Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: GordonT on October 06, 2021, 02:00:24 PM

Title: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: GordonT on October 06, 2021, 02:00:24 PM
Yesterday we took the dogs for a walk in the forest of the Acacia River valley, something we all enjoy. This is an area populated by Trillium undulatum, Cypripedium acaule, Clintonia borealis, and Epigaea repens, to name a few. Autumn colours are only now starting to show up in the landscape,but when found, they can be quite spectacular. There were large colonies of Osmunda cinnamomea along the stream banks, beginning to fade to yellow and rust.

[attachimg=1]

Further along the path, a young Red Maple caught our eye, every branch was clothed in mottled red and green leaves. In another week or two (barring any truly hard frosts), the whole tree will be ablaze with colour.

[attachimg=2]

Even the water itself held its own in terms of colour, catching and distorting the reflections of the trees and sky above. Martin actually took a video of the water...watching its undulations for any length of time might have "Mind Altering" effects! This still photo doesn't have quite the same impact, but you can probably imagine the effect.

[attachimg=3]

A surprise discovery along the route was a small colony of Cucumber Root, Medeola virginiana. The plants had already shed their dark purple-black berries, but the upper whorl of leaves still showed their flashes of red... looking almost Trillium-like in the dappled shade.

[attachimg=4]

Of course, the Autumn forest is a haven for fungi of all kinds and shapes. We missed the Chanterelles this year but near the end of our walk, we were greeted by a brilliant clump of what I think may be Scarlet Wax Caps, Hygrocybe coccinea. They were hard to miss against the rich green moss of the forest floor.

[attachimg=5]
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: shelagh on October 07, 2021, 04:08:28 PM
Super pictures Gordon and I certainly can't match them for rarity but a few shots from the garden yesterday.

Earlier in the year I showed pictures of our two Melycitus alpina plants in full flower, well the bees have been busy and here they are in fruit.

Moving on to the raised bed the Erodiums are still flowering that's at least 7 months not much else can beat them.

Also Geranium Elka is having another flush of flowers and Iberis Masterpiece just keeps on giving.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: shelagh on October 07, 2021, 04:13:27 PM
Sedum spectabile is still attracting the bees.

The blue/purple Aster looking good.

An unexpected addition to the raised bed but quite an attractive one.

Cyclamen hederifolium foliage, must admit I didn't see the snail till I looked at the photo.

The weeping Cotoneaster has berried up nicely.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: shelagh on October 07, 2021, 04:15:04 PM
The last two are the Hollies at the bottom of the garden. Well at least the birds are sure of a meal this winter.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on October 08, 2021, 12:36:28 AM
...Earlier in the year I showed pictures of our two Melycitus alpina plants in full flower, well the bees have been busy and here they are in fruit.
Well done, Shelagh, those bees deserve applause!
Thanks for sharing your pics,
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: Leena on October 10, 2021, 08:53:08 AM
Gordon, how nice to see a place where Trillium undulatum grows in nature.

Shelagh, beautiful flowering still in your garden.

Here leaves are falling from trees, and hostas are turning yellow and slowly going dormant.
Some Colchicums are still flowering.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: Andre Schuiteman on October 10, 2021, 03:38:20 PM
[attachimg=1]
1. Gentiana lawrencei. For me, one of main reasons to look forward to autumn is the flowering of the autumn gentians. Is there anything more beautiful? Here in the south of England they are difficult to maintain in the open garden (of the ones I tried only Gentiana Strathmore succeeded for more than one season), but they do reasonably well in pots plunged in trays with damp sand and kept away from full sun during the summer months.
[attachimg=2]
2. Sarracenia × excellens. Some of the sarracenias, especially S. leucophylla and its hybrids, make most of their growth in the autumn. Sarracenia × excellens is a natural hybrid of S. leucophylla and S. minor. Earlier this year I showed the flower, see https://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=18550.msg422504#msg422504 (https://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=18550.msg422504#msg422504).
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: Maggi Young on October 10, 2021, 04:54:49 PM
I agree, André  - gentians are especially beautiful in autumn.  Even in North East Scotland the autumn gentians can be tricky - they seem to grow best in "new" soil - but it's not always possible to give them a new area of vegetable patch !!
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: François Lambert on October 11, 2021, 06:31:29 PM
Flowering very late this year, Helianthus Maximiliani, with slightly chocolate scented flowers.

Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: Mariette on October 12, 2021, 08:31:20 PM


A surprise discovery along the route was a small colony of Cucumber Root, Medeola virginiana. The plants had already shed their dark purple-black berries, but the upper whorl of leaves still showed their flashes of red... looking almost Trillium-like in the dappled shade.

