Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - November 2012

Whoa! Bloom Day snuck up on me this month. I had forgotten all about it until the Bloom Day posts started showing up in my Google reader. So I rushed outside to record what is blooming in the garden so that I could show you.

I went to take a picture of the Turk's Cap which I knew was in full bloom, but my attention was distracted by this green anole on the bricks above the plant. It's a cool day here - temperatures still in the 50s when the picture was taken - and the anole was soaking in the warmth of the bright sun on this south-facing wall.

And, sure enough, the Turk's Cap was in full bloom.

'Tangerine Dream' crossvine is a spring bloomer but continues to send out a few blooms throughout most of the year.

I have a good crop of butternut squash and the vines are still blooming.

The milkweed blooms have all turned to seeds now - seeds that await a wind to send them to their destination.

The milkweed has another crop, too - Monarch caterpillars.

'Caldwell Pink' polyantha rose blooms almost every month in my garden - November is no exception.

 Cape honeysuckle still sports some of its fiery blooms, as well.

A half-opened bloom of the sunny yellow hibiscus greeted me on my early-morning rounds with the camera.

Red firespike is almost done but it's had a good long cycle of bloom.

The purple trailing lantana is still blooming and still drawing butterflies like this skipper. (A Dorantes, I think.)

 And this beautiful Red Admiral.

And, of course, the ever-present Gulf Fritillary.

Blue plumbago has just bloomed and bloomed and bloomed since early spring.

 The shrimp plant is sending out some jumbo-sized "shrimp."

'Radazz' Knockout roses have been putting on a good show recently.

In the herb garden, Mexican mint marigold is beginning to bloom.

Jatropha will continue to send out blooms until first frost.

Tecoma stans is still full of its flowers as well as its bean-like seeds.

Hamelia patens will go to sleep with the first killing frost. After three seasons of heavy bloom, it deserves a rest.

These are the glory days for Copper Canyon daisies.

Bleeding heart clerodendron - these blossoms haven't opened up to show the "blood" yet.

Yellow cestrum just keeps going and going like that pink bunny on the long-ago battery commercials on television.

This half-open bloom of a succulent is criss-crossed by delicate silk strands from a spider.

I know I've gone on too long, but I have to show you my favorite bloom in the garden this month - the lovely 'Litchfield Angel' rose. I love the delicate colors of this blossom.

By the time December Bloom Day rolls around, we probably will have had our first frost here in Southeast Texas and my garden will look quite different. It's been a long year and the garden has bloomed its heart out for me. I'm ready to tuck it in for a few weeks' winter nap.

Thank you for visiting today and thank you as always to our hostess Carol of May Dreams Gardens. Happy Bloom Day!