Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Left Overs

Today was what I think will be our last summer like day this fall. The rain is supposed to move in tomorrow afternoon bringing some more seasonal weather with it. We need the rain so I am not unhappy about this. After all it is supposed to be cool this time of year.

My one regret is that I don't have room to bring in a couple left over pots of flowers that are still going strong. Below you can see this orange creation that has been such a good bloomer all summer, up until now. I just hate to let it go. This pot has also been a great performer. I just love begonias. They do so well in my shady back garden. The Streptocarpus 'Black Panther' in this planter has been great too. They make a hard working pair. I love to watch the hummingbirds work the begonia blossoms.
The Black and Blue Salvia that my Sister talked me into buying this year is a winner in my garden. I will be purchasing more next spring. I might even try seeds as this one seeded around itself this summer. I bet they would be easy to grow from seed. It only got afternoon sun and it bloomed like it was happy. The hummingbirds and bees really liked it too. Gee, I miss the hummers and bees already.
A steppable I planted late this summer is settling in quite well. It is a Red leaf Thrift. They are tiny clumps and they even have tiny blooms that stick up high above the little clumps of reddish leaves. I am so pleased with how they have taken I wish I had bought a whole flat of them. I just bought a few to see if they would take in this pathway.
As you can see by the tiny bloom they are quite happy so far in this area. I just wonder if any of you have grown this plant? I sort of thought they were more for a sunny rock garden setting but these are doing well in afternoon sun in clay like soil. I hope they survive the winter. We will see.

32 comments:

  1. I've heard that Black & Blue Salvia is a hummingbird magnet! Those blossoms are beautiful! I need to try and find a couple of those plants for my deck next summer.

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  2. Black and Blue Salvia... I've seen it in two blogs now. You and Gail (clay and limestone) both have shown it. I need to see if I can find it for next year!! :-) I have thrift... a pink flower and a white flower, but not red-leafed. Mine comes back every year (zone 4b/5a). They're very cute!!

    As far as your "leftovers," do you not have a friend, neighbor or relative that would like to care for them? Wish I were closer!! ;-)

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  3. I just came back over after visiting Cheryl and seeing the portrait of Poppi you drew. It is wonderful, Lisa! You have such talent! And I know it meant a lot to Cheryl to receive it.

    I haven't had the heart (or maybe the energy) to bring in a couple of pots. I'm going to enjoy them to the end and let them die a natural death:)

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  4. Oooh... I love that streptocarpus! :)

    Thanks for reminding me that I really need to go out and take cuttings of my one remaining begonia to see if I can get it to root overwinter. The mama plant is too big--I am running out of windows!

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  5. Your pots are just beautiful. That angel wing begonia will work inside your house, won't it? It's so pretty. I have one like it and the deer chomped it down to the nubs this summer and it's just now recovered. And I didn't know it was supposed to be cool this time of year - send some of that cooler weather this way!

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  6. This is the hard part...the saying goodbye..Several of those plants are lovely! I knew you were trying to decide what to keep! Any chance you can mulch the Salvia and keep it alive...I know, it is marginal here and I am urging you to try to keep it alive way up there!

    Sighing with you!

    Gail

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  7. A stepable! That Red Leaf Thrift is most interesting ... keep us posted on how it survives the winter.

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  8. You drew Poppi? Lisa, it's fantastic! You are talented, lady.

    I just heard we're having 80 degree weather soon. Maybe a little rain. The rain is needed but 80 is way above normal, even for us here in Charlotte.

    So, my annuals are dying a slow death. You must be quite busy in that enormous garden you nurture so well.

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  9. Lisa, your 'left overs' are still so pretty! I would try to bring in the begonias as they do well in the house. Think of the head start you will have with them next year.

    The black and blue salvia is one of the prettier ones. I have a perennial salvia that is coming out next spring to be replaced with an annual. The perrenial just doen't compare to the annuals for color or bloom time.

    Your drawing of Poppi is just lovely!! I know Cheryl is thrilled and will treasure it always. How thoughtful of you to do that for her.

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  10. That Black and Blue Salvia looks great! I wonder if it's available here...
    I can understand your unwilllingness to let those bloomers die away. But space is always a problem isn't it?
    Katarina

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  11. I always have a tinge of regret over the plants I can not overwinter because of a lack of space. I try to have the attitude that this gives me an opportunity to try new things. The 'Black Panther' is lovely. I don't think I have seen that variety before.

