Mutisia

Mutisias from Chile are quite amazing. Several species of the genus are climbing plants, forming small clumps or growing up or down for meters in my garden. The most reliable is Mutisia subulata, in 2-3 from the seeds the plants are blooming from spring to fall (at least end of November). This species need more humidity also in the wintertime than other relatives and it's happy even with -5/-6°C unprotected outside and can take also some snow.  

Some Mutisia species , like M. subulata, need could stratification.

Mutisia subulata in flower.

Mutisia subulata flovers and buds.

Some of the seeds are viable.

The Winter is coming?

Usually, Camelia oleifera disclose her flowers later in the season as a pre Christmas gift. This year, possibly due to the unusual weather conditions with alternating warm and could periods in the fall, the biological rhythmus got completely out of the rail.

Cattleyas

Cattleya forbesii is one of the most common species in the bifoliate group, and without flowers the plants are indistinguishable from the ones of C. harrisoniana.

Cattleya labiata concolor is a species from Brazil. It's quite easy-growing.

Laelia perrinii is a species from Brazil. In flower, it's easy to identify as the flowers have very distinctive features. The petals are flatter and droopier that usual; their shape is also unusual being wider toward the tips. The lip is the most distinctive part of the flowers. October-November blooming.

Tulips

Gardenia Kleim Hardy

This is a pretty small cultivar of Gardenia jasminoides. The flowers are simple, from a gorgeous white with some cream-brown discoloration after a couple of days. I was looking for this cultivar since a couple of years and I had the chance to find one last weekend visiting a nice exposition in Northern Italy. It is more could resistant that other cultivars, so I guess that I can try outside next year (the cultivar "Walder" it taking well in my garden since 2001, with no lesions even in colder winters with -5/-6°C). Both for any cases I will perform few of cuttings next spring.