Today’s photos come from Susan Esche.
Fall gardening in my area is somewhat unpredictable. Abundant rainfall this autumn has gifted my garden with a long run of asters and a generous gift of camellia blossoms (Camelia sasanqua, Zones 7–10), whose pink petals blend well with the color developing on the neighboring viburnum. The evergreen magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora, Zones 7–10) and golden false cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Aurea’, Zones 4–8) frame the borrowed landscape of the lakeside trees. Kerria (Kerria japonica, Zones 4–9) leaves are beginning to turn butter yellow and will contrast well with the bed of blue lyme dune grass (Leymus arenarius, Zones 4–9) that I added this year in the sunspot created by removing a ‘Bradford’ pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’, Zones 5–9). Late-blooming aconite (Aconitum sp.), climbing aster (Ampelaster carolinianus, Zones 7–9), and the last of the ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’, Zones 3–8) have been lovely this fall, again thanks to our wetter-than-usual weather.
Aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium, Zone 3 – 8) create an incredible mass of purple at the end of the growing season.
Close-up of the blooms on the climbing aster.
The late flowers are a stark contrast to the fading colors of fall.
Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha, Zones 7–10) blooms at the end of the growing season and looks beautiful here behind a golden false cypress.
Japanese maple (Acer palmatum, Zones 5–9) leaves show up brightly against a dark tree trunk.
Fall-blooming camellias bring the colors of spring to the autumn.
The camellia bush
Blue lyme grass holds its bright blue-green color when most of the rest of the garden has faded.
A glowing Japanese maple in a container
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Comments
Wow, I love that blue lyme grass. Can you overwinter it there where you live?
I really like that natural stone border in your garden, and that huge aster. I was hoping to see a photo of your Magnolia Grandflora, maybe next time. The Blue lyme grass is such an outstanding color in the autumn garden! That Camellia bush is so pretty, with I could grow one, and some of your Mexican bush sage also- in my zone 6b. And such a pretty location for a garden with the surrounding trees. Thanks for sharing!
What a lovely garden - the asters and sage, etc., are such a wonderful counterpoint to the melancholy of the fading fall garden. Thank you for sharing!
I love your camellia and viburnum combination, and the huge mound of asters! My purple dome asters also outdid themselves this year, in my zone 6 Ozark garden. Your yellow Japanese maple is showing great promise! Can't wait to see more pictures!
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