    Jan
    Always Growing

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  12. And what joy we'll have when we see them once again come spring. :c)

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  13. Hi Lisa, of what sadness to not have room for those pretties. Not even in the garage? Or is that too cold still? I have grown that thrift in the knot garden and it died, but nearly everything perishes up there. Offspring Semi has some that does great though, with no care of course, it is in sunny rich soil, the mushroom compost. Well drained. Black and Blue is perennial here, but the first couple I bought did not make it. The third try was put up on the slope with better drainage and more sun and it is spread about, but I thought it was from root running. It emerges very very late in the spring, I always think it is dead. It has done better this year with extra water with out drought. I cannot for the life of me get a good photo of it though.
    Frances

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  14. Left Overs sounds sad, but objects on the pictures are glorious :)

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  15. It is sad to see those begonias go. Maybe you can give them to someone. They might last another month or so inside.
    Marnie

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  16. To everything there is a season, yes, but it must be hard to see your lovely blooms nipped by frost. How nice that the 'Black and Blue' salvia grows so well for you too. It's one of the staples in my shade garden here in Austin. I often refer to it as Majestic Sage (Salvia guaranitica). Actually, mine may not be the 'Black and Blue' variety, just blue, but it's otherwise the same, and hummers love it.

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  17. can't you just squeeze it in the first pot is beautiful. it is hard to know that all that beauty will be gone. the last of my cosmos are gone after 3 or 4 frost in a row. i guess i am braced for the cold, brrrr, not really.

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  18. Well, I guess if we didn't have winter we wouldn't appreciate spring so much. :-)

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  19. I feel like I just had one last breath of summer. That blue and black is gorgeous!

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  20. It's every autumn the same here too: where to put all those "left overs" for winter. I take most of them near to the house where they are sheltered a bit and then I wait and see. Some of them survive and other don't overwinter. So in Spring all the nurseries are happy to see me again;-)!!! Your salvia is beautiful. I like the blue colour. But unfortunately I am not successful to grow them in my garden....there are too many slugs around who like the plant too!

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  21. Hi Lisa.....I to grow thrift......white and pink varieties......they are really great plants.....mine flower for around three months....I still have two plants in flower at the moment........
    Last year I dug some of the larger ones up....chopped them in half and replanted....it was very successful.......I shall do the same next year.....

    I to am missing the bees, although the honey bees, as you know came back this week, just for a short visit........
    I have lost all my begonias....my fault, didn't get them in to the greenhouse quickly enough.....

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  22. I can imagine how sad it is to see your beautiful containers go by the wayside after one cold night. They are beautiful, especially that orange one. I grew the blue salvia this summer too and it is a winner. Pleeaaasssseee send some rain our way! :0

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  23. Lisa so much bright color in your NOV. garden!

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  24. Um lindo espaço onde a jardinagem se destaca pela beleza das flores e a magnitude dos textos.

    Saludos!

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  25. I love Begonias too. Your Angel-wing Begonia is a beauty. It always makes me sad to see the frost get them. I have cuttings in almost every room of my house!

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  26. Oh Lisa, too bad you can't send those down here for the winter... I promise I'd take really good care of them for you. I don't think I could bare to lose those pretty begonias either. Winter is surely at your doorstep.

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  27. I really feel your pain, Lisa. I have found it hard to clean out the flower boxes on our front porch railing. I have pink and yellow lantana with pink wave petunias and variegated golden vinca that are still doing well. But the meteorologist is right this minute telling us that there is some snow mixed in with the rain we're to get tomorrow. Boo!

    I love your black and blue salvia and I meant to get some this year and didn't. Next year, for sure!

    One of the first perennials I bought when I started gardening three years ago was black-leaved thrift and it did fairly well until this year, when it just didn't return. :-(

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  28. Maybe someone named Lisa needs a greenhouse window with a few extra shelves ;-]

    Even down here I have to say goodbye to stuff like begonias - only enough window room for a few plants, with a lemon tree and plumerias coming into the garage.

    What surprised me was reading that your 'Black & Blue' salvia made seedlings! I've grown it for years as a perennial, loving it and dividing it to get more plants, but have never seen a single seedling. Wonder why that is?

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  29. That black and blue salvia is gorgeous--I'm a sucker for dark flower/foliage. I'll have to look for it next year--thanks for the tip!
    ~ Monica

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  30. I'm sure it is difficult to roll with the passing season and let go of beauties like these.

    Our more seasonal weather is supposed to begin on Monday, not especially cold, but funky.

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  31. I love black and blue salvia Lisa. The hummingbirds are all over it at the nursery. I'd like to try it here but I'm not sure it would bloom with so little sun.

    I waffled on a non-stop begonia and three geraniums this week, then I broke down and brought my four leftovers in.

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  32. Dear Lisa,
    I left all my pots outside this year. I really do not have room for them. I planted the mums in the ground and the herbs that were in the window boxes also went into a garden bed. I mulched them so I hope they came back next spring.
    I am out of room in the gardens for any more plants. I want to grow a dyer's garden so I will have to take over some of the vegetable garden or put in a new bed. I bet a new bed is what comes. My husband likes his veggies!
    It was hard to let my pretty plants go.
    Sherry

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