Here at the end of the long garden is my Miscanthus Sinesis 'Cabaret' as its blossoms have opened. Their striking color is a great foil for the changing leaves along the river.

Against the sky --

Close up ---

That's a wonderful grass, Molie, and very well grown! It really belongs near a river.

Claire

That grass is pretty, Molie. And Claire is right, it does look very at home along your river bank.

Thanks! This is one tough, prolific grass. It needs lots of room and strong sun, plus I think the moisture coming off the river in the morning is beneficial. We never water it.

How nice, molie! Reminds me of last year when I grew broom corn. It was supposed to get about 6 feet tall and it was well over 12! Beautiful red sprays against the sun

Dee

My new little 'Hopi' crape myrtle that I planted a few weeks ago has settled in. It's right in the sights as you walk around the side of the house towards the back yard with the view of the Bay. I'm hoping for a dramatic show when it grows up a bit - maybe not so much flowery but definitely fall color since it's in part shade. It'll be a few years before the show really opens.

The crape myrtle is planted in with some sweet ferns and viburnums and near a patch of Gray Owl Juniper.

The viburnum on the left is just beginning to change color - I don't know if the crape myrtle will be synchronized next year or just overlap a little.

This is Viburnum 'Winterthur', still a baby.

I just moved a little Viburnum 'Brandywine' nearby but it's not showy yet.

Turning around and looking back, I can see my old tool shed newly painted. While I was working on the bluestone path I kept looking at the tool shed which most likely had never been repainted. It was probably installed sometime in the 50's or 60's by my father and has survived many nor'easters and a few hurricanes. I went crazy trying to get it painted in between rain showers and cold temperatures. Of course, now that it's finished, it's dry and 70 degrees today, perfect leisurely painting weather.

Claire

This post was edited by claire on Thu, Oct 17, 13 at 13:58

Wonderful, Claire, that you still have your dad's tool shed from 60 years ago! Well worth your effort to (finally) paint it. And here's hoping there will be no hurricanes to challenge it this year.

Plus, that crape myrtle should look spectacular against the blue bay in a few years.

Molie

Thanks, Molie. That tool shed is still in great shape and was filled with a lot of old tools. My brother took many of them but I use some of the remainders. I'm amazed, though, at how heavy the old tools were, particularly the snow shovels and sledge hammers. About the only tools that are reasonable for me to use given my strength (or lack thereof) are rakes and saws.

The tool shed is right in my face as I look out one window so it's been nagging at me for a while to be repainted. Maybe window washing should be my next project.

Claire

Much of our color currently is foliage, both in the garden and in the woods and fields around the house. This morning the fog off the river and the sun rising combined to highlight the oaks along the edge of the cornfield.

The beeches are turning from the outside in, both on the individual leaves and on the trees as a whole.

The maples are mostly done, though they still have spots of color in some areas.

The native witch hazels are a clear yellow, both their leaves and their delicate yellow blossoms.

In the garden by the house, the forsythia and an old Festiva Maxima peony have a surprising amount of foliage color.
{{gwi:267380}}From October, 2013

Down by the shop, the big bed is lovely, with Hydrangea 'Pinky Winky' and Rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt' adding red tones, the staghorn sumac (which is actually a volunteer on the slope behind the bed) glowing with a whole rainbow of warm colors, the Amsonia hubrichtii contributing a rosy purple and the beginnings of gold, and the spicebush giving a bright gold backdrop.

That first photo, nhbabs, is calendar-worthy, or at the very least a screensaver!

I also have an old forsythia that turns color in the fall, although it's more maroon and not as flashy as yours. I'm really surprised at the the peony. I have four Festiva Maximas here in zone 6b and they've never shown much fall color - they just go directly to shriveled-up brown which is where they are now. Is yours in a protected spot?

Sumacs here are also showing good color, although they've suffered from prolonged drought last month.

Claire

This post was edited by claire on Fri, Oct 18, 13 at 16:44

Claire -

I ran outside in my flannel nightie to take that shot of the field, forgetting that it wasn't the weekend (when the road is pretty quiet so early in the morning) and a few of the neighbors were commuting by . . . but it was so lovely that I didn't want to miss the photo.

