The warmth of October leaked into November, but finally, FINALLY, Central Texas feels like autumn. From ground-cracking dry to frog-drowning rain, we’ve seen it all this past month or so. Blooming continues though and will until our first hard freeze, which will be…whenever it will be. Today I join with Carol at May Dreams Gardens in honor of blooms in gardens–let’s take a quick and colorful tour, shall we?
Opening with the autumn white of the White Mistflower, Ageratina havanensis,
…which is on the downside of its flowering cycle, though still providing for pollinators and with puffs of soft breeze, blanketing the back garden in sweet fragrance.
Flame Acanthas shrub, Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii, sport tubular scarlet blooms and remain perky and present for whomever happens by–insect or gardener.
Texas Craglily, Echeandia texensis, is a native lily dressed in autumn-glow yellow.
The Salvia species in my gardens really strut their flowering stuff during the fall months, those like this Autumn Sage, Salvia greggii.
Also, the red Tropical Sage,
…and its kissin’ cousin-hybrid, the white Tropical Sage,
…both of which are Salvia coccinea.
The West Texas native, Shrubby Blue Sage, Salvia ballotiflora, was a spontaneous purchase when I saw it covered in honeybees at a local nursery about a year ago.
This beauty is finally attracting my honeybees to its sky-blue blooms.
There are always some Purple Coneflowers, Echinacea purpurea, which perform in fall, though with shorter stature and duration than during the spring show. This year there are fewer than usual, owing to our very dry September and early October.
But what is blooming is autumn eye candy.
The above are some of the native Texas bloomers active at the moment, but there are also some lovely and hardy non-native fantastic florals, too. This Forsythia Sage, Salvia madrensis, is new to my gardens this year.
A gardening buddy gifted to me two sprigs with healthy roots last spring. I planted them and then mostly ignored them, but they’ve rewarded my gardening irresponsibility by coming into their blooming glory in recent weeks. A native to the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains of Mexico, this is a fabulous, shade-tolerant herbaceous perennial here in Austin. I look forward to more of the same.
The never-stopped-blooming-even-for-a-short-time, Firecracker Fern, Russelia equisetiformis, decorates my autumn garden.
And it decorated my spring and summer gardens too. Don’t you just love ridiculously long-blooming plants??
A big November surprise is the most recent and probably last set of blooms appearing on my Mexican Orchid Tree, Bauhina mexicana.
It’s a beautiful little tree, even without its creamy floral gifts which appear on and off during our long growing season. I’m amazed and tickled to enjoy one more round of the gorgeous orchid flowers for this year.
Thanks to May Dreams Gardens for hosting; please pop over to view blooms from all over the world. Better yet, share your blooms in celebration of November Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day.
My Gardener Says... 
you have some lovely blooms Tina, nice to see your bees enjoying them and the Mexican Orchid tree flowers are exquisite, Frances
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This is a good time for blooms here, Frances, though our days are shorter. The bees are still active, when it’s not too chilly or rainy. I adore that Mexican Orchid tree–the whole thing: tree, leaves, blooms–it’s a beauty. Thanks for stopping by!!
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I have so much plant-envy now! 🙂 My White Mistflower got squashed by branches when my oaks were trimmed, so they’re coming back but no blooms in sight. I think I’m going to have to break down and get me a Salvia madrensis or three….
Your Mexican Orchid tree is soooo lovely! And it’s shade-tolerant, right? Is that one that others in our area have said is hit-or-miss in terms of viability?
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Oh, so sorry to hear about your White Mistflower–that’s a bummer. The good news is that because it wasn’t killed outright (darn tree guys!!) it’ll bloom next fall and maybe even in spring (that happens). The S. madrensis was a pass-a-long to me and I was tickled to get it.
I just adore the Mexican Orchid tree. It was also a pass-a-long and a teensy seedling when I first planted it one fall, not quite sure how long ago–maybe 6 years? It survived its first winter and every one since. I mulched it well and covered it for its first two winters, but have had no problems with this tree. I imagine it depends on where you in Austin that determines winter hardiness; I’m in the central part of town and receive the benefit(?) of the heat island. Actually I found another seedling–the first the mature tree has produced and moved it just recently to my front, shady garden. Need to get out and mulch, though….
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Beautiful blooms!
I have seeds from a firecracker fern I am going to plant in the spring and hope for the best.
Happy Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day!
Lea
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Interesting. I don’t think mine has ever seeded out. It seems to spread, just a little, by the roots. I’ve dug some up and transplanted to other spots. It’s a great plant for our area–tough and pretty!!
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Hi Tina, all those you posted are growing here in the hot tropics too. However, i only have that red salvia in my garden haven’t seen any colors here. That white bauhinia is lovely, but we only have the purple too. That in the first photo is a very invasive weed here that is a problem for farmlands, but of course the insects love them. It is also very difficult to eradicate.
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Interesting about the mistflower being so invasive where you are. Just another reason to plant native plants!
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I love seeing your blooms Tina, you have so many new to me and unusual plants. I am envious of your Bauhinia tree. What a treat to have that in bloom and all your other treasures too.
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Thanks, Chloris. The Bauhinia is such a treat. I’ve loved growing in my my garden.
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This is the time of year to live in Texas! Oh, to have so many lovelies still blooming and to have perfect weather in November! Most years I’d be terribly jealous, but this year we’ve had the most amazing autumn I remember. But your blooms are glorious–all of them!
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Thanks, Beth! Yes, it’s a great time of year for us, but we pay for in in July, August and part of September!! Glad you’ve had such a glorious autumn!
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I too have bloom envy – especially since I have several of the same plants that are for various reasons NOT blooming at the moment. Shadier circumstances are mostly to blame and I mean that term in all its many iterations… : )
I am finding myself slowing down apace with the cooling temperatures rather than gearing up for the vigorous work yet to be done here. I need to get motivated for next year and looking at the floriferous results of your years of care will hopefully do the trick!
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What I do have blooming is very happy. My gardens as a whole though are in a fairly major re-do. I’ve transplanted and reconfigured almost 50% of my garden space in the past 9 months or so. I need to stop, let things fill in, and go from there. I’ve slowed down, except for some tweaking here and there, but am enjoying the cool and wet that this autumn as gifted us.
I’m sure your gardens will respond to your work–I look forward to reading about the new look(s)!
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Ah. Second spring. So beautiful, Tina.
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And it’s still going on and on!! Our gift for withstanding July, August and September!
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