Saturday 26 November 2011

Don't they know it's (nearly) Christmas?

Someone needs to tell some of the plants in my garden that it's time to rest! But it's been so mild, plants which should have long finished flowering are still parading their wares. For instance, this Ceanothus:


It flowered, as usual, in May, but it must think it's May again as it's breaking out all over with its powdery blue flowers. And cowslips are having a resurgance, which is most disconcerting:


And of course, good old primulas are flowering everywhere, they don't seem to have a season.


They aren't my favourite plant, or at least not this variety, but you can't knock them if they give a splash of colour at the end of November, can you?

It's all very strange. What's still flowering in your garden?

8 comments:

  1. Hi Martin, it must be very nice for you to have more color than usual in your garden at this time of the year. I love the fluffy blooms of your Ceanothus, again a plant that is new to me.
    Here in Southern California the weather is mild as expected in this climate zone, so the plants behave normal in terms of bloom time. But I noticed that some of my Miniature roses that I grow in pots seem to think it is spring. They start to produce leaves like crazy and I am sure it won't take long until they make flowers, again. I have no idea why that is so, since other roses that I grow in containers don't show the same behavior, but I am certainly not complaining :-)!
    Christina

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  2. My Ceanothus is in flower but it is an autumn flowering one which often cconfuses people

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  3. Christina, I'm surprised you are not familiar with Ceanothus as its main home is California, and its common name is Californian Lilac.

    Patientgardener, I didn't realise there were autumn-flowering ones, but I guess I have one a the moment!

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  4. It's been a bizarre year all round, lovely to still have blooms in November xx

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  5. It's a current phenomenon all over the uk, with the temps being so mild for the time of the year. They were even talking about it on the radio gardening program this afternoon (flowering Ceanothus included).

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  6. California lilac has such pretty and aromatic flowers! I agree that it was unusual year in term of the weather. Some of my plants started blooming only in September-October!

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  7. Its been the same up north Martin, although the last couple of days have seen the night temp dropping to zero. I think I will have to find a spot for the Ceanothus, great colour.

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  8. It's possible that Johnny Jump ups are flowering under the snow. I often see them when the snow melts. My garden has gone to sleep for the winter.

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