My Gesneriad Collection

I seem to have started a Gesneriad collection . Not many considering there seem to be thousands in the species . Just enough to run along the East facing window sill. East seems to be the place . Morning sun, when it's to be had. I've bought a grow light . I what blooms !
The one on the far left is the African violet I've had for years. It's never re-bloomed , so that's my challenge ...you will bloom , you are meant to be the easiest of all to bloom ! Hopefully the gravel tray will add moisture , which they seem to like.
The middle one is a Streptocarpus . It did have one bloom when I brought it home . Apparently the soil shouldn't be allowed to dry out.
The one on the end is Primulina 'Betty' . I got this last year from Evan The Practical Plant Geek at the last plant swap. It has beautiful foliage and seems healthy , but no blooms ...yet , maybe the extra moisture and light will help.

Two new ones : Kohleria 'lono' and Smithiantha . They both have blooms , the trick will be keep them at it.  They all seem to need misting , so I've got my stray bottle handy . I wish I still had the lovely copper sprayer I had in the seventies !

Another Streptocarpus , this one came from my mother . I've had this for years . It blooms all year long in my sunroom , which is unheated . The soil is always too dry , but doesn't seem to mind , it just keeps blooming.

Gold in the garden...

I'm enjoying it while it lasts ! All the red leaves have dropped , and I haven't many conifers or evergreens. So , I'll enjoy the gold leaves for a bit longer.
The last  leaf of the NOID "Tough Love" sale plant from a few years back.  It's still retains it's variegated  pucker .

Leucosceptrum Janonica 'Angel gold'

Rhamnus frangula 'Ron Williams'

Leucosceptrum stellipilum 'October moon'

I do  have a few conifers ....Golden Mugo pine 

And a few evergreens .... Eleagnus pungens 'Clemson Var.

Robinia Pseudoacacia 'twisty baby' at least when the leaves are gone , we still have those twisty stems  .

Ponciris trifoliata ...no fruit this year !

Cistus Mickie 

A few leaves left on the Punica

Just a single Kerria bloom

and one Coreopsis big bang full moon . It's quite sweet to discover  just the single blooms this time of year.  

November Blooms ...

Saccharum starts off the November blooms , as it's the tallest !  I just moved a big clump of  Achnatherum  Calamagrostis , which is that tangled mess in front of the Cotinus . I'm hoping this will be a good move !

Salvia aff. chiapensis is supposed to be tender , but it survived last freezing winter. So, I'm hopeful .

Persicaria 'golden arrow' looked miserable all  this dry summer, so I cut it down to the ground .   It  came back  much happier with the cooler temperature .

Same thing with the Astrantia major , it bloomed in spring , I cut it back when it went crispy ..... a nice little late bloom.

Salvia 'Purple majesty' 

Rain drenched Emilia Javanica

                                            Cyclamen hederifolium

Fuchsia speciosa

Two new and unplanted Salvia , Which are: S. leucantha and S. Conferlifolia 

Another long suffering one.   Inula Orientalis hated the dry summer and refused to bloom ... till now .

Fushsia Whiteknights Amythyst

Persicaria amplexicaulis 'blackfield'  is my favorite .

Penstemon 'Enor'

Schizostylis 'Big Mama'

 And  lastly , because it started to rain again , Rosa chinensis
Happy November Bloom day !

November ...not so much in the garden !

Weather wimp that I am this time of year . I hate damp/cold , so I've stayed in mostly this month. Which is probably not a bad thing for the garden. The leaves mostly get taken care of by the worms . The birds seem to like to scramble around in them too. 

Strange little houses appeared , so best not disturb !

I did have an explosive few days when the sun was out and it was still warm . Once started  things just kept coming out . First the bronze fennel went , then the grasses needed moving  , couldn't stop ....

I think it will better ?

Marmalade making and baking bread ,  just the thing for November. Maybe not at the same time !