Color scattered about everywhere in the gardens (as in fallen leaves) is just one of the reasons I love the autumn. Every so often I 'clean things' up throughout the rest of the garden year, but in fall it's ok to have a garden "mess". In fact, it's a good thing!
Even the patchy lawn on the mound doesn't bother me as much now that it's fall. I knew we were finally due for some rain so I over-seeded the mound system as well as a few other spots with 35 lbs of grass seed including some annual rye... this should look much better before long and this spring I expect it to be back to its healthy self. If you recall, I was hoping to try out a 'no-mow' blend but I ran out of prep time so that will have to be another year.
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| Magnolia 'Wada's Memory' |
It's a strange year on many counts... many of the brighter colors happened weeks ago and the foliage has long since dropped. I do anticipate some good color for several trees may yet be on the way. Our hard frost occurred a week ago and the ginkos and katsuras dropped their foliage while still green. (note the ground below my Ginkgo 'Saratoga' in the next photo)
At any rate, here's a tour of the gardens... I'm sure you all can smell the fall scenes pictured here...after all, isn't that autumn fragrance one the very best aspects of this season?
I'm not even going to apologize for the 'multi-colored dust bunnies' spread about under every tree and plant. There was a time when I obsessed over this sort of thing... I now realize I was destroying some of the most marvelous fall moments with that silly rake and filling of bags and buckets. I will mulch the leaves that cover the lawns before the snow flies in order to keep the grass healthy (I always mow quite short in fall), but the rest of the gardens will be fed as the good Lord intended them to be and that fallen foliage will return from whence it came!
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The silvery underbelly of the needles on this Picea omorika survey this season's
Althea path addition while Lobularia Snow Princess has easily survived 26 degree temps |
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| The birch walk clothed in variations of yellow |
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| Acer palmatum 'Tamukeyama' is colored up to about 50% of where it's headed |
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| Picea abies 'Pendula' |
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| A young "Butterflies' Magnolia |
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| A 'Wada's Memory' given the space to demonstrate it's perfect form |
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The contrasts in form, color and texture are particularly
pleasing when Rhodies are shown with fall colored plantings |
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Yet another example of why one grows conifers...
fall contrasts between Picea pungens 'Fat Albert' and Magnolias 'Simple Pleasures'(behind) and 'White Rose' (foreground) |
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| Hardy mums provide a very long season of fall color |
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An otherwise useless old spruce is given new life
with the addition of Hydrangea petiolaris |
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| Quercus coccinea or scarlet oak begins to show why it is commonly named as it is |
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| Pinus strobus 'Pendula' preparing to shed a bounty of needles |
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| So too, a duo of Pinus strobus ' Torulosa' or contorted pines, creating nature's perfect carpet and thinning just the right amount to provide the appropriate level of shade for the blooms of the tree peonies that grow beneath them |
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Another favorite from the Picea ormorika clan... this serbian spruce is 'Nana',
all carry the bicolor needles creating the silvery sheen |
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This shot was taken along the north and west sides of the gardens, showing my new
'old looking fence' created this summer from cedar slab wood which mostly retains
its bark via the use of fender washers... I have yet to complete the gates |
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The white European birch clump 'Crimson Frost'
(Betula schezwan x purple 'Crimson Frost') |
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| The beginnings of interesting color on one of the yellow barberry cultivars |
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From the left, Magnolias Brozzoni, Torro, Red Baron, and possible Lennei...
hoping for a more cooperative spring this next year as every magnolia
in the gardens except one has flower buds |
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To bloom for the first time are two of Dennis Ledvina's cultivars...
'Blushing Belle' on the left (really looking forward to this one), and
an unnamed cross between 'Daybreak' & 'Pink Royalty' on the right |
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| I highly value birch clumps in the landscape, especially as fall and winter approach |
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The special silvery blue of Picea pungens 'Moerheim' is
particularly effective in all seasons |
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| Use of a focal point in the garden |
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| Chionanthus verginicus or White Fringetree |
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| Quercus dentata or Japanese Emperor Oak |
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| Siberian iris add nice vertical detail spring through fall |
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| Norway maples coloring up |
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The cypripediums (lady slipper orchids) are now nestled in their new bed,
covered with pine needles and fallen leaves |
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Heptacodium (seven sons) bracts are showing color
while still in bud form on the same trees |
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| The attained height of Quercus robur 'Fastigiata' (English oak) amazes me |
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Our 3.5" of rain has brought foliage to many Cyclamen hederifolium
planted months ago as an experiment in hardiness |
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Juniperus scopulorum 'Tolleson's Blue Weeping' |
That concludes today's post from the gardens at Oak Lawn Cheese Factory... do visit again!
Be sure to visit http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/ for many more October garden posts...
Larry
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Autumn 2012
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