What's Looking Good In November 2021

Pineapple Sage: it's absolutely fantastic - covered in beautiful typical salvia style red flowers. Very vigourous, grows from a cutting better than any plant I've ever tried... trying to work out how to load a picture... OK - got it.

 

I was going up the post, noting down some of those plants - thinking: I have to have those... then I got to the Bougainvillea and thought: hang on...where is this? Then I checked. OK - all make sense!

 

Do you have mild weather in Jersey Jimmy? Oleander may survive there depending on how protected your garden is ... it grows wild here in to the hinterlands.

 

Thank you @Lem and @Victoria

 

I know of a Nerium oleander hedge growing not far from me, so it should be hardy in Jersey .
Probably more likely to get a single flowered type as doubles and variegated ones are more tender, I believe.
Bougainvillea stands a good chance of survival in the right spot, a south facing wall would be good.
Seen pictures of big ones in London.
Again getting the correct type is half the battle.

 

Sorry Jimmy the above post was really aimed at both of you.

 

An informative link ...
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/oleander/does-cold-affect-oleander.htm
And of course you grow Iochroma Pete.

 

Jenny, the Last Rose of Summer.

 

Yes - thankfully we do. I live close to the beach as well, which keeps it mild. We get the occasional light frost most years - but not much more in general. Obviously - it can exceptionally get really cold. But that's just a hazard. In general I can leave most plants out over winter: I don't have to bring dahlia bulbs in for eg. Though I take a risk on it being the occasional arctic storm and then I'll lose plants I suppose. I will now I have the facility to do so, bring the really previous stuff in: citrus for eg.

 

I would love to grow Bougainvillea: I've lived in Africa a fair bit, and I really miss the flowers! I didn't know there were varieties which would grow in our climate...

 

Well there tougher ones but even those might need a bit of protection occasionally.

 

I grew a lovely, double-flowered, scented pink Oleander in a sheltered corner in Northants. As with a lot of 'tender' flowering plants, it wasn't it's hardiness that was the problem, but the length of the growing season. It used to start flowering in August, just a few weeks before the first frost in September. As for Bougainvillea, it seems to be critical what sort of soil it grows in. Unless it's really well-drained in winter, it's the roots that die, every time!

 

That's really useful info: so being in potato farming, beach territory, we have a fair amount of sand in our soil - so it does drain well. However, in the winter the ground water level comes pretty much to the surface: the fields around us 'weep' across the roads pretty constantly so I imagine this could be an issue... Was wondering the same question if I put a grape vine or two in as well.

 

Lovely rose, my wife will like it, as they share the same name

 

That is beautiful Dave ... you should put it in the monthly Photo Comp ... one vote already. Vxx