I also have a few things still blooming since we haven't had a frost yet. The area by the kitchen door doesn't have typical fall colors for the first couple weeks of the month. This cluster of bright pink Colchicums surrounded by Chrysanthemum weyrichii 'White Bomb' is on one side of the path and Geranium 'Jolly Bee' is on the other side, making this a fairly active area for the bumblebees who then like to sleep in the flowers at night.

This mum is a bit more coppery in color than the photo shows, and is the last thing to start blooming in my garden.

I also have a few annuals, including various self-seeded Nicotiana flowering in shades ranging from white to a deep maroon and a pot of Salvia that survived from last year and is blooming more profusely this year than I've ever seen. Both of these will flower until a good frost.

Earlier in the month I was enjoying the thread for the first part of October, and realized that one of the things that I particularly like about these threads is that each time someone adds photos, I get to review all the photos loaded earlier in the thread once again. I really do appreciate Pixie Lou for starting this thread series and to everyone who contributes.

Nice painting job Claire. I've been doing lots of small painting projects around the house as well - but they've been indoor projects. So no photos here.

Some nice foliage happening here as well. I love this swamp maple poking through the white pines.

And I really like the distinct red and green foliage on the azalea

The sweet william has decided to put out a second set of blooms.

I haven't seen Charles or Darwin lately. So the tithonia has finally bloomed. Just a couple blossoms.

The basket of marigolds shows no signs of giving up!

Lastly - does anyone know what this vine is? I pulled out about a million feet of it. With hundreds of these weird little "fruits".

Pretty fall colors, pixie_lou. The azalea leaves are lovely with the alternating colors.

Maybe your mystery vine is a Wild Cucumber? Does it have the maple-like leaves?

Apparently it's also called Prickly Cucumber and some kids use them as weapons and as pets, at least in Vermont.

Claire

Only in Vermont would kids have pet cukes! It does look like a cucumber of sorts.

NHbabs, I love that salvia, and I'm jealous of your fall crocus - those are beautiful.

And, yes, it's great that this thread is still going, I'll add my thanks to PixieLou for keeping up with it.

My Franklinia are still in bloom - they're having a really good year. I'll see if I can get some photos before it's over. Other than that ...

Castor bean - love this plant:

Stewartia pseudocamellia, fall color, with PrarieMoon;s hydrangea Merritt's Supreme:

Mexican bush sage:

Japanese anemone:

These October garden shots are wonderful ----I do love the fading colors of fall and the muted hues --- to me this signals a rest period, not only for the gardens but for the gardeners (ME)! I don't think I'd enjoy year-round gardening as in some zones, though I'm sure those gardeners have to have their times when they just ignore the plantings.

I'm with Claire that nhbab's photo of early morning "fog off the river" is terrific and certainly worth a trip outside in nightie with the camera.

Keep posting, folks ---

Molie

Claire, I look forward to photos of your new Crape Myrtle next year when it is a little bigger. Gorgeous Fall color! I hope it blooms for you.

Babs, nice shot of the morning fog in that first photo and I agree, it would make a nice desktop photo or a photo on a Calendar. You must really love having all that space and scenery around you. The bed you made near your husband’s shop is developing nicely.

I enjoy all the photos that everyone posts, too, and starting this thread was a great idea, Pixie Lou. Pretty color on your azalea and nice to still have marigolds looking so good this time of year.

So there is Merritt’s Supreme, DtD, it has certainly grown and so full of blossoms! You must be taking great care of it. Is that in full sun? Also love that Stewartia behind it. I like that color in the Fall. I end up with more yellows than anything, so I enjoy the darker colors. Thanks for posting a photo of MS. :-)

Beautiful Fall day out there today!

I’m enjoying Mums and just picked the last of the Peppers yesterday. Still picking tomatoes, pea pods, basil, chives, and haven’t started picking Kale or Lettuce yet. Still hoping to for awhile.

