November Garden Colour

Viper's bugloss, Echium vulgare (I think) Grows as an annual and self seeds freely every year. Normally dies with the first frost but it's still blooming happily with the mild damp weather this year. Simple to grow but can reach epidemic proportions if allowed to so be prepared to thin them out. Will form a massive raft of blues, pinkish lavender and white shades



Winter Jasmine Jasminium nudiflorum. Will grow on a heavily shaded North facing wall (this one is in the shade of a Yew tree!) Do any major shaping and pruning in spring after it's finished flowering. Train young stems to wall or trellis while they are still flexible.






Winter flowing pansies. I chose lilac shades to compliment the stonework at the front door of this house. The 'rope' in the backgound is an old established honeysuckle.



And I know roses shouldn't be encouraged at this time of year but - well - you have to admire this one don't you?

 

November can't pass without mentioning holly There are many varieties including smooth leaved and varigates forms:





I still like the classic English Holly though. Ilex aquifolium It always looks as if someone has polished the leaves with turtlewax!




Need help identifying this shrub. Blooms as the leaves start to fall at the begining of November but most unusual for the time of year has a very heady sweet perfume. I did layer it last year and today I lifted a root ball that I was able to divide into two seperate plants. Whatever it is it's easy grown :D

 

Does anyone have the holly

Ilex argentea ferox? (hedgehog holly)

beautifull leaf form

 

Lovely pictures, and lovely description. I shall be most interested in hearing what that pretty deciduous flowerer is.

 

A leaf would have been useful to help identification, and some indication of scale, but the flower does look like Viburunm x bodnantense, though which one?

[ 05. November 2005, 09:05 AM: Message edited by: Palustris ]

 

Thanks Palustris, I'm pretty you've set me on the right track

My RHS A-Z lists a Viburnum bodnantense 'Deben' as: "bears white flowers, faintly pink flushed", but doesn't show an image and I can't find any on the web. Fairly certain that's the one though. I'll have a look round the garden centres and see if I can spot one with a label. I have also seen this growng in a town park.

Regarding scale and leaf. On the second pic the leaf on the right would be about 1.5" (40mm) long, the petiole seems to be quite distinctive with it's red colour. Individual florets are small, maybe 3/16" (4mm) and tubular, something like a lilac. The bush is old, established and about 5' high x 4' wide (1.5m x 1.2m)

 

I dont have it Steve but I have seen it, must be the most prickliest holly of all time. :D

 

What about Mahonia, This is 'charity' starts to open it flowers about now

Gets big but can be pruned in spring.

Fatsia Japonica, not really colourful but impressive when it gets big.

Hebe, dont know what this one is but it seems to be in flower about 9 months of the year.

 

Its a real beauty Pete, but yes very lethal, the leaves are almost like a monstrous form and have spikes coming through the surface of the leaves as well as around the edges...hence hedgehog holly

 

Sorry for the delay in november piccies, problems with pc. As a reminder of summer gone, roses will flower right through til December



Then there's the fruit



Iris Foetidissima - a lover of dry shade, and evergreen. Blessed with bright orange fruits which last for some time.

The leaves



Ilex Argentea Marginata (female) and Silver Queen (male)backed by the flowering quince. These are newish plantings, but they seem to be tolerant of most soil, and quite shady conditions.

Then there's the fairies of this time of year



cyclamen neopolitana (I think) this is establishing well under the shade and dryness of a copper beech.