(Attachment Link)

Beautiful impressions from the area where You live, Gordon! This Cucumber Root is new to me, but certainly one I´ll try to look for!
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: Andre Schuiteman on October 13, 2021, 06:15:39 PM
I agree, André  - gentians are especially beautiful in autumn.  Even in North East Scotland the autumn gentians can be tricky - they seem to grow best in "new" soil - but it's not always possible to give them a new area of vegetable patch !!
Fortunately, they are easy to propagate from cuttings, but these must be taken early in the year, around May, otherwise they may not survive the following winter.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: Tristan_He on October 13, 2021, 10:59:25 PM
[attachimg=1]

The asters are nice this year, though the rain and wind lately has left them a bit battered.

[attachimg=2]

A nice dark form of Cyclamen hederifolium, originally from Ashwood Nurseries.

[attachimg=3]

Cyclamen coum
is now well in leaf.

[attachimg=4]

Crocus nudiflorus.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: cohan on October 14, 2021, 03:14:51 PM
Many beauties in garden and wild, everyone!
Here there are very few flowers left now- mostly a few things that have been blooming for a long time-- Gypsophila repens, Dianthus nardiformis. A warm, dry spell in September means many plants were able to finish late bloom and head to seed before recent serious frosts (we've been to -8/9 a few times, and snow flurries in recent days, which is not early-- most recent years we had snow in September a time or several).
Even autumn colour has peaked and passed, though Tamarack/Larix laricina has just hit peak- it is always after the other native trees.

A few views from a frosty morning a couple of days ago.
Berkheya multijuga a few years from seed, no flowers yet, but the plant got some size this year.

[attachimg=1]

Cyclamen purpurascens usually flower until it is buried in snow or really serious frosts- it seems to have been able to wrap up flowering this year in the last week or so.

[attachimg=2]

Dianthus nardiformis flowres from mid-late summer- has been going for ages now, and seems unconcerned by recent cold nights. The foliage is also purply now that it has been cold.

[attachimg=3]

This Erysimum ( I sowed a couple the same year, unclear which this one is, as the plants with tags didn't make it!) has serious issues with flea beetles exactly at flowering time, though it still manages to put on a bit of a show.. later in the season it is fine and growing quite happily!

[attachimg=4]
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: cohan on October 14, 2021, 03:26:44 PM
Many Rosaceae are grown for flowers, but most are also great for foliage- from those species that keep vibrant green rosettes through winter to many that have great autumn colour (native R acicularis lights up the understory here in autumn from late August through October!).
Geums are great here in the garden for a shot of green when there isn't much, here Geum montanum

[attachimg=1]

G coccineum has a bit of colour also.

[attachimg=2]

Rubus idaeus colours variably over many weeks- some still green, some subtle to bright colours- this is an overgrown garden bed! (not a raspberry bed, those are all wild plants)

[attachimg=3]

Most of the Potentillas tend to more modest colour change if any, but the leaves are always pretty, and look great with frost. This is Potentilla argyrophylla

[attachimg=4]

Finally Inula rhizocephala, monocarpic, it manages to seed itself in well enough to keep going. Some years it has issues ripening seed in damp cool late season weather, this year it had no problems. This plant will flower next year.

[attachimg=5]
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: cohan on October 14, 2021, 03:30:03 PM
Paederota bonarota in fall colour on  sunny Tuesday afternoon, then yesterday morning! (all melted by afternoon)

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: ashley on October 14, 2021, 04:04:57 PM
Lovely photos Cohan.  No frosts here yet but autumn colours are just starting.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: Maggi Young on October 14, 2021, 04:47:07 PM
flea beetles are a real nuisance - I don't think the larvae kill much here, but the holes the adults  chew in so many leaves here are a flamin' pest.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: Mariette on October 15, 2021, 11:34:22 AM
In this case it´s a strange infestation with aphids which mars the leaves of Euonymus, distracting from the colourful fruits and a last flower of a lonicera seedling.

(https://up.picr.de/42253620ry.jpg)

Cyclamen hederifolium and Crocus ´Zephyr´, I think - it popped up where I never planted it.

(https://up.picr.de/42253621sf.jpg)

An easy and even self-seeding colchicum species from Georgia.

(https://up.picr.de/42253622fo.jpg)
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: cohan on October 15, 2021, 03:35:36 PM
thanks, Ashley- I imagine your mid-winter is probably no colder than my autumn!

Maggi-the ones I have seem to have a fondness for certain Brassicaceae- Arabis caucasica was harassed every spring (right at flowering time) until it finally gave up (of course could have been other issues- usually it grew back later in the season, but it wasn't exciting out of flower, anyway!) - right beside is A ferdinandi-coburgii variegata, which the beetles don't touch (shiny, leathery leaves may be the difference); several veg plants in the family are also seriously affected.. Drabas untouched

Mariette- nice Lonicera! I usually have a few aphids around, on different plants from one year to the next, but almost never to the extent of impacting anything. I haven't tried fall bulbs, with my early frosts...
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: ashley on October 15, 2021, 04:29:46 PM
Our climate is very maritime Cohan.  In recent years snow has been rare and transient.  Last winter we had only a few frosts.

