Autumn jewels

I can manage to find a few redeeming features about autumn if I think and look hard enough. Like the rowan berries, for instance. Good bird food, and even better wine ingredient:



The Acidanthera bicolor (Peacock Orchid), not hardy here and a "gift" from one of our plant suppliers. It has a lovely scent:



The Parahebe is still at it, I think I could love that small shrub to pieces:



And the little Isotoma:



My friend's Cimicifuga "Brunette" is shorter than the one we have, with much darker foliage and those lovely, scented spires:



And today it had a special decoration as well:



This little dragonfly was sunning itself. I think it's beautiful:



I might get used to lovely autumn weather if this continues for much longer.

 

Thank you Eileen. The Acidantera are in-and-out plants here, and we store them like the Dahlias. They're not difficult at all. They get planted and fed, they bloom and they are stored. Repeat next year. The hard part is to remember to dig them up.

 

Droopy, love your pictures especially the Peacock Orchid. Thanks for sharing.

 

Great pics Droopy! Still lots of beautiful colors down your way.

I've never made the Rowen berry wine, only because i heard it was bitter. Have you made it.

 

It's nice to see your Rowan berry bush. It's looking very healthy and happy there.
The insect fotos were especially nice to see. Very colourful.
The Cimicifuga "Brunette" blooms so late, but looks quite nice.
I don't know what to say about that Acidanthera bicolor. It looks terrific and sounds like the fragrance is quite nice as well. I like a flower with a good smell.

Your garden hasn't given up just yet, has it?

 

Thank you all.

Biita, my husband made rowan berry wine a few years ago and it turned out lovely. The trick is to freeze the berries to get the bitterness out, I think.

I'm a bit sorry for the dragonfly I didn't manage to photograph. It was perched on Gabriella's tail, looking like a really fancy bow. It took off when I pointed the camera.

 

ohhh okay, thanks droopy. I have a ton of rowen berries so i may go out an pick them and freeze. Thanks.

 

Those are so pretty!!

 

Wonderful pictures! I've never heard of Rowan berries (but they sound yummy), but do grow the Cimicifuga and Acidanthera here in my garden too. I dig out the bulbs of the Acidanthera each fall and start them up in early spring. Your dragonfly is beautiful and different than the ones around our area.

 

Thank you both. You don't want to eat the rowan berries kaseylib, they are very sour. The birds eat them after the first frost. They can be made into jelly or wine, that's the only way we humans can enjoy them.

 

Lovely pics Droopy, so great to see colour at this time of year. I have made rowan berry jelly before which Grandad enjoyed with cold meats. Our trees are just starting to turn, we have had some chilly nights, and I do love the autumn colours.

 

Nice pictures...I didn't dig my peacock orchids when we moved...after seeing that picture, I wish I would of found time....thanks for sharing..

 

Ooohh, I just love your Acidanthera Droopy! That is one gorgeous bloom!
Rowan Berries - is that Mountain Ash?

 

Thank you all. Netty, yes, sort of, if you mean the Sorbus americana. Our rowan is Sorbus aucuparia, so they're close kin.