Hi GPODers!

Yesterday we saw some beautiful plant close-ups from Lila Johnson in Mill Creek, WA. I won’t copy Lila’s entire intro (be sure to go back if you missed it), but one pertinent paragraph was the following:

Right now the “star” is the coral bark maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’, Zones 5–8) in full yellow mode. We have it uplit at night and it truly is a star. And when the leaves are gone, that coral bark is incredible. I think the winter time is my favorite time for this tree, it stands out when all else is done for the season.

I didn’t include any photos of this small but mighty tree in yesterday’s post, so I’m kicking off with it today.

Lila certainly did not over-hype the vibrancy of her incredible coral bark maple, and the beautiful blue pot that sits in front is the perfect contrast to the foliage’s golden hue. The tiny fuchsia in the lower left corner appears to be Lila’s new ‘Neon Tricolor’ fuchsia (Fuchsia ‘Neon Tricolor’, Zones 7–9) we saw yesterday. On the right, a pink geranium continues to put on a fantastic floral show.

Even from afar, the coral bark maple absolutely dominates the scene with its outrageous color.

Of course, Lila’s Full Moon Japanese maple (Acer japonicum, Zones 5–7) on the opposite side of the arbor is also a show-stopper. We saw some great shots of this tree yesterday, but this perspective reveals the stunning palm tree near by. Looks like it’s a hardy windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei, Zones 7–11), which would make sense for Lila’s locale.

Lila’s garden has just about everything you could want in an autumn garden. Flowers still blooming, foliage sporting sensational color, and even seed heads adding even more interest. These might be crocosmia seed pods.

Another hardy fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica, Zones 6–9) in Lila’s garden adds more beautiful pinks and purples to her fall garden. Paired with the palm tree, these bold colors bring a tropical flare to more traditional PNW plantings.

Full Moon Japanese maple in background behind the arbor.

Vine maple (Acer circinatum, Zones 5–9) (27 years old), ‘Little Lime’ panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Jane’, Zones 3–8), and 27 year old rhody and azalea.

Our coral bark Japanese maple, uplit last night! 10/25/2024

Thank you so much for sharing your gloriously colorful fall garden, Lila!

We’d love to see the color in your fall garden, too. From pots of seasonal flowers, to towering trees in all shades and hues. Follow the instructions below to submit your photos, of send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

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