blooming. It actually doesn't start blooming here until late October or early November. They're not very impressive but appreciated nonetheless and the foliage is attractive all year. One bonus is that since it needs pruning in late June you get lots of new plants from the cuttings.

Funny, I was just going to post that...

Ajania - sorry, because of the flash it's difficult to see the white edging on these leaves.


This is my longest blooming plant, by far - Salvia 'May Night'



And even though it stopped blooming months ago, I love the shape of this Geranium sanguineum.

Karen, love the snapdragons. I am hoping to be able to winter sow some of the seeds from the swap this year and get some flowers blooming next year.

Sheryl - thanks for posting the info and photo on the Ajania pacifica. I am always on the lookout for flowers that bloom in fall/winter and that is something I would love to add to my garden. Not sure I have seen any available in the stores here in California.

My little hardy Geranium is still green too. And I have one little bloom spike left on Salvia 'May Night'. I do love that salvia. Must try the Ajania next year.

And this appeared yesterday. Some blooms on one of the pink creeping phlox. My grandmother loved creeping phlox and pink was her favorite color. She had them all over the hillside to their upper veggie garden. It was quite a spectacle in the Spring. I was so surprised to see the blooms yesterday ... so I thought, well, my grandmother has visited me today. :hearts:

We have 'Peppermint twist' but here it will not appear until spring.

SongofJoy said:... so I thought, well, my grandmother has visited me today. :hearts:

Aren't the "memory" plants the sweetest things???....

Yes, indeed, she says, reaching for the Kleenex.