What's looking good in September 2014

Hedychium gardnerianum from @pete - thanks!


Caiophora hibiscifolia, Salvia confertiflora, Eccromocarpus scaber and other stuff...............


Impatiens balfourii continues to shine in this dark spot...................

 

A bit of this and a bit of that.

The Sedum's are coming good now.




Lavender 'Bush Baby' coming to it's season's end.


Knautia Macedonica

 

Geraniums...Tried a no watering policy out of curiosity..only watered them in when planted and once through the summer...



Nemesia...I can't boost these little plants up enough,the scent is beautiful...



Laurentia...another scented 'must have'...



Nicotiana Sylvestris ...the picture doesn't do these lovely plants justice...

 

I grew some a few years ago and really liked them.

Something of nothing until they decide to start growing properly and then all is forgiven! I accidentally weeded all the self seeders out When I realised what I plonk I'd been it was too late and just one survived potting up

 

Sacrilege

 

Some seed grown Abutilon. The first two were sown in February, the third one is a couple of years old now....................






Salvia "Raspberry Royale".......................


Kniphofia "Green Jade".....................


A Fair chunk of my Lobelia tupa was flattened in the winds a couple of weeks ago, but those that are still upright are impressive! This is just one plant....................


The same fate befell my Acanthus mollis but on a bigger scale. Twenty spikes down to one......................

 

How do you over winter them? Save-seed or can plants be dug out for next year?

I hope you are not going to educate me that they are annuals!!!

 

They just get a mulch of conifer needles/leaves from my Taxodium. They are pretty exposed there but no problem. I think that the essential thing is to not cut the stems down until the spring - being hollow water could run down and into the heart of the plant which would be bad.
I suspect that the other trick is to grow them as well as possible through the summer. So don't treat them like the North American perennial Lobelia which are moisture lovers. The South American Lobelias are in the main prairie plants so prefer things a bit on the drier side in the growing season.

 

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That's an amazing sunflower Nick!

 

Canna Tropicanna Black is still in flower so I haven't missed it after all.




Clerodenrum Bungei Pink Diamond.


Cordyline Pink Sunrise has put on some decent growth but I'll wrap it if it really gets cold in the Winter.


Perilla Magilla Purple.


I kept my dark leaved Shrimp plants just for the novelty as they are different to the type and as they came 'courtesy of' a hotel garden in Nairobi two years ago.

 

The biggest russian sunflower thanks @Lolimac around 8ft tall



A sign autumn is here the leaves on the Japanese maples are changing