I’ve been reading about plants for Pollinators and trying to identify if I have any Native Bees in my garden and checking to see if I have the right kind of plants to keep all the pollinators happy all season. Evidently double Mums are not so great for pollinators, but the single blooms are fine. Luckily I have one that is a single. Even better, that particular Mum is my favorite. Here’s a photo of ‘Amber Morning’ Chrysanthemum with visiting pollinators….

This post was edited by prairiemoon2 on Sun, Oct 20, 13 at 17:56

PM2: That 'Amber Morning' Chrysanthemum is a beauty and it's good to know that pollinating insects like it too.

I have roses hanging on; this one is rose 'Carefree Beauty' and it always keeps blooming along with the hips turning red. It's pretty much a sprawling rose that really should have a fence to lean on but I love the relaxed, very informal blooms.

The one flower that starts up around now is Aster oblongifolius 'Fanny'.

I always enjoy seeing how the yellow florets of the asters turn purplish when they've been pollinated. I think it's because the yellow pollen has been removed by the bees during pollination.

One little Phlox maculata is still blooming - or maybe it just got started really late.

Claire

This post was edited by claire on Tue, Oct 22, 13 at 16:58

I've already said how some of my favorite fall colors are the muted tones. This afternoon I couldn't resist some camera shots because the sky was fantastic. Just the way I like it best in the autumn.

My favorite fall sky --- Prussian blue and grays

And there was the long view of the sky and river through our Birch tree, 'Cully'--

I love the look of the eel grass and other grasses in the water when they turn yellow, rust and tan and give a soft frame to the river view. Centered is one of the few white pines that survived all the storm damage of last year. Most of them across the river have been browned out by salt water blowing upriver.

I took this shot of across the river ---- love how the tree trunks and bare branches appear blue/gray when the leaves fall. To me, the nicest part of this season is being able to again see the form of trees without their leaves.

But there are also some surprises in the fall garden --- plants that do not want to stop quite yet, like the flowers on my Clematis 'Rebecca'.

And a Dianthus in front of a Knockout Rose --

Molie

Wonderfully lush long shots, Molie! Did the white pines dominate the view in the winter (before the storm)? Or do you also have pitch pines and spruces and cedars to balance the bare deciduous trees?

Claire

Claire, there were several white pines across the river and a few cedars. Also a few other evergreens, like the ones on the right in the third picture. It really is a mixed "forest" on the other side, but mostly it was the white pines that suffered storm damage. Several of them have been taken down since. One actually fell during last year's storm --- a huge crack and then a thump!

I love all forms of evergreens. That's one of the smells I still remember from my years living in S. VT and NH. Heavenly!

Wow, that ‘Amber Morning’ mum is lovely - is it hardy, or is it one of those temperamental types? My sheffield mums aren't nearly that beautiful, but they DO spread, and are rock solid, as far as being survivors. The peach colored ones are pretty much fully open now, and the purples are just beginning. I'll get some photos next time I'm out and about.

Molie, your views are stunning! I envy you guys with sweeping views - being downtown is nice in a lot of ways, but my yard is pretty much enclosed, on purpose, because there's nothing in terms of views, other than neighbors' garages and telephone poles. I DO miss that, from my days out in western Mass.

PM2, you gave me 2 Merritt's Supremes, and they're both in mostly sun - they do amazingly well. Next summer I'll cut and dry some flowers for you. I think of you every time I see those - love having plants that remind me of old friends and GW cohorts.

Thanks Claire, I noticed yesterday morning when I went past them, there were four bumblebees sleeping, each in the center of their own flower. Must be very comfy in there. (g)

Nice to still have roses. I have about 3 blooms and 3 buds left on Julia Child. Those hips on your Carefree Beauty are a good size. Do the birds eat them? Your pollinators must love those asters. Look at all the pollen in that one purple flower.

Molie, you are so lucky to have such gorgeous views around you. You took some really nice photos of them too. I like your Birch tree, it has a nice framework. I also like to be able to see the form of the trees and the color of the bark better at this time of year. And all that native grass looks undisturbed. Like DtD, very envious of all those ‘sweeping views’!

