Colors of Autumn

Oh, look! There's a blog here. I had almost forgotten. I hope you've been enjoying the changing views in the garden wherever you are. In my garden, the colors of fall have come into full force, and there's even some left after the atmospheric river that brought heavy rains and winds to the Pacific Northwest. A week of very dark, wet weather, along with a cold that sapped my energy, ended on Monday with a beautiful foggy morning speared with sunlight. With my energy returned, I absolutely had to take advantage of such a wonderful morning to photograph the garden. I may have gotten a little carried away, so I've kept the text to a minimum and the pictures to a smaller size than normal. I highly recommend viewing at least the wide shots at full size by clicking on the individual photos.

Bidens Campfire® Fireburst blazing among the glaucous foliage of Hebe 'Quicksilver'. Rated to zone 9a, I've assumed the Bidens are seedlings from the plants I grew last summer, but perhaps they're hardier than previously assumed? Whatever the case, I'm so happy to have them again. 

Rays of sun breaking through on a foggy morning highlight fall foliage. 

Hamamelis 'Jelena' is making me wish I had a dozen more witch hazels in the garden now.

The fall color is even more glorious than the winter blooms.

The NOID Japanese maple in this bed is proving that you don't need a fancy cultivar name to have great fall color.

I wasn't sure how well it would color up once it was planted in the ground and no longer drought-stressed in a container. I don't think I needed to worry.

Spider web on Macleaya microcarpa.

Unfortunately, a lot of water is directed to this area when it rains, and it rained hard. This path was completely flooded, as you can see by the wood chips washed around. A catchment on the other side of the driveway, before it runs across and into this area, is a possible solution. I'm just not entirely sure how to fit it in and maintain various walking areas.

The golden column of climbing hydrangea leaves was stripped virtually bare by the wind.

Tawny fall color on the Metasequoia glyptostroboides.

Besides a few small Douglas fir branches and a lot of needles, this fallen Rubus lineatus was the only real damage from the storm.

The variegated Davidia involucrata I picked up from Windcliff a few years ago is proving to be a wonderful tree for fall color, too. 

The margins on this Sasa hayatae (aka Sasa veitchii minor) are starting to wither to form the white borders this species and Sasa veitchii are known for in winter.

I don't remember this Clethra sp. CGG 14059 from Far Reaches having quite such bright fall color before. 

Perhaps reaching maturity (it bloomed for the first time this year) also improved its fall color. 

Comptonia peregrina has a wonderful and unusual mix of dark burgundy and yellow with hints of red and orange.

The start of fall color on this Clethra barbinervis from Windcliff. My other barbinervis doesn't color up as well. 

Fall colors on Leucosceptrum stellipilum 'October Moon'.

The fuzzy, light lavender flowers have a bit of trouble opening in our rainy autumn, I think.

This Magnolia 'Silk Road' x insignis has thus far been semi-evergreen, only gradually losing leaves through the winter. This year, it's developing more uniform fall color. I think it will be completely deciduous this year. I know one or two people who will be disappointed that it isn't more evergreen, but on the bright side this may mean that it will bloom next summer. The other seedling of this cross, stressed by drought, has already lost most of its leaves.

My, that's a lot of mushrooms! I hope that isn't a sign of something bad...

This Cornus florida was fully leafed before the storm. 

Now most of the leaves are on the ground.

The white Cyclamen hederifolium flowers are a bit bedraggled, but still beautiful.

Hosta 'The Shining' turns into translucent gold leaf in the fall.

Unlike its cousin Hamamelis 'Jelena', this Corylopsis spicata seems to be defying the arrival of fall with new growth.

This combination of blue Juncus patens, Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire', and bronze Carex comans is one of my favorites right now, and I can see it from my desk.

Layers, colors, and textures!

Droplets on Carex comans amidst the yellowing foliage of Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus.

It still tickles me that things are actually getting big enough to make an impact in wide shots. 

Zooming in a bit from the previous photo.

I still have lilies in October! Lilium formosanum.

The California fuchsias are all a little flattened from the rain, but the flowers are still good! So says the hummingbird that is still sticking around the garden.

This spider web on Cornus alternifolia 'WStackman' would have made a lovely photo if I had remembered to move that hose...

My favorite stage for this combination of Cornus alternifolia 'WStackman' and Pulmonaria 'Diana Clare' (not entirely positive on the cultivar ID).

I never knew Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm' had such wonderful fall color until I grew it myself.

Even better combined with Molinia caerulea 'Variegata'

Alstroemeria 'Glory of the Andes' is still blooming here and there. 

Another spiderweb, this one in the branches of Heptacodium miconioides, with Rhus typhina in the background.

Seven sons flower doesn't have spectacular fall foliage, but the bracts left after the white flowers fall expand and turn pinkish red, like a second bloom.

Together with the modest foliage color, it creates a nice show. 

Heptacodium and Acer griseum backed by fog in the trees.

The fog gave everything a soft glow.

Fuchsia magellanica 'Purple Mountain' really does have purple foliage to go with those intense fuchsia flowers, still blooming now.

Rhododendrons aren't known for their fall color, except for the deciduous azaleas, but Rhododendron fortunei 'Emma and May' displays remarkable color as it drops old leaves in the fall. The storm-blown lichen is a welcome ornamentation from last years storms.

Tricyrtis 'Empress' and the other toad lilies are still dotted with blooms.

Ok, I'm convinced that Abutilon megapotamicum is hardy, having come back after last years nightmare winter and 11F lows.

I seem to have picked up a fall-blooming Iris somewhere. I think this was a freebie I got when I worked at Plant Delights. I think it had a collection number, but not a species name. Slightly fragrant.

The back patio and creek bed.

This persimmon was ablaze with color pre-storm. Now it's just a flicker.

I grudgingly admire this red maple my parents planted when it turns colors in fall. It didn't need any water this summer and didn't turn colors early for lack of water, unlike the ones planted as street trees and in parking lots. I guess I have to admit now that they didn't make such a bad choice. 

The staghorn sumac seems to have finally become established this year, too, and is showing better, longer-lasting fall color because of it. It also started sending up suckers for the first time this year. All. Over.

Viburnum x burkwoodii, stressed before planting this spring and watered just enough to keep it alive through summer, is showing more color than it normally would. I'm not complaining.

Squirrel or chipmunk-planted sunflowers are still trying to bloom.

The view of the dry creek bed from the Hell Garden.

I got this Amsonia without a species name, but I love the bits of extra color among the yellow.

Poncirus trifoliata 'Monstruosa' blazing with color. 

Hell Garden in the fog

This combination of Euphorbia Blackbird and Erica arborea 'Estrella Gold', with the laceleaf Japanese maple in the background, makes me so happy.

Stump St. Helens is ablaze!

 Oh, you're still here? Wow, slow day, huh?  I thank you for indulging your inner garden glutton and hope you found something here to inspire you in your own gardening endeavors.