It's interesting that chlorophylls are first being withdrawn from this leaf beyond a break in the mid-vein.

[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: Mariette on October 15, 2021, 09:15:01 PM
Really interesting to notice how this process works, Ashley!

@ Cohan: Your garden provides so many lovely sceneries and inspiring plants, I´m sure I wouldn´t miss autumn bulbs after such a rich season and enjoy the snow! Every climate has got its advantages and disadvantages - I admire people like Leena and You who know how to make the best of it!
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: ruweiss on October 16, 2021, 09:07:29 PM
Poncirus trifoliatus - a hardy citrus plant. The flowers and the resulting fruits are very decorative, but
the spines horrible. These plants are the common stock plants for the citrus cultivars, but the fruits
taste extremely bitter.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: cohan on October 17, 2021, 06:33:34 AM
Our climate is very maritime Cohan.  In recent years snow has been rare and transient.  Last winter we had only a few frosts.

It's interesting that chlorophylls are first being withdrawn from this leaf beyond a break in the mid-vein.

(Attachment Link)

Yes that's about what I expected. Your winter might be about like our September....lol though I suspect even then we have greater diurnal swings!
interesting leaf- colouration of damaged leaves does often seem much like autumn colouration.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: cohan on October 17, 2021, 06:38:37 AM
Really interesting to notice how this process works, Ashley!

@ Cohan: Your garden provides so many lovely sceneries and inspiring plants, I´m sure I wouldn´t miss autumn bulbs after such a rich season and enjoy the snow! Every climate has got its advantages and disadvantages - I admire people like Leena and You who know how to make the best of it!

For sure very climate has advantages and dis-! Climates like mine seem harsh looking in, and the season is short compared to many, but for those things that can take the cold, the rest is quite easy- soils here are generally good, rainfall during the growing season is usually enough and not too much, summer temperatures are almost never excessive- so really it is very easy to grow things here. I simply don't try to grow things that need a lot of heat, and of course if they can't take frost, they are houseplants!
Autumn here is very beautiful in nature, so I don't worry much about the garden- it is spring I focus on ...lol
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: cohan on October 17, 2021, 06:42:25 AM
Poncirus trifoliatus - a hardy citrus plant. The flowers and the resulting fruits are very decorative, but
the spines horrible. These plants are the common stock plants for the citrus cultivars, but the fruits
taste extremely bitter.
It's an interesting plant, I've heard of it before... I guess some people use the fruit for marmalade, and it has medicinal uses, too. quite hardy, I think even well beyond the dubious British use of the word..lol ;)
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: Robert on October 17, 2021, 08:44:41 PM
Poncirus trifoliatus - a hardy citrus plant. The flowers and the resulting fruits are very decorative, but
the spines horrible. These plants are the common stock plants for the citrus cultivars, but the fruits
taste extremely bitter.

Poncirus trifoliata is used as a dwarfing rootstock for Citrus.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: Robert on October 17, 2021, 08:47:06 PM
[attachimg=1]

Sternbergia, perhaps lutea, is blooming well in our cinder block garden. Other species are emerging from the ground and will be blooming in a few weeks.

[attachimg=2]

The later blooming Colchicum species are still blooming. They increase well in our cinder block garden and the extra bulbs can be planted out in our garden to extend the blooming season. Some of the species also set viable seed, another plus.

[attachimg=3]

Crocus speciosus is finishing up in our garden. I doubt the identity of this Crocus; however it provides autumn flowers and does well in our garden. It is a keeper. We also have other autumn blooming Crocus species. They have finished blooming for the season.

[attachimg=4]

Pineapple Sage, Salvia rutilans, blooms autumn into the early winter in our garden.

[attachimg=5]

Moraea polystachya is a species that also blooms autumn into the winter. Occasionally this species will produce a few flowers in the spring before going dormant for the summer.

