October has been the most glorious month (so far, as we have been promised storms and rain from Sunday). I am now sure that autumn is my favourite season. The gardens comes back to life (literally) after the furnace that is summer; Early September saw some lovely rain but October has been dry.
Temperatures have been in the mid to high 20’s°C during the day, but cooler in the mornings, evenings and at night. During the day, short-sleeved cotton shirts have been comfortable; in the evening something over the arms is necessary but the heating is still off and we’ve only lit one fire and that proved to be too warm so we didn’t keep it burning.
I have an ornamental dwarf pomegranate as well as the one for fruit. It has been flowering most of the summer and has even produced a few miniature fruit
It was hard to take the photographs this afternoon as the sun is very bright.
Ornamental pomegranate
Chrysanthemums in the cut flower bed; I think some will be ready to pick next Monday
All the Chrysanthemums were bought as pot plants and had obviously been treated with some kind of growth hormone to make them short and full of flower in their pots; some of the plants are 3 years old (I took basal cuttings from all the varieties) and this year, suddenly they are all growing tall; one must be almost 5 feet tall.
Rosa mutabilis
Rose ‘Clair Martin’
All the buds on Rose ‘Old Blush’ are drooping, I have given it some water but obviously not enough!
Another Salvia grown from a cutting is flowering now
During the summer it was too hot and dry for this Salvia to flower; it’s making up for it now
Under the Mulberry, the Acanthus began to shoot last month but the dry conditions again now mean that it is looking very sad
There are lots of fruit on the Arbutus, I usually eat a couple while a walk around the garden
Both the crab apples are bursting with fruit
These crab apples usually stay on the tree until spring
Tree Heather
The old Tuesday view
View towards the outside of the cut flower secret garden
Sedum and Pennisetum Karlie
Looking much the same The Tuesday view
What plants or views are giving you pleasure this week?
Creating my own garden of the Hesperides 
This was fascinating to me. Some flowers looked like mine, while others were not familiar. Lovely.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I think I should post more general views to give a better idea of how the garden actually looks and feels.
I like general and plant features. I do not have a pomegranate. I was fascinated by them in California. I would have brought one back, but too big for the luggage. I did bring a Kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos) plant back. It is thriving in NC.
I think the climate might be too cold in winter for a pomegranate in NC.
A delightful summary of what is happening in your garden now. Happy October!
Thanks John. I think that October could become my new favourite month.
We have been having a similar October and like you being able to enjoy the garden. It is lovely to see yours blooming again. I really liked the tree heather. Amelia
I’m not sure if the tree heather is supposed to flower in autumn as well as spring or if it is the result of the drought conditions this year.
Perfect temperatures. And, you have so much blooming and bearing fruit. Your Salvia is crazy….wow!
I should water the Salvias a bit more in summer then perhaps they’d flower all summer.
Christina her garden looks really beautiful: all in bloom and with fruits, despite not having rained in recent weeks. Chrysanthemums are precious. The temperature is ideal and I am very happy with the rain forecast starting on Sunday. I understand how Autumn is your favorite season. With those characteristics it is also mine! Enjoy your garden and spend a great week. Greetings from Margarita.
This October has been perfect for gardening. I’m enjoying it very much Margarita. I hope you are having good weather too.
Tree Heather is interesting–I like that look. Also like the idea of a dwarf pomegranate. Pomegranate should be cold hardy in NC.
Do you think so? I thought perhaps your winters were colder than here. It is a very attractive plant.
Your garden looks refreshed, Christina. I envy you the cooler temperatures and the rain. We’ve had too little of the former and none of the latter. We’re expecting a cool-down starting today but the temperatures are forecast to spike again this weekend, with the return of the dreaded Santa Ana winds. It’s resulted in a slow start to what’s usually my busiest planting season. My fingers are crossed that November will be better, although I’m still not seeing rain in the extended forecast.
We haven’t had anywhere near enough rain, just showers in September so it has been a year since there has been any serious amount of rain. I’ve never seen the Acanthus look like that.
It certainly looks glorious Christina and so different from Devon at present where it is misty and getting cool.
October is usually like this, better than September when it is often more changeable and cooler.
Sounds like now is the time to visit! Loved the Roses, I haven’t seen some of them in years and Pomegranates. I like October as well, it is finally cooling down here.
Yes; I’d say October is the best time to visit Italy if you don’t enjoy very hot weather. Most roses don’t do well in my ground but China roses seem survive and perform quite well.
Yes, the mutabilis was a favorite.
