Autumn glorious autumn;

Our colourful autumn in the subtropics is not a goodbye to a  hibernation,  It is a new awakening to mellow days for plants which enjoy cool nights and sunny days. A season that inspires to work in the garden. 

Many Salvias,  like this Rosebud Salvia 
love autumn and show their best now, flowering  into winter. This one makes long canes up to 3 m, at every end develop the flowers which grow on up to 50 cm long. It is a giant under the Salvia plants.

The wonderful Salvia Waverly
 was a haze of the softest mauve all summer long and is still going.

Pink Bougainvillea  has another flush of flowers.









Salvia adenophora

a tall, willowy Salvia from Mexico. Clusters of clear red, furry flowers grace it from autumn to spring. Its attractive textured foliage has a camphor scent. It grows to about 2 m in height and can tolerate a part-shaded site. It benefits the  support of other shrubs nearby to lean on!
It may be propagated by cuttings, or by digging up a rooted piece. Prune it hard when flowering finishes.

Flowers  for a lng time in my garden, from April into Ocotber.

Camellia Setsugekka

a favoured sasanqua planted in Australia. Glossy dark green foliage and abundant large single white blooms with wavy petals.

Sasanquas love to grow in a warm full sun to partly shaded position. Prune after flowering and in Summer to maintain a compact shape. Once established sasanquas will grow in most soil types, however, they prefer a well drained slightly acidic soil. Once established they are quite drought tolerant. 




Salvia discolor

unusual dark purple, nearly black flowers. Hang them up to admire the flowers.




Salvia madrensis,

 tall with beautiful yellow flowers is in full swing until the time comes in late winter to prune it back.









Chia, Salvia hispanica,

 a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. It sets lots of seed and some germinate to keep the plant going in my garden. It is tall, probably around 2 m. Pretty with clear blue flowers.






  Achillea milleforium
 Yarrow, softly pink,  has found a spot to spread its feathery leaves and show of its cute flowers. It has got its name from Achilles  who has tried to cure his wounded heel with this herb, or so it is told in Mythology.
When Achilles was a baby, it was foretold that he would die young. To prevent his death, his mother Thetis took Achilles to the River Styx, which was believed to have powers of invulnerability. She  dipped his body into the water. As Thetis held Achilles by the heel, it  was not dipped into the magical water of the  river and left it vulnerable. Achilles grew up to be a man of war who survived many great battles.As foretold,  he was killed young, by a poisonous arrow that lodged in his heel, killing him shortly after.

It is getting seriously cooler when the first small flowered  gladioli  nanus show off their beauty.




Pineapple sage 
has a fruity scent, makes a great show with its red long tubes beloved by bees and other insects.





Salvia Pink Icicle
 soars to 3 m in my garden. Its flowers are a soft pink. It complements the tall ones with bright pink shades. It is an involucrata-type plant. A seedling discovered in Australia. It grows in a sunny position. Cut it back in late winter . If liked it may be  pruned back hard in early summer to control its size. Propagate from cuttings taken in spring or autumn.

Believe it or not;
Autumn is a second spring in the subtropics.


©Photos/mygarden/Text Ts Lavender&Vanilla