2012, OCTOBER Flowers

Mattie was pleased with the way the plants were settling into her new borders - she sent a few photos.

The former rock trough next to her front walk was full of happy plants


In the front border, one overly-enthusiastic Lantana decided to climb through the boxwoods up to eye-level

With the blooming bed near the walk as background, the new central bed looked great! A dark blue Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' softened the area to the back right of the old tree, while the other side was brightened by tropical Butterfly weed (Asclepias curassavica). Iris foliage added some spikiness, Rosemary added needled green density. Salvia 'May Night' popped out violet-blue blooms, the white butterfly-flowers of Gaura lindheimeri floated in front separated from the dark foliage of Bicolor sage (Salvia sinaloensis) by silvery Lamb's Ear (Stachys byzantina).  The Silver ponyfoot (Dichondra argentea) spread and flowed around the taller plants.

Karla's more established garden was showing off fall flowers, too - the Barbados Cherry shrub (Malpighia glabra) makes these delicately scented blossoms and in a good year the flowers produce small red fruit beloved by birds.

A favorite plant of the Divas of the Dirt is Fall Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ) - here growing in Karla's garden

And Fall Aster is also looking very bouncy tucked into this corner of Diva Annie's garden

This Blue and orange combination grows in Glinda's garden, but both the Blue Butterfly Clerodendron* and the Hot Orange Firecracker plant (Russelia equisetiformis) arrived here as small divisions from Diva Sophia's garden. They've settled in quite well! Backing up this pair is a creamy white Salvia greggii and golden yellow Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lemonnii).

We had no meeting in October - the next gathering took place at DivaAnnie's garden.

*When Sophia gave me the Clerodendron the usual botanical name was Clerodendrum ugandense. But now Dave's Garden lists the preferred name as Rotheca myricoides 'Ugandense', along with 5 other synonyms.  

Posted by Annie in Austin/Diva Glinda