Perhaps I should change the name of my blog from "Planticru Notes" to "The Coo's Tail" as I'm always so last minute in joining in with memes. I thought I had got round the problem by putting it in my diary but no, I'm late again. But not too late I hope to join in with Christina's Foliage Day meme. It's well worth going over to her site to see what foliage is at it's best in other bloggers gardens.
The colours this autumn have deepened and intensified over the past few weeks. Many of the deep reds and oranges cotrast with the more subtle yellow and brown autumn tones. At it's best it is the most stunning of seasons, marked with spectacular jewel-like colours.
Let's start of with a real firecracker. This unfortunately was not in our garden but was photographed in the grounds of a local community centre. This tree is an explosion of the most stunning colour.
The berberis has several different colours on the one bush, ranging from green, through red to almost purple with jewel like red berries.
Here's more subtle autumn shades of Euphorbia rubra contrasting with sandy/pink tones of Heuchera Creme Brulee.
The tall grass Miscanthus giganteus is well over six feet in height and continues to add height and colour interest (and some sound) throughout the winter. It gets cut down to the ground when it becomes very tatty and before the new shoots start to appear.
I make no apologies for adding another photograph of the acer palmatum in all it's autumn glory. The leaves are starting to shrivel round the edges from wind damage but it still has the most glorious colour.
Our Boston ivy ( Parthenocissus) is growing up a wall in a very sheltered spot. It is just started to change into it's autumn colours in the last two weeks.
The Fothergilla is grown in a large pot and doesn't seem to be any the worse for that. It has beautiful white bottle brush flowers in the spring, good green foliage until autumn when it turns into a patchwork of colour. It is getting to the point where it would thrive with a bigger pot and not just a top dressing of new compost.
Miscanthus sinsensis has arching green leaves with a white stripe which form a bold vertical in the border. It's purple tassle like flowers waft in the breeze.
The varigated miscanthus forms a backdrop for the dark stems and red leaves of the cornus.
A close-up of the cornus leaves and stems.
So that is a very quick tour of foliage in our garden this month. This is probably the high point for colour and there may be little left by November Foliage Day.
Why don't you pop over to Christina's site for a look round other people's Foliage gems?
Hi,
ReplyDeleteLovely colours; it's been a strange autumn here so far as early on we had some wonderful reds appearing, but other plants are still yet to turn. I imagine that they'll just end up dying instead because soon the cold really will hit and they won't have the time to turn wonderful colours.
Hi Janet, I guess that's a rowan in the top picture? Mine are supposed to do that, but they are all bare. So is most of my cornus. I think you must be more sheltered than I am by a long way. Lovely photographs.
ReplyDeleteSuper colours Janet, especially like the combination of your Euphorbia and Heuchera. A lot of ours havn't started turning yet, still waiting for our first frost down here!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining in Janet, no problem being late it spreads the fun, for me viewing the different posts. I love the Euphorbia rubra and Heuchera Creme Brulee combination. My Euphorbis rubra died , I must try again.it is so deliciously dark! Christina
ReplyDeleteLovely photos. Loving your Euphorbia rubra, might have to see if I can fit that into my garden.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely dogwood Janet. I am envious of your Euphorbia rubra, mine all seem to have died. Lovely autumnal colours - not something I have a lot of in my garden at present. It's all very strange.
ReplyDeletebeautiful colours Janet like most everyone else I love the Euphorbia rubra, love the numerous coloured leaves you have, smiled when you mention Miscanthus sinsensis purple tassel like flowers wafting in the breeze as Kininvie says you live in a sheltered position, Frances
ReplyDeleteHi Janet! The intensity of some of these colours is staggering! Rather intrigued by Euphorbia rubra, it looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteBertie
I don't have anywhere near as much colour as you do, you have captured autumn beautifully
ReplyDeleteYay finally autumns arrived for me, via your blog, gorgeous fothergilla. Utterly jealous that it's only virtually autumn for me. I'm away for a greet. I hate where I live at this time of year. My huff will pass. Great post
ReplyDeleteYou have captured some of the most beautiful colors of fall. Those reds and oranges are stunning!
ReplyDeleteIn a word: stunning.
ReplyDeleteOh WOW! I love them all, but especially the euphorbia / heuchera combination. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThis Foliage Day business is very interesting, and your post - and a couple of others - have made me realise that I need more reds.. lost more reds, and you have such a good variety of tones and shades.
Liz, II think red is the prominent autumn colour this year, especially the rowans. But there are also some shrubs and trees that are losing their leaves with no colour change at all.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked the photos, Kininvie, but sorry about your lack of colour.
I was rather pleased with the euphorbia/heucheras combination which was a happy accident. I originally had the euphorbia in a glazed purple pot..
Gay, I hope you've finished greeting. I used to have a wee trip sooth at this time of year for an autumn fix..
Thanks for all the kind comments everyone.
Hey Janet! Do you know what the shrub/tree in the first pic is? Could it be a rowan? I love it.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the combination of euphorbia with euchera, very nice. And I have a soft spot for fothergilla too, even though I don't have any. Dogwood is always a show, isn't it?
Alberto.
Not sure that first one is a Rowan, I tend to think of sorbus leaves as more delicate, perhaps a Rhus? They tend to be large shrubby trees with slightly broader leaves, and mostly grown for their spectacular Autumn colour. I've noticed a lot of US bloggers showcasing "Stag's Horn Sumac", which is Rhus typhinia I think, and they look very similar.
ReplyDeleteLots of lovely foliage in your garden (and you can never show too many pictures of acer leaves at this time of year ;) ) I agree that the leaves of the top picture look like Rhus typhina or similar.
ReplyDeleteSara
Lovely color on the Fothergilla. That's one that I've been meaning to add to my garden for years. Beautiful vivid color on the cornus too.
ReplyDeleteHi Alberto, I don't think the first one is a rowan. Mot of the rowans round here have berries and smaller more serrated leaves.You did notice that I was careful not to name it and look an idiot when I got it wrong! If it had been in our garden I might have known what it was.
ReplyDeleteJanet I don't think it's a rhus (also known as sumac) either. We have one of these. This is quite a large tree. They do tend to go the same colour.
Sara, the foliage is lovely isn't it? And we didn't really plant for autumn..
I don't remember the fothergilla having such amazing colour in past years.
Great Autumn colour Janet. I have to say for whatever reason the show has been poorer in our garden this year. Taking a look through your previous posts I think it is quite clear that in spite of the short distance further south which you are its evident that we are just that bit cooler. How on earth do you get schizostylis to flower so early? I intend to add a picture of your garden and a link to your blog on my (Your Gardens) page, if you are not so keen on this let me know and I will remove it.
ReplyDeleteAlistair thank you for the kind comments. Jim McColl also asked how the schizostylis flowered so early (it's still flowering) and the answer is I have no idea!
ReplyDeleteThank you for adding a link to your blog Alistair. I really appreciate it.
By the way do you open your garden to the public?