Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Fall Foliage at Our Little Acre



Last week, "there came a killing frost" and fall definitely had its game on. The colors are not as vibrant after a dry summer and we sure had that, just like last year. But you can't keep a good woman down and Mother Nature showed us that she still had plenty of tricks up her sleeve.

In years past, it seems to me that the plants and trees that change colors reached their peak at pretty much the same time. This year it was more spread out, which is why this post has been so late in coming. Just as I thought everything had turned, one more plant or tree surprised me.

The high winds we had over the weekend brought down a lot of the beautifully colored leaves, but I had taken several pictures of them before that happened.


This is the only maple (Acer sp.) in our yard that turns this gorgeous shade of orangy-yellow. It's my favorite color on the trees in the fall.





The Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)always turns the most gorgeous shade of peachy gold.






At the very back of Our Little Acre are some Burning Bushes (Euonymus alatus) and our new-this-year Witch Hazel (Hamamelis vernalis), contrasting nicely.


This Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) tree has been in this spot for three years now. Previously it was in the front of the house, which proved to be a bad spot in terms of protection from the strong winter winds we get. It's been much happier here on the east side, where it has a little protection from the house.


Probably the most vibrant of anything we have, the Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) absolutely glows in Max's Garden, especially when the late afternoon sun shines on it, as it is doing here.


The Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Emperor II') really hasn't gotten its usual fall color yet, for some reason. A smaller Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Mikawa yatsubusa'), which is planted under the kitchen window just around the corner from this one, is still green as green can be. But the Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa) in the foreground is just gorgeous! I don't remember it being this red before.



The Beauty Bush (Kolkwitzia amabilis 'Dream Catcher') is new to Our Little Acre this year, too. It has lovely pink coloring right now.

















I have always loved Flowering Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala 'Nagoya') and this fall, they have been fabulous. I've got both purple and white. As you can see, the frost hasn't hurt them a bit.

The
Xeranthemum in the background is unfazed by it so far, too, and echoes the magenta colors beautifully.







The ornamental peppers (Capsicum annuum 'Medusa') have been casting their orange spell for several months now. A couple of hard frosts finally did it in though.
















Behind the small bird bath/feeder, the Viburnum (not sure which kind - it was a passalong from my grandma) is glowing a muted red.

























The fountain that is usually in this spot has been put away for the winter, but the Viburnum on the right (same one that's shown in the photo above) provides good color interest and the Hydrangea 'Lady In Red' shows just one of the reasons she was so named.



For more beautiful color shows from various locations around the world, visit The Home Garden, where Dave is hosting The Garden Blogger Fall Color Project.




Now that I've shared some of the beautiful color here, I feel better about having received the Fabulous Fall Decor Award, which was presented to me by three fellow bloggers on the same day! Thank you, Perennial Gardener (Does Everything Grow Better in My Neighbor's Yard?), Lona (A Hocking Hills Garden), and Vicki (Havenwood).


20 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Wow Kylee, you have some brilliant fall colors in your garden.

MyMaracas said...

You certainly have a great variety of fall colors in your garden. It's beautiful!

I've enjoyed the saga of Little Miss Monarch, too. I hope she fares well in her journeys.

Dave said...

Great photos Kylee! Everything is coloring up very nicely. I really like the bald cypress. Where did you find the beautyberry? I'm planning on adding one to our garden although I'll have to wait for spring. Do you care if I use one of your pictures in the GBFCP post?

Anonymous said...

Wow Kylee, you have some great colorful spots at your house! Columbus has been so dry that the colors have really been lacking, so I'm living vicariously through yours!

Anonymous said...

I have been saying the same as you...our color is sporadic too. I don't like it. I want to see that burst of color that fall is so famous for. You pictures are beautiful. Love the sumac and your pyracantha berries.

Unknown said...

I love those sumacs! If only I had a place where I could let them run and sucker, I'd have a bunch of sumacs... but I don't, so I appreciate seeing them in your garden.

For the viburnum, maybe it's a v. opulus? (Thinking here of the physocarpus opulifolius, purple ninebark, whose name evokes the shape of the v. opulus leaves.) Or a v. trilobum...

Kylee Baumle said...

Lisa ~ It's not as colorful as it's been before, but what IS showing color is doing it in fine style!

Vicki ~ Thanks, Vicki! I do hope we can get Little Miss Monarch on her way tomorrow!

Dave ~ I got the beautyberry this spring at Rural King! Our local one had some very nice things at great prices.
Of COURSE you can use one of the pics in the GBFCP post! Thanks for hosting this fabulous project!

Msrobin ~ It's been horribly dry here, too, but we did water the gardens quite a bit, just like last summer. I'm ready for a more normal summer next year, aren't you?

Anna ~ So I'm not the only one that noticed the slow coloring! That sumac is something I look forward to every fall. The pyracantha is an espaliered tree and it had huge clusters of berries on it this year.

Kim ~ I love them, too! If you think you'd like to try one, I always have some that come up in the garden every spring. Yes, they sucker, but they're so easy to pull up and after a little while, they stop doing it. It's mainly a spring thing.

