What’s in bloom in November? Despite the gloominess and the sun’s feeble attempts at warming the air there are still a few flowers in bloom. It’s the time of year when it’s so easy to stay indoors and view from a window. So pop on your coat and come exploring outdoors with me. I can assure you that you’ll find some jewels in among the seed heads and the final embers of Autumn.
All the plants have their Scottish hardiness ratings placed beside their names.
What’s in Bloom in November
The fragrant Rosa ‘New Dawn’ is almost finished flowering and it’s a climbing rose with determination as it has taken until this year to recover from the harsh winters of 2009 & 2010.
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| What’s in bloom in November – Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii H5 |
Some of the Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii flowers are still looking quite fresh and contrast so well against the dying sword like Crocosmia leaves.
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| What’s in bloom in November – Erysimum ‘Bowle’s Mauve’ and Erysimum ‘ Apricot Delight’ both H4 |
On the tops of the wirey branches are the little flowers from Erysimum ‘Bowle’s Mauve’ and Erysimum ‘Apricot Delight’. They continually flower (in this flower border) and have done so ever since I bought them back in the springtime. If our winter temperatures are like 2011’s and they are not in too windy a location then I’m sure that ‘Bowle’s Mauve’ will be in flower throughout the winter. Too optimistic maybe? …time will tell.
This aster is a long flowering one with deep lavender blue blooms though it is now past its best. I’m not so sure which variety this is as it was bought with the wrong label on the plant.
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What’s in bloom in November – purple aster
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| What’s in bloom in November – Colchicum autumnale H5 and Geranium x oxonianum ‘Wargrave’ H5 |
The Perthshire autumn flop has been happening for the past 6-8 weeks with the Colchicum autumnale /Meadow Saffron and these are the final flowers …to flop. While the vigorous ground cover Geranium × oxonianum ‘Wargrave’ has surprised me with some pretty pink flowers on its last ditch attempt to scramble through the borders …hoping I’ll never notice!
Berried Treasure
There’s also some Perthshire berried treasure from the Malus fruit and Berberis fruit …though many of the Berberis this year have fruited poorly due to our inclement spring weather.
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| Malus and Berberis fruit H5 |
Without fail every November I can rely on the Hellebore/Lenten Rose H5 flower buds to start poking through the soil but last November they were already in flower as you’ll see if you click on – Looking for long lasting winter colour? It’s certainly been a much colder autumn compared to last year.
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| What’s in bloom in November – Corylus catkins and lenten rose buds appearing along with Bergenia |
While the Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ H5 (Harry Lauders Walking stick| Corkscrew hazel) catkin buds are starting to elongate. Though I never expected to see a couple of stems with buds starting to open on a Bergenia H4-5 in November!
The snapshots above were all hastily taken 14th November 2012 at sunset (4pm) though it was a dark and dreak late afternoon. Unlike the following which were taken on 11th November with a macro lens and 3 barrels of extension tubes on a tripod.
Did you ever realise that there was a white woolly coating on the Chinese Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii ‘Profusion’ berries?
These shrubs are much more cold tolerant than the Americana species. The berries are not as prolific this year in the garden as they need a hot summer to berry best. Profusion is the easiest to grow here in Scotland and it doesn’t need a pollinator to set berries …we just have to hope for a hot summer now and again.
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| Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii ‘Profusion’ berries H4-5 / Beauty Bush |
and finally the Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’ is starting to unfurl it’s little ribbon like blooms.
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| What’s in bloom in November – Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Jelena’ |
Gerry Snape
what a great post…some wonderful berries there that I've never seen before…will look them up locally. thankyou!!
ann
Rosie, Such interesting plants. Yes you do still have a lot of color. Our landscape here has turned brown for the winter frosted with a touch of last week's snow that lingers. It has been very cold, hovering just above 0 at night. The air is crisp and cold. Cloudy today. Perhaps a bit more snow. After the bloody heat of the summer and the drought, we pray for more and more snow, especially in the mountains. Your photos are beautiful. Some of the plants I have never seen, only in their artificial form at the craft store. Have a good week end
Melanie J Watts
Hi Rosie, It is great that you have plants like Hellebore and Hamamelis that bloom in the winter. Hellebore niger is hardy here but it doesn't bloom until spring in late May.
