A Gloomy November Bloom Day ... Or Maybe Not ...

The skies are overcast and there's a chill in the air this November morning.  There's a goodly amount of damp in the air as well since it rained last night; there's a slight chance of more today.   I'm not complaining, mind you ... we are still lagging behind where rain is concerned and I'm happy any time rain falls.  I'm also smiling because on dismal gray days like this one, the blooms in the garden are even more uplifting than usual.  Cooler temperatures intensify flower colors and overcast skies give those colors an opportunity to shine that sunny skies deny them.

Zinnias, those stalwarts of the summer garden, are lovelier than ever.  For those of you who  garden in areas with similar climates, I'm noticing that the 2nd, maybe even 3rd, generation Zinnias are much stockier and healthier than their predecessors.  Many of us deal with fungus and mildew problems on our Zinnias in the summer and my plants tend to get overgrown and lanky by August.  I leave those 1st generation plants in place, manky though they may be, until the next generation has reached bloom size since butterflies don't care how ugly or leggy the plants may be as long as they're blooming!

Gartendirektor Otto Linne seems to be a deeper shade of pink each day.

Senorita Rosalita Cleome is loaded with blooms like these.

Rose 'Aloha' has a fragrance as lovely as her flowers.

'Souvenir de la Malmaison' makes me sigh in appreciation.

I'd swear that when I first started growing 'La Marne', her blooms were much darker than this, almost fuchsia. A rose rustler friend confirmed that he remembered the blooms being more vivid, too, so 'tis a puzzlement.  Perhaps they'll continue to deepen in color as the weather grows ever cooler. 

'Caldwell Pink' has certainly grown more colorful.  It's closer to Souvenir in color in summer months!

I love how Pink Skullcap looks against the rocks.  A Pigeonberry seeded itself  in the gravel just underneath. 

Leonotis leonorus, Lion's Tail, is roaring along in the corner bed.

Clerodendrum paniculatum, Pagoda Flower, was one of the plants Otahal suggested for the front garden renovation.  The flowers definitely have the WOW factor!

'Madame Antoine Mari' is one of my favorite roses for her soft blend of pinks and apricots, as well as her blue-green foliage. If she had a fragrance, she'd be perfection!

Echinaceas fascinate me with the variety of forms and colors they sport over their bloom cycle.

This rose was a passalong from a neighbor: it's either 'Hermosa' or 'Mrs. B. R. Cant'.  Melampodium leucanthemum, Blackfoot Daisy, nestle beneath.

'Aloha' and Happy Trails to GBBD November 2010! Visit the instigator, Carol of May Dreams Gardens, to see what's blooming around the world!