DtD, ‘Amber Morning’ has been hardy for me since I bought it in 2009 from Bluestone. I’ve already dug it up and divided it and added it to a few areas. Bluestone is low on Mums right now, but they usually have a very good selection of hardy Mums in the spring. This one doesn’t spread that much that I’m aware of. I sometimes buy potted Mums in the fall too, and when they are finished, I have planted them and I've been surprised that some of them have been hardy.

I’m also lacking a view at all and being on a very level lot in a level neighborhood, I just miss seeing the horizon, even. I’ve lived with a view a couple of times and I do miss it.

I forgot there were two of the MS, DtD, I’m enjoying thinking of them doing so well in your garden. And you’re right, passed along plants are a lot of fun. I don’t know if you remember or not, but you passed along Hellebores for my garden, and it is really funny how I do think of you every time I look at those. I’ve already moved some and had seedlings and moved those to new areas. It was my first Hellebore and I’ve gone on to add many more since. I’ll have to post a photo when they bloom in the spring.
:-)

Here is a Mum that was bought potted in the Fall then planted that has come back for me every year since.

This post was edited by prairiemoon2 on Wed, Oct 23, 13 at 9:36

And here is Red Russian Kale still growing in the Vegetable Garden....

This post was edited by prairiemoon2 on Wed, Oct 23, 13 at 9:43

This year's potted Mum that I hope will return if I plant it....

Bill, the Camellia I bought last fall. I mentioned in an earlier post, that I tried covering it over w a milk crate full of leaves to get it through it's first winter, since I planted it so late and a lot of the leaves fell off. This is the extent it has recovered and I'm leaving it on it's own to get through this winter, with fingers crossed....

Ann, your camellia looks healthy and it has several buds to start vegetative growth next season. I hope it does well for you!

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Wow, PM2, you still have quite a lot going on in your garden. I took out my tomatoes a couple of weeks back, as well as the peppers and cukes. I processed all my basil weeks ago, when it got cold for that one week. If I had know it would warm up again and be gorgeous for almost two weeks, I would have let it keep going!

Beautiful mum, that Amber Morning! Wow.

Molie, you made me realize how perspectives differ. You keep referring to "muted shades" when I consider the colors of autumn hot and vibrant! LOL! Either way, the fall colors have been absolutely spectacular this year, IMO - even getting some nice bronzy color on my boring old oaks!

There is a row of spireas between my neighbor and myself that we are both enjoying this fall - beautiful red coloring. Speaking of red, his burning bushes are just brilliant. They make me cringe every time I see them, but they are beautiful despite my misgivings.

Dee

Thanks, Dee, I finally took out most of my tomatoes, but I had a bed where I had left the volunteer tomatoes go, that were not even staked or caged and were winding their way around everything else, and we're still picking some ripe cherries from that, but doubt that will last into next week. Picked all the peppers already, and I still have chives, parsley and basil going well. I was going to look up how to process the basil this week. We have extra for a change. How do you process yours? Do you put it in the freezer? I was going to try that with the parsley too.

Other than that, I added broccoli, kale, lettuce, bok choy starts about a month ago, and only the kale is actually growing. Some insect keeps eating the bok choy and broccoli to bare stems and I've just not had time to respond to that. And the lettuce is just sitting there, not growing I do have Beets still in the ground and Peas that we just picked. I don't usually grow a Fall vegetable garden, but I'm going to put more effort into it next year. I'm also hoping to expand and add a couple more beds.

When we get a cold night, I will try to just cover what I'm worried about and see if I can get some more time from it. Usually works great.

Molie and nhbabs, the shots of your properties with the fall foliage are absolutely lovely. This has been the best year in some time for fall color. I think that the muted colors are a result of mist or heavy humidity, while on a clear dry day the foliage looks bright and vibrant. I've noticed that trees and bushes, not usually known for their autumn color, have been producing bright reds this year, sumacs and some oaks for instance have been positively flame colored.

I'm sorry about the storm damage to your white pines, molie. They are rather brittle trees. I love them though, and the sound that the wind makes blowing through their branches. It reminds me of the surf at the ocean.

