Tag Archives: Autumn

This pretty and tough evergreen groundcover is one of the most versatile, hard-working plants going! Lovely bluish-purple, open-faced, funnel-shaped 1-2” flowers appear in late Spring and continuing nonstop well into the Fall. Not invasive like some annual “Morning Glories”, this Mediterranean sun-lover needs little water once established. Forms a low, dense, vining mat of foliage 3’ across that helps with …

This charming, fragrant groundcover hails from Greece. Masses of 3/4” two-lipped mauve flowers appear in late Spring and continue well into Fall! The bee-attracting flowers exude a honey scent while the oblong silvery-green leaves offer a pleasing woodsy fragrance. Like most Teucriums, this “Gray Creeping Germander” is a tough little guy, managing very well with little water and poor soil, …

Hundreds of well displayed, exotic, bearded, 2″ flowers jut out on prominent stems up and down the numerous upright stalks almost year round with the heaviest bloom occurring in Summer and Fall, with plenty of blooms continuing thru Winter. Pretty, evergreen, linear foliage. Can be cut back to 2′ tall in Winter to contain growth. Hummingbird heaven! Lobelia aguana, a …

Lobelia erinus “Fountain Blue”xThis variety of Lobelia has masses of graceful, tumbling pink half-inch flowers. It softens the edge of the garden container as well as hanging baskets and window boxes. Blooms forever it seems and often lives over here in USDA Zone 8b, and always self-sows to grace your gardening world every year. Use rich soil for prettiest show! …

Floriferous, fast and easy it’s amazing this South African annual isn’t more popular in the trade and with garden designers. Quickly growing to 15” tall and wide, it explodes into a mass of sunny, golden blooms that last for months. With a rich, shiny maroon ring encircling the central golden eye, the 2.5” flowers are eye-fetching held atop the rich …

Streptosolen jamesonii (Marmalade Bush) – An evergreen rambling, shrub that without support will grow 4-6 feet tall and wide; with support it can reach 15 feet. It has oval-shaped 1 inch long leaves with a wrinkled appearance that densely clothe the sprawling branches and a bountiful display of large 5-inch orange, bell-shaped flowers bloom at the terminal ends of the …

Night Phlox (Zaluzianskya capensis, “Midnight Candy”) fills the evening air with a sweet fragrance that will give you joy from May to November. The flowers open towards the evening and remain open until early in the morning. As the light intensity increases, they slowly start to close and are completely closed from midday until evening. I purchased my plant from …

Its gold and orange flowers bloom from spring until the first light fall frost. Grow it for its sunny beauty in containers, borders, or parking strips. Then save some blooms for fresh or dried floral arrangements; dried petals can be used in baking or teas. Calendula gets its common name, Pot Marigold, becuase the flower resembles a marigold, and is …

Helichrysum argyrophyllum, the Golden Guinea Everlasting Daisy, makes a great groundcover in open sunny spots and is perfect for sunny rock-gardens. This South African native has small silver/grey leaves and from late summer into autumn it is covered with masses of bright yellow everlasting daisies. This is a tough plant that will survive heat, drought and even frost. We purchased …

Pulgas Ridge is a small park, part of the Mid-Peninsula Open Space District, off of I-280 near Edgewood Road, just north of Edgewood County Park. There are about 6 miles of trails in the park with some great climbs and descents with amazing peninsula views. Most trails are single-track with a few paved road sections. The weather is usually mild. …