It’s nice to see your garden waking up after the dry, hot summer. Love all the fruit and the tree heather. What does arbutus taste like?
It doesn’t taste of very much but has a. nice texture a bit like a peach
I am so glad the weather is rather more amenable for you, Christina! Interesting what you say about the chrysanthemums – I always thought the potted ones that are readily available at this time of year looked unnaturally short and over-floriferous! Interesting too that your salvias will come into flower now that temperatures have dropped.The glimpse of your secret garden shows just how much that has come on – will you show us more of it soon?
The secret garden is where I have four of the cut flower beds. The Trachelospenum hedge is growing well (needs desperately to be tied in to its support). Everything is a bit overgrown now but I will show you what it looks like. If I ever decide to move the cut flower beds I would make the space into a white and green and silver garden, with the irrigation it would be a little oasis in summer.
I was forgetting that you had cutting beds there but do remember the trachelospermum – has it flowered well this year?
I’ve just spent 2 days tying in the Trachelospernum to the supporting wires. It flowered well and should make a strong contribution to the garden next year.
Your October garden is lovely Christina. I love your little pomegranate tree. My Rosa mutabilis is blooming too, it never seems to stop. Bengal Beauty my other Rosa chinensis does the same. Do look out for it, it would do well in your garden.
How nice that your chrysanthemums have reverted to their proper size.
I have a French friend who lives in the south of France and he gorged on the fruit of Arbutus unedo which grows wild in the Esterel. He made himself very ill. So don’t eat more than a couple.
Yes, I know that you mustn’t eat more than a couple of the Arbutus, I was warned on a visit to the Botanic Garden here in Viterbo. The fruit is commonly sold in the markets in the Middle East and sometimes even in small fruit and vegetable shops here. I have to admit it is lovely to be able to enjoy the garden again. It was so dreadful this summer I wanted to move into an air-conditioned apartment by the sea and never see a garden again!!
We have been enjoying sunny mild days too, although it is misty and very damp every morning here. Your views are all lovely, and I especially like the salvias. I think I will have to find some that like my garden. I hope to post a view next week – have been taking a week off! :)”
I hope you enjoyed your long weekend in the UK. My view isn’t going to change as quickly as I’d like because I need to propagate more plants and that will take time. I spent today taking lots of cuttings.
The garden looks really good. I have never tasted Arbutus.
You’re not missing much by not having tasted Arbutus fruit. It doesn’t taste of very much but has a nice texture a bit like a peach. You can only eat one or two as there is a chemical in them that can make you ill.
Doesn’t sound too appealing.
Lovely photos, especially those of your Autumn berries and fruits, the pomegranate flowers and beautiful Mutabilis blooms!
I never knew that about the arbutus fruit. It is an interesting thing though to have filling the branches.
Glad to hear your weather has finally settled into a pleasant pattern. I love those days which are warm enough during the day, but just a little chilly in the evening. I think that’s the main reason I love vacations up to the northern coast during the worst of the summer heat.
Your Karley Rose pennisetum looks much nicer than mine this year. All the rain seems to have brought on a ton of floppy growth but few flowers. I’m considering pulling some of it out and reclaiming the real estate for something else.
Oh you and your garden must be relishing a cooler month Christina. A friend flew to Rome on Friday so I had a peek at the weather forecast and was most envious. Here storm ‘Brian’ has blown and spouted heavy rain for a good part of the weekend. Those sedums and pennisetum look most effective together. Hope that you have been enjoying the weekend.
Well today at last we have a little rain! The first of the month so that although I decided to have a baking day rather than a gardening day I am certainly enjoying the weather. Tomorrow it should be back to sunshine October has become my favourite month of the year.
I love fall, too, for the same reasons you gave. I call it our “second spring.” It is wonderful to feel cooler air now, and with recent rain all the plants seem so fresh and alive. Your Tuesday views are lovely!
I call it our second spring too, Debbie and in many ways I enjoy it more than the real spring which only bodes heat!
I have only just got round to reading this post and your pictures are like a shot of Summer. The salvias are looking very happy
From when I wrote the post to when you read it, the weather has changed dramatically. Yesterday morning when I went out at about 8.30, it was 6°C!!!!! The north wind is blowing and it suddenly feels more like winter than summer.
Oh goodness that is cold. I think it’s heading our way next week. Better start moving the tenders in
We are having the most spectacular autumn color that I can remember…makes me want to retract the whining over the wet spring and blazing hot summer.
Lucky you, we rarely have much colour at all in autumn, Pyracantha berries are about the only reliable orange and yellow we see!