BTW – Mariette posted a nice photograph from her garden about a month ago. The plants are beautiful, however I liked the scene with the red-striped apples on the ground. For me, wind-fall apples have been a happy autumn scene for the last 50 years.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: shelagh on October 18, 2021, 02:08:54 PM
A lovely variegated Euonymus in fruit in the garden.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: Leena on October 25, 2021, 06:12:43 PM
Last week we had several nights below zero, but the lowest was only -4C, so it was not so bad. This week it is warmer (+5-+10C) with rain and clouds,
but still nice when it isn't winter yet:).
Athyrium 'Ghost' picture is from earlier in October, now cold nights "killed" it for the winter.
Crocus speciosus 'Conqueror' has increased nicely.
White spotted double Helleborus (sown from seed ex seeds) flowers out of season, the same plant did it also last autumn.
Epimedium 'Buckland Spider' has always nice autumn colour.
The last picture is of a new raised bed I made last week for my Hepatica seedlings:), or some of them. There isn't enough room for all when they are big, but for now I have there some potfuls of seedlings germinated last spring:).
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: cohan on October 26, 2021, 08:19:11 PM
I thought I posted, not sure what happened! Here goes again! It's been a generally mild and dry fall- compared to recent years with more wet weather and some cold spells. We've been to -8/9C but also days to 10C and above. Recent significant rain, presumably the tail end of the 'bomb cyclone' 'atmospheric river' events which hit the west coast. Even with the warm days, the soil is staying frozen in some wet shady places.

A few things in the gardens and adjacent--
Lonicera chamissoi, a nice small European alpine honeysuckle- tiny but deep pink flowers, potentially showier w/berries; this grew to a nice dense little shrub over several years, then died back a lot after some erratic weather a few years ago.

[attachimg=1]

Another Lonicera- bird sown in the garden- maybe caerula- don't know if it is from wild plants (none around here that I know of) or someone's garden (Haskap grown for berries seem likeliest).. few flowers this year, no fruits seen yet. With Iris hookeri, and one of many Picea glauca seedlings that need to be moved!

[attachimg=2]

There are a handful of local Ribes species, all are appealing for early spring flowers and foliage, many for attractive and/or tasty fruit in summer, and all have good fall colour from gold to red, everything between, and with so many plants, over a long season of colour. This one sharing space with an old lawn mower.

[attachimg=3]

[attachimg=4]

Saussurea riederi had plenty of time to ripen seed and dry foliage this year, unlike some shorter/colder seasons. So unlike occasional black and dark brown foliage , this time it all dried to grey-brown, providing a foil to weedy native Rubus idaeus. -the sauss itself is becoming rather weedy- I should probably have it in a naturalised setting with a mowed border!

[attachimg=5]
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: shelagh on October 27, 2021, 02:07:54 PM
Well this I think will be the last posy of summer.

Anemone, Scabious, Knautia and Rhodanthemum.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: Mariette on October 27, 2021, 09:35:34 PM


There are a handful of local Ribes species, all are appealing for early spring flowers and foliage, many for attractive and/or tasty fruit in summer, and all have good fall colour from gold to red, everything between, and with so many plants, over a long season of colour. This one sharing space with an old lawn mower.

(Attachment Link)

(Attachment Link)


The leaves of this Ribes have a gorgeous colour, Cohan! I´ve never seen a species with such red leaves in autumn! Do You know which one this is? By the way, the combination with the old lawn mower looks very inspiring, too!
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: Leena on October 31, 2021, 09:17:01 AM
Shelagh, it is nice to still have flowers to pick from the garden:).
Here evergreen plants (like Helleborus, Epimedium and such) are now taking over and are at their best, and continue until snow comes.
Many people here refer this as black time when there is no snow and days are shorter, and of course in cities with asphalt it is black, but I see winter without snow more green with evergreen plants shining in the garden, and forests so green with mosses, spruces and pines.

Cohen, that Ribes is fantastic red! My Ribes in the garden have mostly yellow fall colour.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: Leena on October 31, 2021, 05:06:42 PM
I wrote wrong that I don't have any flowers in the garden. I forgot Aster 'Little Carlow' which started to flower only a week ago, much later than usually, and it is now a cloud of blue. It's flower buds survived even two -4C nights.
The second picture is Chamaenerion angustifolium in the edge of the garden. I think it always looks so pretty, especially in the autumn with brown stems.
Title: Re: October 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere
Post by: cohan on December 27, 2021, 07:49:45 PM
The leaves of this Ribes have a gorgeous colour, Cohan! I´ve never seen a species with such red leaves in autumn! Do You know which one this is? By the way, the combination with the old lawn mower looks very inspiring, too!



sorry to be so late to respond, Mariette and Leena! I'm not totally certain which Ribes that is, we have a handful of species and the plants are everywhere! Some easy to distinguish, others I have not payed close enough attention- however most/all of them have excellent colour from golds and oranges through bright reds to burgundy, cranberry etc-- some of the variations depend on the specific spot where the plant is growing... This one *could* be oxyacanthoides, though leaves seem a bit acute, I do think it is one of the *gooseberry* rather than *currant* types, for what little that distinction may mean!!
I have one Ribes planted by my aunt, which I assume is a Eurpean species-- although the growth is more dense than the native species, it is in all other ways less exciting! It can turn a very nice deep gold some years (maybe would be better in full sun), and nice complement to the berries, but it doesn't usually have many...lol  All the natives are very colourful.
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal