Fall flowers last hurrah

This African daisy (Osteospermum) bloomed in the spring and but we got two bonus blooms in the fall. In spite of its annual nature, perhaps it will survive the winter to bloom again. I was attracted to its almost electrical purple color with an almost plastic like perfection to the bloom. It was only when I photographed it in close-up that I noticed the very subtle blue of the middle of the flower.



I have these blood red mums for free this year because these are last fall's mums that survived through the winter and started growing again in the spring. They are not really perennial in northern Delaware, but I have always gotten some back in each of the places I have lived and planted them.

The yellow mums are really for free since they were planted two years ago by the previous owners and have stubbornly survived two mild winters.


This Toad Lily (Tricyrtis, but I am unsure of the exact type, I guess latifolia) is a plant native to Delaware which we purchased at the University of Delaware plant sale. When it was first planted in the spring one of the friendly plant eater in our yard, my bet is on our "pet" groundhog, chewed it almost down to the ground. It rebounded to produce these interesting blooms this fall. This was a good plant for the shady back yard next to the creek, and I do have the patience to wait for late summer and fall for its blooms. I hope it continues to do well.



This hardy geranium (Geranium sanguineum) is one of the more interesting plants that came with the house already planted in a front bed. It produces these delicate blood veined white quarter sized flowers throughout the season from late spring until fall frost.



This strobilanthes (strobilanthes dyerianus), although not a flower, is really cool looking nonetheless. it is almost alien or reptilian with its purple foliage and ribbed leaves. I am trying to save this strobilanthes for next year, I have dug it up and taken it inside since they really get killed in a frost. I waited one day too long last year and that plant was killed to mush in a night. I have been told that these are really house plants up here but they do well in the summer.