Claire, I LOVE your tool shed. Your Dad must have really built it to last. I admire all things durable and well made, as well as those who build them. It makes a beautiful subject to gaze at through your window. (Love the multi-colored bottles and house plants inside the window too.) Do you plant flowers in the little windowbox on the shed? I would have had a field day looking through the tools inside the shed! Heavy antique tools are another of my true loves!

Here's a stock photo of my own latest acquisition. I expect it will chop right through the mat of heavy pasture grass when I finish my tree planting project on the hill this spring. It will join the ranks of my most cherished tools, right beside my post hole digger, my pick axes, my bolt cutters, and my battery powered string trimmer.

PM2, I processed the basil in a little food processor (one of the little 1-or 2-cup things that only has two speeds). I then added and mixed some olive oil and spooned it into ice cubes tray. It worked, but was very messy, and the frozen cubes are quite fragile. I think next time I will try putting it in water (withouth the oil). I guess it wil still be messy, lol, but the cubes will be firmer. I now have a bag of what started out as little cubes but is quickly becoming a bag of shredded basil, lol. Which is stil usable and just as tasty, I suppose, but with a DH who is the main cook and is rough with anything and everything and tosses stuff around the freezer when he's looking for stuff, well, the basil won't hold up for long. Luckily it won't last long anyway, the way we use it!

Dee

PM2 and Dee -

I freeze pesto made in the blender with mostly basil, but also a bit of parsley, along with olive oil, cheese, garlic, and a few pine nuts in ice cube trays like Dee. Once frozen I pop them out and into zip lock bags in meal sized servings and store those in larger freezer bags so that the scent doesn't invade everything in the freezer. IME this a a quite effective and easy way to store basil, and it seems to have no reduction in quality as long as it lasts, though usually in our house it is all eaten by some time in February.

Molie, your foliage looks to be peak just about now, and I love the long looks over the salt marsh and river.

. . . and what gorgeous warm looking mums and asters. Fall has such rich colors!

Dee and Babs -

Thanks for sharing your experiences. That is my project for today. I was pleasantly surprised to see 47 degrees on the back porch this morning, so I'm not going to push my luck any longer. It sounds like it's pretty easy to do.

DH and I are not pesto fans, unfortunately, but our kids are, so that will work out. I'm always looking for other ways to use Basil, we mostly use it in tomato sauces or soups. Anyone have any different ideas for using it from the freezer?

Spedigrees, that tool looks vicious! Hope you will report on how it works. I start new beds on old pasture by first having DH mow/brush hog, then cover with layers of wet newspaper, etc using the lasagna method.

All the photos are wonderful and I am especially envious of the mums that were planted and have come back. I do have a tall, single petal pink variety received at a plant swap that are blooming now. Perhaps I should plant the deep red ones I bought this year?

NHbabs, your shrub bed is gorgeous. I love the variety of colors and shapes and I agree that the foggy photo is worthy of a calendar. Since we live in the same zone area, your posts give me some incentives of what can be done.

Prairiemoon, I love the photo of the Red Russian Kale. The pink stems seem luminous.

It is very interesting to see that many have not stopped gardening even though it is near the end of October. I picked a lot of tomatoes and two days ago picked all of the peppers expecting a frost. The tomato plants in the high tunnel are still braving it out and are not draped in Agribon fabric to see how low a temperature they can take. The high tunnel gets as cold inside as outside at night but since it heats up so much on a sunny day, the ground inside doesn't freeze. Lettuce needs thinning and I have seedlings of spinach etc growing. We had spinach all winter but last year (my first with the high tunnel) I didn't plant hardy varieties of lettuce. Still have a nice crop of golden beets outside. Yesterday picked some red beets from inside the high tunnel that have been growing all summer and maybe all spring. Some were quite large so I thought they would be woody but they are perfect. Still haven't planted my garlic but a market farmer in town just planted his last week so I'm not too late.

I enjoy reading how everyone is putting their gardens to bed and preparing vegetables in different ways to enjoy later. To me this is an exciting time of year, not sad at all. My first husband absolutely hated the cold weather and all the preparations we New Englanders make for winter. But I never minded them --- looked forward to the "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" activities we enjoy in the colder months. Actually, I even like hand shoveling snow. Of course, I'm sure that joy will wane with age.

