Today we’re enjoying scenes of fall in Carla Zambelli Mudry’s garden in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Fall in the garden is a very in-between season for me. I have lots of plants that are transitioning, and lots and lots of chores. This is the season of raking and final pruning, as well as tidying up beds and shredding fallen leaves for leaf mulch. This is also when I plant my bulbs and do my final plantings of any shrubs or perennials I want to get in before winter. Right now I do things like enjoy the hydrangeas in their fall form when their blooms change and their leaves change color in a lot of cases. And the roses are all rallying for a fall flush of scent and color.

There is also a new area I planted that Mother Nature half-created when I had to have some tree work a few weeks ago after some more crazy wind and thunderstorms here in Pennsylvania.

In the woodland and shade garden beds there are all sorts of other things that you forget you planted and then they bloom—like this hardy begonia (Begonia grandis, Zones 6–9), which is one of my favorites.

The franklinia tree (Franklinia alatamaha, Zones 5–8) is not finished blooming yet either. And its blooms are among the prettiest you will ever see in any garden.

Pink berries on a Brandywine™ viburnum (Viburnum nudum ‘Bulk’, Zones 5–9). This shrub has big heads of white flowers in the spring, which produce these pink berries that then turn a dark blue as they finish maturing.

More viburnum berries. I can’t remember for sure which cultivar this viburnum is—maybe ‘Mohawk’ (Viburnum × burkwoodii ‘Mohawk’, Zones 5–8). I have a whole bunch of viburnum. Unfortunately, I couldn’t show you pictures of the elderberry berries, because the birds took everything.

Towering blooms of Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Herbstsonne’ (Zones 5–9)

Hibiscus-like blooms of an abutilon (Abutilon hybrid, Zones 8–10 or as annual or houseplant)

Warm, autumnal colors on a black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta, Zones 5–8 or as annual)

Hostas and ferns are still looking good in the shade garden.

Pink flowers of a turtlehead (Chelone oblique, Zones 5–9)

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