Garden Photo of the Day

Carol’s Favorite Plants of the Year

Some goodies from the gardening season just ended

Carol Mumford saw the post in which I shared some of my favorite plants from the previous year (check it out here), and she decided to share some of her own. (I hope you will too!)

Hi Joseph,

I enjoyed seeing some of your favorite garden plants today. I’ll have to grow the moon flower once again. It certainly beats the heavenly blue morning glory that takes forever to bloom here in Connecticut.

We had our killer frost last weekend, so there is much to do for cleanup. I’m sending you photos of plants that bloom late in the growing season and were quite impressive this year, probably due to the rains we had all season.

Hardy mumsPollinators just love hardy mums (Chrysanthemum), and they bloom for a very long time.

MonkshoodMonkshood (Aconitum carmichaelii, Zones 3–7) is such a late bloomer that it sometimes doesn’t make it before frost.

Angel trumpetAngel trumpet (Brugmansia, Zones 8–11) displays its last hurrah. I have several, both in pots and in the ground. The pots get stored in the basement for the winter. I take cuttings from those in the ground and keep them in water in the basement. I like this plant as a tree rather than a shrub, so I prune and select cuttings accordingly.

Another view of angel trumpet

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pink Diamond’No matter how hard I prune these two Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pink Diamond’ (Zones 3–8) back, they reach 6 to 7 feet every year.

My Fothergilla (Zones 4–8) put on a spectacular display this year.

Plecthrantus ‘Mona Lavender’This Plecthrantus ‘Mona Lavender’ (Zones 9–10 or as annual) is an annual in a pot among my hostas. I brought it into the house, and although the color has faded, the plant is still impressive.

Pineapple sagePineapple sage (Salvia elegans, Zones 8–10 or as annual) is another annual that sometimes does not make its bloom time before frost. It surely was different this year!

 

Have a garden you’d like to share?

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Comments

  1. User avater
    meander_michaele 11/20/2019

    Wow, Carol, you have some awesome favorite plants and I'm especially inspired by your inclusion of some late season annuals that can be showstoppers if seasonal temps give them time to bloom. The plecthrantus in full and glorious bloom is spectacular. I didn't know it was such a shade lover but since it thrived potted up among your hostas, I guess so. Do you bring it in every winter or will this be the first time?

    1. Camamum27 11/24/2019

      Hi Michael,
      The photo shown was a plant I purchased this year. I did winter over last year’s on my porch at 50 degrees and it did bloom for me but was not as spectacular as the new one.
      I winter over others on my porch as well, lantana, hibiscus, rosemary, mandevilla, and cordyline.

  2. davlinkun 11/20/2019

    Nice content
    Great idea to reflect on the season’s fav plants and include some of our “golden” citizens like The Fothergilla -beautiful
    Thank You.

  3. User avater
    simplesue 11/20/2019

    Nice to see all the flower photos. I've heard of Monkshood, and seen photos but none as spectacular and clear as yours! The Angle Trumpets have my attention too. Thanks for posting, I enjoyed this.

  4. mjtrusz 11/20/2019

    Thank you for sharing, I am definitely curious about the Angel Trumpet. I always try to have something of interest in every season, thank you for sharing yours.

  5. btucker9675 11/20/2019

    Wow - the color of the monkshood is gorgeous! What a wonderful selection of plants you have and the photos are terrific.

  6. nwphillygardener 11/20/2019

    Thant photo of the Brugmansia, looking up with it's flowers backlit is truly stunning!. Not sure if you accomplished it with any photo manipulation to make the background a clean white - indistinguishable from the page that surrounds it - but it is mesmerizing to see the translucency of the exquisite shaped flowers. I could see that image co-opted for lots of uses, like calendars or even a postage stamp design. Thank you for sharing it with us.

    1. Camamum27 11/24/2019

      I took the picture of the Brugmansia (looking up) at the sky with my iPad, just holding it under the flowers. I’m glad you liked it.

  7. User avater
    SarahCullen 11/21/2019

    Thanks for this post! Really informative!

  8. User avater
    GeorgeMendoza 11/22/2019

    I really appreciated the work!

  9. calliopegirl 11/22/2019

    I really want to plant a fothergilla but I cannot make up my mind which one. What kind is yours?

    1. Camamum27 11/24/2019

      The Fothergilla species is gardenii. I prune it back every year just after it blooms to keep it below the window.

      1. calliopegirl 11/27/2019

        Thank you!

  10. user-7056504 11/22/2019

    Love the fothergilla! wish everyone would plant it instead of burning bush and barberry!

  11. arboretum 11/24/2019

    brilliant contribution! and love your color and design sense.
    now where will i ever find that plectranthus...
    fwiw, blue shadow is the fothergilla to get, but it is wicked slow..

    1. Camamum27 11/24/2019

      My fothergilla is a gardenii.

  12. User avater
    FlorenceThibodeau 11/26/2019

    Thanks for sharing this information!

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