Ha, Dee! So true that one's perspective influences how they look at things --- like the colors of fall. Here along the coast our oaks are starting to change now, especially after the colder nights and the frost. Usually oaks hold onto their brown leaves forever, but the ones across the street are turning rust, gold and falling.

Dtd, hopefully, here's a reminder of what you loved about western Mass --- a photo I took last week of the hills somewhere along Rt. 7. Those are the muted tones I really love, especially because the sky was gray, not blue. I loved the way the green grass vibrated against all those softer tones.

Sped, I'm sure you're right that the dampness and mists off the river help to mute the fall colors. I like to take photos early in the morning for just that very reason. Yes, white pines are wonderful--- the smells the sounds --- but our property is much too small for them which is why I miss the several cut down across the river. Can't blame the folks over there, though. It's better to cut them than have a brittle tree to topple onto your house.

Yikes, Sped! That's a mighty purchase--- what is that shovel called? Looks like it could handle most anything in its path from sod to small saplings.

I'm a bit jealous of everyone's basil. I didn't grow any this year. Sad because I absolutely love pesto. NHbabs, think I'll try your technique next year--- garlic, cheese, olive oil, pine nuts --- hmmm--- frozen in ice cube trays and stored in individual-use freezer baggies. My mother used to make hers, back in the day, with a mortar & pestle.

Molie

PM2 - I have also dried basil. Just hang the cut stems in a dry spot like a spare bedroom, attic or warm porch. Once dry the leaves crumble easily into a bowl and can from there be spooned into an air-tight jar for storage. Or put just the leaves on a screen in a dry spot. Much more flavor than store-bought basil and will last a long time when stored in a dark, not-too-hot place.

Molie, that's a lovely shot. I lived in Ashfield, MA, before I had kids, and one of my sons lives in Northampton now, so I get to revisit the area often. Beautiful!

We're a little off topic with the pesto theme, but I'll chime in anyway - although I failed to harvest most of my basil this year, because I had a rough summer.

A long time ago, I read that garlic doesn't do well in the freezer, so I just freeze the processed basil and olive oil. Then I toss it into the food processor with pine nuts, garlic and grated parmesan, when we're ready for pesto. That's the way I've been doing it, for about 20 years. It solves the problem of the garlic flavor getting into the ice cream, and maybe it gives the pesto a little more fresh flavor and texture.

Thanks, defrost, I know the red stems on that Kale are pretty. I’m waiting to see if the colors change when it gets colder. We use it for Green Smoothies and soups, mostly.

Did you find hardy varieties of lettuce to grow this winter? I’ve left some beets that have been growing since the spring too. I haven’t checked to see if they are woody yet. Haven’t planted garlic yet, but I hope to this weekend.

Molie, love that photo of Western Mass!

Thanks, Babs, for the tip about drying the Basil. I’ll have to try that so I can compare.

PM2 -
I am impressed with your holeless kale; mine, while huge, has a few cabbage moth nibbles. I'd love any suggestions/recipes for using it since I've never grown it before, but I'll start a new thread on that. I have a feeling I'll be eating more of it since DH isn't fond of most cabbage family food, but I'll enjoy it and let him taste some of mine to see if he likes it.

Spedigrees, your tool reminds me of one DH used to remove multiple layer of shingles from the roof when we first bought this house (which suffered from half a century of deferred maintenance.) His is square ended, though.

I can't resist a few more photos that are similar to some of the previous.
Another morning shot of the field. The farmer was harvesting the alfalfa half for a final time as well as planting winter rye to green manure the corn side.

These are true Crocuses, unlike the Colchicum (which are larger and pinker) that I posted earlier in the month.

And the color in the big shop bed, particularly the Amsonia hubrichtii, is truly spectacular this year.

