It was gorgeous today. Sunny and about 8 degrees C, which feels warm to me at this time of year. In the last two months – officially winter here – we’ve had one day of sleet and hail, and about three so far where it got near to zero and there was frost on the car, and the grass. The wind barely made its usual horrendously damaging appearance in late October, and November has been equally placid.
Of course the rain never really goes away, it is Ireland, after all.
Last weekend it was also lovely, so I borrowed iDJ’s iPhone to take pictures of my remaining flowers.
The rudbeckia is still going strong. I am so impressed with how long one bloom can survive. They are very welcome; now more than ever with their warm autumn coloration.
More rudbeckia.
Galliardia is still in bloom, too.
I’m fascinated with their huge puff-ball seed heads, too. I’m leaving them to mature, just out of curiosity.
Now. This is something that really fascinates me! This is the stem of just one of the many black lilies that I grew this year. This one plant has not only made seeds, but seems to be growing bulblets all along its stem. I’m boggled. I think it is quite possible my garden next year is going to be overrun with black lilies. We may just have to dig up the whole front lawn (no great loss) and plant it with lilies and tigridia. I have no photos of them, but I have hundreds of tigridia seeds. Anyone in Europe want to have a go at growing them from seed? I’ll post them to ye.
The strawberry / raspberry patch is looking distinctly autumnal, and dammed ugly to boot.
One of my blueberry bushes always has incredible colour for fall. And it takes fall to heart: leaves everywhere.
I don’t know much about lavender. I grew these from seed last spring because I was told it was hard, and I love a challenge. They are blooming now, is that normal?
I had an absolutely terrible time trying to get the phone to focus on the lavender blooms. Oh well.
Some real colour to finish off with! The violas, a first for me this year. I expected tiny wee plants that were good as a border around another lavender plant. Instead they got nearly 2 foot tall, choked the lavender to death, and seeded everywhere when I wasn’t looking. As they are still beautifully in bloom, I can’t complain. Those little cat-whisker faces just make me smile.
heretherebespiders 
Ah they still look better than I would have expected!! In particular, the last ones look just as good as new! I think you’ve been goood to them this summer 🙂
They seem to be pretty happy despite the cold!
You will miss them during the winter, won’t you? Don’t lie to me, it’s like the fifth post you write about how they are going to their end. You really should have something that works well inside. You need some heat from flowers in your heart.
I’ve the cyclamen in the bathroom, and my “Christmas” cactus has bloomed, too. It’s hard to have flowering plants inside – cats!
Beautiful photos, you know the common name for Rudbeckia is Black Eyed Susans? These were always my favorite growing up. I thought it was so cool that I had a flower named after me. I didn’t really believe that was the truth but I wanted to believe it just in case.
I didn’t think about that! I never had a friend named Susan when I was small. And I rather dislike the ‘black eyed’ bit – seems awfully cruel! I really hope you never had a black eye!
I do so love to grow them, though – such an amazing display from a tiny seed!
My lavender winters over. It’s out there in flower now. Woody stems — i’s practically an evergreen.
Guess it is normal, then! They didn’t bloom last year, too young I presume.
Lavender is weird. It took me three trials with different varieties to find lavender that would “take” in my yard. Now it has base stems as thick through as my thumb and I doubt I could kill it if I tried. If it’s perking, just thank your stars and enjoy the aroma.
I had some store-bought a few years ago, but two years of big snow here killed it. I learned not to let them sit covered in snow. Also killed my three-ft-tall rosemary bush (same family obviously).
Puny winter.
So far, yep! Predicting snow for us on Thursday, though.