Commonweeder
No blooms to show in my garden, but I loved seeing yours. I love getting to visit different climes on the 15th of every month.
Julie
Your blooms are lovely! I'm anxiously awaiting the hellebores and witchhazel blooms in our gardens. We still have quite a few blooms for November, but we had a frost this week, so many blooms are now mushy. Happy GBBD to you!
Rosie leavesnbloom
@JulieI see loads of buds on the other witchhazel blooms and I think it's going to be a great winter for those blooms in my garden.
Rosie leavesnbloom
@Commonweeder I've been away all day so hopefully I'll be able to catch up with other gardeners over the next day or so. Thanks for your visit today 🙂
Rosie leavesnbloom
@Melanie J Watts My niger is also alot later to flower Melanie though I have seen it in flower in January here.
Rosie leavesnbloom
@ann I hope you get lots more snow soon Ann. My garden is full of brown too but even that brown is pretty when it's got a dusting of sparkly ice.
Rosie leavesnbloom
@Gerry Snape Hope you find some locally Gerry and thanks for visiting today.
Wife, Mother, Gardener
So many pretty flowers still, Rosie! Thanks for sharing them. We do not have as much color in PA, US. It has been a colder autumn here as well.
scottweberpdx
Gotta love those tough beauties!
Patricia Bloomfield
My garden has fallen asleep yet.. I've collected all the seeds I could for the next year.
Lucy
Love your asters.
eileeninmd
Wow, you have some lovely late blooming flowers. The roses are beautiful and the asters are pretty. Beautiful images and post.
Kalantikan
Hello Rosie, thanks for the visit. I have always been inspired by blogger friends in taking photos in blogging. Caroline Gill inspired me to look for these creatures which started with a ladybird I asked her for ID. Of course, you are an inspiration in photography, and i still remember it is you who taught me to correct the white balance in Picasa. I always love your photos, and always feel I can't emulate them; and I am sorry I can't follow your instructions using advance technology and PS, hahaha! I want to get them right straight from the camera!
Rose
Lots of lovely blooms still brightening your garden, Rosie. I love the delicate geraniums and the close-ups of the beautyberry and witch hazel. I know the UK had a miserably wet summer, but be careful what you wish for–I'm hoping the summer of 2013 is not as miserably hot as this year's was for us!
Richard Havenga
Rosie:
I am always amazed and intrigued by what you can draw out of the earth. What an astounding collection! Your knowledge of Horticulture keeps me learning in my ripening years.
Thanks for sharing and teaching.
Richard
Rosie Nixon
@Kalantikan Thanks Andrea and that's the reason why this blog is very much sooc shots using filters and various depths of field and getting it right 'in camera'. I keep any photoshop jargon off this site and use it for my fine art prints.
Alistair
Lovely post Laura, today you particularly had me intrigued with hardiness zones for the UK. I had thought this American plant zoning thing had all been scrapped for the UK. However a check on it makes me aware that there is still some relevance. I see most of the UK including Aberdeen is zone 8 with London being zone 10. Granted it is all to do with Winter temperatures, bet our American friends would still be puzzled.
Jayne
I always love your photos Rosie. You have a lovely selection of blooms and berries in the garden in November.
Curbstone Valley Farm
Goodness! I might have expected your garden to be nestled under a blanket of snow by now. Instead, you still have a rose blooming!? My Rudbeckia have been done for weeks, but in their defense, it's been really soggy here recently. Like yours, our native Corylus is just starting to produce buds too, but overall you have much more going on in your garden, than ours!
Lucy
Simultaneously bleak and cheerful. Just right for this stage in the year.