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October in my zone 9a garden

User
10 years ago

When Don de Guacamole asked how my hosta were doing this last round of the growing season, I got out my camera and headed outdoors. It's been about 2 weeks since I did much there, having come down with some sort of vertigo. But today it was the most gorgeous day, hovering in the mid-70s, no wind, great sunshining over everything. The cold front which came through to send the last tropical storm running away must also have brought the butterflies on it, like in past years when I noticed thousands of them staging along the Gulf Coast in October for the "butterfly weekend" before they headed across the wide ocean to their wintering spots in more southerly latitudes. And I found the Gulf fritillary butterflies all around the passion vines to lay their eggs today. I look forward to the caterpillars stripping the leaves off, since they will otherwise wither away for no good purpose.

So. Here is the spider, a spiny yellow orb spider of some kind Hanging in my Hosta Sanctuary quite happily, with a fly for his dinner.

Hard to catch a butterfly standing still, but here is one with the passion vines and the bananas

Now, I will try not to overwhelm everyone. I uploaded 120 + pictures tonight, and many for sure are fragrant hosta. Surprisingly enough, the other hosta are holding on really nicely as well. First off will come one that many people like.

Halcyon

Jade Stone, with a couple of seedpods. It is fragrant and has gorgeous big white blossoms. Notice the fasciations which the blooms used like a couch to help them stay at a good angle for pollinators I suppose.

Inniswood. It had a flush late in the season, and those leaves are much smaller than the tired veterans of the real hot part of the summer.

Aspen Gold. My heavens, this is a lovely hosta and I recommend it for its troublefree nature.

Lucy Vitols, another hardy hosta hanging in there. Lovely.

Fried Bananas, a replacement for the virused one I regred losing this May.

H. lancifolia species hosta 3 in a tub, still full looking.

Satisfaction NOID from 2010, Looking rough but not down for the winter yet.

This cluster includes Victory, Royal Standard, plantaginea, Athena, and then Bennie McRae, with the last standing fragrant blooming scape. The whole cluster is loaded with seedpods.

Dick Ward, a tough customer for sure.

The same cluster as above, but singling out plantaginea which shows the remnants of its blossoms, with one big fat seedpod. This is not Mama plantaginea, but #8 of her kind.

Mama plantaginea showing the eyes added this season.

Red Dragon just a simple greenie, but in good shape.

Victory, and all those scapes have many seedpods on them, but too tall to get in one close picture. I got it in 2011 as a "2 for $$" from Bob Solberg, and it is very pleasing to look at.

Sweet Standard, a striped fragrant which may be sterile, but I like it anyway.

Living Water went heat dormant soon after it arrived and I thought it was a goner. But a week or so later there it was poking noses up and it still looks fine to me.

p. Athena is a goddess of the fragrant family. Isn't that a beaut?

Summer Fragrance has seedpods atop those tall scapes, and looks pretty good I think.

Hoosier Harmony is a fragrant. Not sure if it is sporting or what, I thought it was a solid golden leaf....but....we'll see.
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Fragrant King started early and took a lot of heat this summer. So he has a right to be bedraggled.

Avocado was my DH's favorite hosta this year. I think I notice in this picture a leaf with a nematode vein, do you?
Hate to set it back with the bleach treatment, but what else can I do.

Rosedale Golden Goose holds its gold all year, has great substance, and was impressive from the git-go.

Gosan Sunproof still look fresh, doesn't it? And I know there is something eating on my leaves, but with all the wild birds dining in the pots, I dare not put out poison. For a fact, I've never found a single worm in the pots. They eat some, but then the birds get them.
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Diana Remembered is winding up the year looking pretty good. Last year, she did not impress me, but this year, she is a sweet medium fragrant plant.

Paradise Island got really thick this year, and while it does not have great substance, it is a vigorous plant. Not fragrant, of course, but a real winner.

Sugarbabe is one which Bob Solberg says is the smallest fragrant he's seen. I did not get mine from him, but now I plan to buy his and compare the two.

Jaws is an Alttara Scheer hosta among the first order I placed with Naylor Creek last year. I think last year it was in shock finding itself in our heat and humidity. But this year it showed off nicely.

Paradise Sunshine is so pretty I've kept it on a pedestal.

Squash Casserole is a great hosta from first to last. I plan to put this picture in the thread devoted to it to wind up the story of how it grew. I love it!

Fragrant Bouquet is one no lover of fragrant hosta should be without. Its genes are in so many great plants. Plus it set seeds this year, we'll see if they are any good.

Invincible, another great fragrant hosta which has contributed to many new varieties or cultivars. (I'll have to try to remember my terms one of these days.) Worth looking at all season long.

I'll wind up with this one.
Liberty. Still fresh and beautiful. Not too much the worse for wear anyway.

And if you wish to view the album of 120 + pictures, feel free to do so. I'll put a link below. I haven't nearly covered the garden with this, but before your eyes glaze over, I'm done.

Here is a link that might be useful: October in Zone 9a Garden

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