Monday, October 23, 2006


Autumn in the garden

Since it is October in zone 5 North America the day light hours are fewer and the nights are longer. Air temperatures are fluctuating but discernibly cooler with nights reaching dangerously close to heavy frost.
There are red berries on the Aronia (chokeberry) and on the Holly, blue berries on the Juniper and the Virginia creeper, an abundance this year of large white marble looking berries on the Symphoricarpos (snowberry) but few of the white berries are left on the Red-twigged(brick red for the winter) dogwood shrubs, for the birds ate them as fast as they ripened.
Oak leaf hydrangea and 'Annabelle' flowers hold on, changing from the rosy hues and whites to buff tan and deep brown but hold shape very well. The beautiful leaf of the Oakleaf hydrangea is enhanced by the change in color from dark green to burgandy, the bright yellow of the 'Annebelle' leaves is a wonderful backdrop for the huge darkening droopy flowerheads.
Black-eyed susan flowers have dried leaving chocolate polka dots standing out as proudly as if still garishly clothed. Tall leaning masses of wild asters color the garden still with lavender purple and white. The turtlehead (chelone) and coneflower offer solitary sights of fresh pink blooms in short lived defiance before winter sleep.
Grass, not turf but tall dominate masses of ornament hold court this time of year. The glow of sunrise and sun set behind the foliage appear to set fire to the view. Panicum, sporobolus, northern sea oats, LITTLE BLUE STEM (my absolute favorite site in winter is a good sized stand of the red color this grass turns as the freeze moves through) and Indian grass grow well in the clumps that allow flowers and bulbs to show well in each ones time. Eragrostis ( purple love grass) has that smokey pinkish purple haze at a lower close to the ground like a fog look this time of year.
A native(The Mr and I use a broad definition) garden can be awesome in autumn...

1 Comments:

Blogger Carol Michel said...

Gloria...

I got your comments for the book club. The more the merrier, I look forward to reading your thoughts on "The Essential Earthman". I also appreciate your suggestions on other books to consider, and will add them to the list.

Welcome!

24/10/06 4:29 AM  

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