Fall Splendor in the Rainy Day Garden

Autumn is my favorite time of year: golden, changing light and crisp air. I enjoy the colorful display so many of my trees and plants put on this time of year.

Here's a look at what's happening now:

The coral bark maple tree is beginning to shed it's leaves..

acer palmatum sango kaku on a native maiderhair fern

Below, the skeletons of blooms will make for a fine, frosted scene (whenever we get our first frost....) on eutrochium purpureum (Joe Pye Weed). I fell in love with this plant when I visited Holland and saw it blanketing the canals and riverbanks. I do my best to keep it moist in the summer here..and it has rewarded me with wonderful, three season interest.

eutrochium purpureum 'Joe Pye Weed'

This image had to be shared. The 'Coral' in coral bark maple was really standing out against the golden leaves.

acer palmatum sango kaku

And just one shot more...

acer palmatum sango kaku

I've been watching persicaria 'Lance Corporal' turn to shades of yellow-gold as autumn marches on.

Fothergilla 'Mt. Airy' is marginally boring most of the year...I mean the little bottle brush flowers in the spring are nice..but it's fall when this darling shines! The orange and red colors in autumn are stunning. It was a Great Plant Pick .

fothergilla 'Mount Airy'

Who doesn't think a white tipped dwarf hemlock is pretty? It's very charming.

tsuga canadensis 'Gentsch White'

Water droplets on grasses in autumn. Panicums are my favorite. I love their brillant colors in the autumn and then the seedheads!!!

Echinacea seedheads are focal points in the autumn garden. I leave them up for the birds to eat during winter.

My back garden is full of bold colors but I like to add a splash of blue to cool things a bit. This pretty conifer was gifted to me and it's doing very well. Hmmm, wonder if I can squeeze in a few more conifers back there....

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Curly Top'

The leaves on the flowering currants age gracefully.

And the astrantia blooms dry so nicely, it's like they are frozen in time.

Buds forming on pieris...a spring show is a few months away.

Oh..and don't forget the gorgeous blue 'Spanish Fir'. It's a baby and it won't get as big in my garden as it would in the wild but the structure and color is something that stands out all autumn and winter.

Thanks for taking a look at my little photo essay. I'm relishing the fall season right now. Things are beginning to slow down and we're putting the garden to sleep with lot's of leaf mulch.

Time for some 'Hggye' in this household!

Cheers, Jenni