Flowers bloom recklessly

“Everything is blooming most recklessly …” -- Ranier Maria Rilke

“You know it’s an election year when the placards outnumber the flowers.”

-- Catharine Cooper

October is coming to a close. The turning of leaves and cool overnight temperatures hint we are in the midst of autumn. Summer-like days have ensured that many flowering perennials are at the peak of their floral displays. Bringing flowers indoors is a simple pleasure for many, particularly my wife Catharine when she is home.

Under the canopy of our peppermint tree, the Japanese anemone, Anemone hybrida, has begun its profuse blooming for the fall. Plants reach 2 to 4 feet, with pink, white and rose-colored blossoms. The star-shaped flowers of Campanula poscharskyana, Serbian Bellflower, complement the anemone. Blooming in white and blue, this vigorous groundcover is perfect in shaded rock gardens.

The ubiquitous daylily, hemerocallis hybrids, is seen throughout coastal gardens. A great cut flower, it would be difficult to find a tougher, pest-free plant. I am partial to the dwarf varieties, which are available in salmon, pinks and whites.

I am often asked the name of the bright red, trailing plant that cascades over the stone in our front garden. Jana Ruzicka introduced me to Russelia equisetiformis, or Coral Fountain. The flowers look like miniature firecrackers and bloom the entire year, from Laguna to Loreto.

Initially inspired by Enya and Carole McElwee, the China rose Mutabilis dates back 2,500 years. Buds begin copper-yellow, and then fade to pink as they open. At maturity, the petals turn a soft crimson. Always in bloom and resistive to insects and disease, Mutabilis is my favorite rose.

The tall, purple spikes of Verbena bonariensis fill the background of our garden. The airy stems can reach a height of six feet. Nestled below them are Erigeron karvinskianus, the Santa Barbara Daisy. It is a graceful trailing plant, with attractive, daisy-like flower heads. Both plants make interesting cut flowers in a vase.

My most recent garden walk revealed that the Momotaro tomato plants are sadly waning. They were planted after the last storm in March, and it is time to say goodbye.

This weekend, I’ll plant sugar snap peas in the same 15-gallon containers that held the tomatoes (with a potting soil change). Prior to the holidays, Catharine and I will be snacking on these delicious peas. They can be enjoyed as a snow pea (pod and all) when young, as a snap pea or regular shell pea when mature.

Although I appreciate the autumnal garden, the hours of sunlight are rapidly dwindling, leaving many garden tasks undone. Chasing after worms, deadheading the roses and thinning the bamboo head my garden list. However, weekends allow time for gardening, with clear and sunny days forecast for the remainder of the year. See you next time.