Hi GPODers!

We’re visiting Nancy Sarpola in Corvallis, Oregon today, and diving into another incredible fall garden. Nancy has submitted her garden several times over the years (December in an Oregon Garden, A Look Back at the Garden, Nancy’s Hillside Garden in Oregon, Through the Year in an Oregon Garden, and more), and she always has something new and exciting to share. From out-of-the-norm wonders to brilliant varieties of garden classics, every gardener will find something of note in her beds.

Hi from Oregon, Here are 10 photos taken in September, October and November in our zone 8b, Corvallis, Oregon garden.

The view up the hill as you enter through the gate, accented this time of year by a red salvia blooming on the right.

The second shot across the lawn was taken September 2nd. It features variegated ‘Norah Leigh’ phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘Norah Leigh’, Zones 4–8) front and center.

Honey bush (Melianthus major, Zones 8–11), chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus, Zones 7–11) and a pink flowering sedum (listed top to bottom).

An exotic-looking ‘Tara’ ginger lily (Hedychium coccineum ‘Tara’, Zones 7–11), a 6 feet tall ginger with a 10 inch tall flower spike.

Our Yoshino cherry tree (Prunus × yedoensis, Zones 5–8) as it turns brilliant orange on November 7. November is usually gray and rainy in Western Oregon but when the sun comes out, the Fall colors are wonderful!

A hydrangea relative, Chinese quinine or blue evergreen hydrangea (Dichroa febrifuga, Zones 8–10). It has blue flowers in summer but it’s most amazing season is Fall when these deep blue berries form.

‘Freckles’ winter flowering clematis (Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’, Zones 7–9), which begins blooming in November and will bloom on and off all winter whenever the weather warms up just a little.

Eighth is a vignette in the garden that includes Heavy Metal Switch grass (Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’, Zones 4–9), annual purple perilla, and ‘Mardi Gras’ sneezeweed (Helenium ‘Helbro’ , Zones 4–8).

An amazing October-blooming perennial called long-tubed trumpet spurflower (Isodon effusus var. longitubus, Zones 6–8). It looks like a delicate salvia but blooms very well in mostly shade.

And finally Pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris, Zones 6–10) in the late afternoon sun.

Thank you so much for sharing your stunning garden with us again, Nancy! Your designs and plant selections get more and more exciting over the years, and there is no season where your space lacks interest.

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.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade, Trenching Shovel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Ideal Tool for All Gardeners Use: Our heavy duty trenching shovel is designed by a professional gardening tool designer. Lifetime Durability: This heavy duty drain spade is made of high-quality stainless steel, it is very strong and durable, even if it is used for high-strength work, it will not bend. Ergonomic Wood Handle: The handle of this planting spade is made of ash hardwood harvested from FSC-certified forests and has an ergonomically streamlined design, making it very suitable for everyone's hands. Multi-Use: This digging shovel is generally used for digging trenches, digging holes, transplanting, edging, moving compost, cutting thick turf and furrowing. The sharp blade allows you to cut, scoop, dig, lift and dice in hard soil.

Buy at Amazon

Buffalo-Style Gardens: Create a Quirky, One-of-a-Kind Private Garden with Eye-Catching Designs

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Buffalo-Style Gardens is a one-of-a-kind, offbeat garden design book that showcases the wildly inventive gardens and gardeners of Buffalo – and offers readers "the best of the best” ideas to use in their own small-space gardens.

Buy at Amazon

Ho-Mi Digger - Korean Triangle Blade

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Versatile Tool: The Easy Digger Korean Triangle Blade Ho Mi Ho-mi is a versatile gardening tool designed for leveling and digging in home and garden settings. Efficient Design: Its unique triangular blade shape allows for easy soil penetration and efficient leveling of garden beds or landscaping areas. Durable Construction: Crafted with sturdy materials, this tool ensures long-lasting performance and reliability. Ergonomic Handle: The comfortable handle provides a secure grip, reducing hand fatigue during extended use. Compact Size: Its compact design makes it easy to maneuver in tight spaces and store when not in use.

Buy at Amazon