You know, I said to Mom that I wondered if it wasn't a ninebark of some sort. The leaves remind me of that. I'm going to have to do some more investigating. You should just come here and see it for yourself and help me out. ;-)

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

Your garden is showing a great autumn display, the colours are so very vibrant. Enjoy them while you can!

Anonymous said...

Hi Kylee, what a fabulous show you've got going on at your place! Such diversity too, that is always a good thing. Those sumacs are breathtaking, as is everything. This was a fun look at what is happening where you live, not that different from us down in TN either. I like your scary pepper! ;->
Frances
http://fairegarden.wordpress.com/

TC said...

Your colorful fall yardens were a joy to see. I'm new here, but since you're in the same occupation as my wife and she too loves gardening, I kinda feel like we know each other.

I'll be back.

Anonymous said...

Kylee, the fall color on your little acre is spectacular! I really love that Bald Cypress. All your gardens are as lovely this time of year as they are in the midst of summer.

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

You've got 2 of my favorite autumn plants - Gingko & Staghorn Sumac (which is kind of sad, as I have neither). I love the pure yellow of the Ginko, & nothing can compete with the brilliant tones of the Sumac.

Pat said...

So Glad it's my computer.
Really love the colors.
When I shop...fall colors are my favorite. Very warm and relaxing.
Great pics!!

Sky said...

i want several of these in our gardens! magnificent color. thanks for sharing.

Shady Gardener said...

Kylee, What a wonderful variety of trees and bushes you have!! You've done some thoughtful shopping, I think! :-) They each add their own beauty, don't they? You have great photos! (What is in the center of the kale?)

Now, how's our Miss Monarch doing?

Cheryl said...

Beautiful photographs and the autumnal colours are stunning.........we seem to share the same taste in trees........I to have the staghorn sumach, and you are so right the colours are powerful.......

I lost my gingko around two years ago which was such a shame as it seemed to be doing well...sigh

Lovely post........

EAL said...

Fabulous, beautiful, fantastic, gorgeous, all that. I long for a Kouza dogwood myself. Sadly, my property has no more room for trees. Not that I need any more leaves to deal with.

Funny how the common sumac is often the most striking.

Anonymous said...

You have so much in color! My Rhus didn't color up this year. Rain at the time of coloring caused it to just turn brown and mushy! You win some, you lose some!

Kylee Baumle said...

Yolanda Elizabet ~ Oh I am, believe me!

Frances ~ I just saw a map of the US, showing the progression of color and it shows us as being at peak right now, which is very late. I agree, although there are a few things that are past peak, but the pin oaks have just turned red and a few other things are just glowing!

TC ~ So your wife is a dental hygienist, eh? :-) I'm glad you made yourself known! And yes, please come back!

Nancy ~ The bald cypress is looking great this year. The two Dawn Redwoods we have look the same, although the branch placement is different. The ferny leaves and their color are identical though.

Mr. McGregor's Daughter ~Oh you really have to remedy the lack of Ginkgo and Sumacs! They really do shine in the fall!

Patsi ~ I'm glad you got your computer thing straightened out! Isn't that frustrating?

It's so nice to walk through the yard right now and see all the autumn colors, especially when the sun shines on them and the blue, blue sky provides the background!

Sky ~ There are so many things that have wonderful fall color. That's one thing that I never considered until recently when buying plants and trees.

Shady Gardener ~ As I told Sky, it wasn't really until recently that I considered fall color when choosing things for the garden. The Ginkgo and Sumac were just lucky picks!

That's dew in the center of the kale! It stays on there most of the day. I'm sure the kale is designed that way and it somehow helps to preserve its freshness. It's kind of cool, isn't it?

I wish I knew where Little Miss Monarch was right now! But I'm confident she's being taken care of. How can we have gone through all this with her and have her not be? ;-)

Cheryl ~ Oh, that's too bad about losing your Ginkgo. I thought we had lost ours a few years ago, but it came out of whatever it was that was wrong. Will you get another?

EAL ~ You sound like my next-door neighbor, when it comes to leaves. We have a small Washington Hawthorn seedling coming up and I offered it to him. He declined, saying he doesn't want anything with leaves. LOL. I can understand a little bit though, since he has a pond and they tend to get in there so much that he has to clean them out.
I didn't know the Sumac would turn such a gorgeous color in fall when I bought it (in spring). You can imagine how thrilled I was when it turned such brilliantly orange and red that first fall!

Layanee ~ That's too bad! We could have used some of your rain! It was another really dry summer here, just like last year. I always hate losing anything, but that's just part of gardening, isn't it?

Kerri said...

That warm orangy-yellow is my favorite fall foliage color too, especially when the leaves are bathed in sunlight. Gorgeous! You have some beautiful fall colors in your wonderful garden.
I've been having a great time catching up with you this morning (and thanks for visiting me too :).
I keep doing a few jobs and then coming back :) All your posts are so interesting. Loved reading about the sweet little monarch. I hope she has a long life!

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