This is Franklinia altamaha in its fall foliage:

Here's Sheffield pink mum (I know, it's more peach than pink)

and my old dark pink single, with no real id:

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TOO BAD, NONE OF THE TITLES SHOWED UP. After I added them to the photobucket shots, I was sure to "check" them. What did I do wrong? Way too much work to re-load everything.
The first is Allium "Ozawa"
All the mums are true perennials. The only name I remember is "Will's Wonderful" which is pink with white ring around the yellow center.
Winterberry, Itea "Henry's Garnet"
The tree in front yard is Stewartia
Yellow, green, red foliage all on one witch hazel.
Several different hydrangeas, most of whose names I'm too tired to remember right now
There's toadlily, clematis Henryii, corydalis (yellow, fine foliage)
small tree with red leaves in woodland: sourwood
Viburnum "Winterthur" with the one scarlet branch on hydrangea q. "alice"

Babs, great photos of your fields with all those trees full of color! That Amsonia with red coloring is quite a sight and unexpected and a lot larger than I expected they were.

DtD, I like your Sheffield Pink Mum and that’s an interesting combination of the red foliage and blooming white flowers at this time of year on that Franklinia.

Idabean, looks like you finished doing your fall moving. That Stewartia looks great against your house color. Which will only get better as it gets bigger. I like that wide shot with the evergreen punctuation marks. And your yellow Mum on the steps is very pretty and lively!

Lovely soft warm colors, nhbabs. Mother Nature is wrapping herself in a warm scarf in preparation for winter.

That Franklinia is gorgeous, DtD - are they really as dependent on damp soil as I've read? I think you have more clay in your soil than I do. I'd hate to plant something so dependent on me to keep it alive.

Great mums DtD and idabean!

Idabean: Your garden looks so relaxed and complete after the growing season is almost over. The paving really gives structure to the landscape and all those fallen leaves look like a unified groundcover.

Your titles show up when I click on the photos and it brings me to the Photobucket site. I think you'd have to type the titles again in your message at GW to get them to show up here. You can still do that by using the "edit post" function.

Claire

DTD, I really like that Franklinia! So many great photos here by all of you! I'm envious of all your huge properties and homes. My modest house and small garden in the city can't compete (not that it's a competition...just a figure of speech!).

If anyone's interested, I did post photos yesterday in a separate post "End of season color....." because the photos are more or less individual plants and flowers, and not really "landscapes".

{{gwi:5901}}

Bill: pixie_lou at the top said: " However, all landscape and garden photos are welcome. If it is a photo taken in your garden or your yard, it is fair game to post it here. "

Your thread: End of season color...... certainly fits that description. Your garden is still very beautiful and the photos would add so much to the collection here - particularly when people check back in future years to see what the various landscapes/gardens looked like at this season.

Claire

Claire, we're in an outwash plain, so we have layers of sand, clay, and silt. I know we're not supposed to add improvements to the soil when we plant woodies, but if I just mix my soil and put it back into a planting hole, I get a fine grade of concrete.

So, my Franklinias are in fairly large mixed borders that have had a fair amount of compost mixed into the native soil, and they're mulched (although I need to check on that soon, it's been awhile). I wouldn't call these areas damp - not by any stretch - and I'm not good at remembering to water. They might be growing a little more slowly than they would in a more well-tended or irrigated garden, but they seem to do pretty well. I did use soaker hoses on the beds for the first couple of years, but no water to speak of after that. I guess I used the hoses partly because earlier attempts to grow Franklinias failed - I bought them all from Forestfarm, in quart pots, so wasn't too invested in survival with my earlier tries.

Claire, thanks for adding the link to my other posting!

{{gwi:5901}}

Oh Boy! What a treat to see all these amazing photos. I love all the long views of gorgeous colors. What nice backdrops some of you have. This is such a glorious time of year with all the colors, blue sky and crisp air.

Here's some amsonia. More red/orange this year than its normal bright yellow. I like the mixed colors of this year better.

The zinnias just gave it up a few days ago with the cold nights.

Sassafras and japanese maple:

Still waiting for lots to turn in the gardens. Many ornamental trees and shrubs have barely started turning.

New addition to the garden. My brother made me some cedar furniture. We really enjoy sitting back there.

thyme2dig, what a lot of Fall color you have! Great group of Amsonia. I like it with the red too. Those are some tall zinnias you have there!

And I love your new outdoor furniture. Your brother certainly does a great job. Is that a stain or paint? Do you use cushions in the summer months?