These flowers are likely to be pretty much gone by the time I post this. They’ve done well to last as long, but the next touch of frost will probably be enough to finish off the cosmos (below) and the osteospermum (bottom).
The penstemon (above) can usually flower a little longer than the others. Sometimes it’s still flowering when the heavier frosts arrive, which makes for some attractive photographs. I don’t think it will manage to keep going long enough this year because there are fewer flowers. None of our penstemons have had as many flowers as usual this year, but I don’t know why. They’re pretty drought-tolerant but I suppose it’s possible that they got a bit too wet in winter. Hopefully they’ll have stopped sulking by next year!
I was glad to get the photograph of the cosmos, even though I’d already taken several others back in August, because at last it had developed the colouring that I had been hoping for. That was my last chance to get a decent photograph too, because although there are still several flowers, they’re now smaller and starting to look a bit ragged as the weather gets rougher.
Next year I will probably plant cosmos again, but I’ll try to find a different cultivar so that I have something new to photograph. (That’s the pleasure of having some annuals in the garden – I must make time to grow more.)
We have several osteospermums tucked into sunny spots in the garden. They don’t usually survive the winter but a local nursery sells them quite cheaply, so we don’t mind buying some more. The flowers are looking a bit ragged as a result of the little bit of frost we’ve had and the rain more recently. However, there’s still a few buds, so maybe they’ll manage to open to give us a last few flowers. (Next summer, I must remember to photograph the pretty daisy-like osteospermum flowers when they’re at their best – not leave it ’til they’re getting roughed up by the weather!)
Ann Mackay: Inspired by Nature 
You’ve still got some lovely cheerful colours! The cosmos is an absolute darling.
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Thanks Liz! I was glad to see the cosmos colouring come up like this at last – it’s such a pretty effect. 🙂
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Beautiful close-up views of the flowers, Ann! The first one is so refreshing!!
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The first plant – a penstemon – is great for giving a long flowering season, right up until it gets frosty. It’s very good for bees too. It hasn’t done so well this year, so I hope it will be OK again next year.
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‘Candy Stripe’ is very pretty, but I find the plain colours usually do the best, no so this year though. All my Cosmos were poor.
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I get years like that with plants too, and it’s so disappointing when you’ve looked forward to seeing something. This year it was the penstemons that did poorly and I don’t know why.
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I was curious about the name osteospermum. Sure enough, the genus name is derived from the Greek “osteon”, meaning “bone” and Latin “spermum”, which means “seed”. I looked at some macro photos of the seeds, and they do look like bits of bone. I presume they’re quite hard, too.
That penstemon photo is quite unusual. I don’t remember ever seeing a flower reflected in its own wet petals before.
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Aha! You have me intrigued to see osteospermum seeds, so I’ll have to leave some dead flowerheads in the hope of seed production. It hadn’t particularly occurred to me to think about the reflection and now you’ve pointed it out, it sounds like a fun challenge to find more… 🙂
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The colour of your penstemon is quite stunning. I have two different ones, both still flowering.
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I love this one for its deep colour. I believe it’s ‘Raven’, but it can be hard to keep track of the names! (And one of our little nurseries doesn’t always label the cultivar – but it’s a great source of healthy, inexpensive plants.)
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I really like the Candy Stripe! Very pretty petals. I am amazed you have so many plants still blooming – that has got to make your garden cheery during the cooler days of autumn.
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Thanks Syd! The flowers are disappearing very quickly now, though, and it’s beginning to feel a bit wintry. Brrr!
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Awesome that you’ve had color this long. Ours is a distant memory at this point, even the foliage muchless flowers. The “Candy Stripe” is lovely.
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Thank you Steve! Most of the flowers are becoming a memory now – and it looks like we will get sleet tomorrow, so feels like winter is almost here! I was glad to get that photo of the colouring that ‘Candy Stripe’ is grown for. 🙂
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It’s unusual to hear someone speak of flowers sulking.
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But it doesn’t feel unusual for plants to be sulking, especially if they’re not planted in the most suitable place. I think many gardeners will know what sulking plants/flowers are like, hehe!
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