Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Around The Garden

I didn't think I would be doing this in November, but as I moved around the garden, there were quite a few plants that were either still blooming or had put on their fall colors.  Before blogging,, I don't think I appreciated these subtle changes in nature.

The alley garden looks really good this fall, filling out and developing fall color enhanced by the leaves that pile up against it.


Eupatorium Chocolate is at it's peak.  It really likes the cooler weather!


Sedum Autumn Fire is in the alley garden.  It is not quite as showy as Autumn Joy but it remains erect all winter.


Miscanthus Udine has already begun to flop.  I have learned the hard way to cut this down before the snow hits.  It is almost impossible to cut it down after it is smashed into the raised bed.  I know, it looks so good!


Panicum Northwind will stand through the winter, usually ready to cut down by March.  I love the tan color against the snow.


It is difficult to believe that Pink Beauty is still putting out a rose every so often and an almost perfect rose.


Can you believe this Rainbow Knockout?  It is a difficult rose to find, and all of the ones I have growing are from http://www.gardenvalley.com/  Their roses are bare root and have never had a problem rooting and taking off the first year.  In fact, I have just placed an order with them to ship the first of April.  Home Depot had a small shipment of Rainbow this year but quickly sold out.  They are not promoted by the nurseries because they don't look eye-popping in their containers.  However, they are the only rose blooming profusely in my garden.


This is Ernest Markham blooming on the south side of my home.  I planted it this spring, didn't do much in the hot summer, and now decides to put on a show.  It is a Type 3, so I will cut it down in the spring and give it a bigger trellis.  It is supposed to be a very floriforous hardy clematis.


Henryi has put out one more huge bloom, can't believe it has any more.  This is the Type 2 clematis that I cut to the ground so that it would rejuvenate.  It certainly looks like it has.


White Swan is my only coneflower that is still blooming.  Why didn't I plant more White Swan?  This deserves to be interspersed throughout my garden.


If you can stand to look at your allysum all winter it will reward you over and over again.  In the spring, just pull it out and sprinkle it wherever you want allysum.   It reseeds very easily.


Wow, was this a lucky choice this year, Heuchera Southern Comfort, a real star in the fall garden.


Heuchera Southern Comfort in another location, love, those great fall colors!


 
Penstemon Hamlin (not to be cut down until spring)


Rose hips from Pink Meidiland, also difficult to find, but I have ordered one more from Garden Valley Ranch.

 
Little Henry's Garnet Sweetspire looks better than ever this fall.  It has never been as healthy and colorful.  I did use a systemic this spring, and it seems to have done the trick.  I was ready to replace it.


Limelight Hydrangea will have plenty to show off this winter.  I have never left so many flowers on the shrub, but I will use some for the holidays,, maybe even spray some for my indoor displays.


I hate to end this on a downer, but this is my yellowing yew.  It was a very large one that I have trimmed, turned off the water that sprays on it, worked in peat moss way down fed it and we'll just wait and see until spring.  It will look great when we get the Christmas lights on it!

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Eileen, It is true that when one starts to write a weblog one becomes much more aware of every detail in the garden. This is a really good offshoot of creating a weblog.

Your garden has so much of interest still and the Clematis I find truly remarkable.Yew often yellows if standing in the wet so perhaps withe your remedial action it will resurrect itself!

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Edith, the clematis has surprised me this year, not all of them, but several when snipped will keep on blooming through fall.

The yew will be difficult to replace because it was quite large.

Eileen

Darla said...

Blogging as also made me look at my gardens with a different eye. You still have a lot going on around your. Love the Northwind grass!

Dave@TheHomeGarden said...

I always love the fall colors in the grasses! I'm a recent fan of Southern Comfort too! ;) Your garden looks great!

Lisa ~Suburban Retreat~ said...

I've loved the tour around your Autumn garden! We've had frost several days in a row now so that seems to stop everything in its tracks but I'm quite surprised too, at how late some plants were still throwing out some blooms.

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Darla, the nice thing about Northwind is that it is also easy to cut down in the spring.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Dave, I guess I am really surprised by this Heuchera. It was only $4.98 at Home Depot. You even got a better deal.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Lisa, we have had a couple of nights of light frost, but nothing hard yet.

Eileen

Shirley said...

I love your grasses, particularly the miscanthus. How do you remember which grasses to cut in the fall and which to leave until spring? Do you keep a garden journal?

Jennifer@threedogsinagarden said...

Wow, you have so much still in bloom! Yesterday and today we had our first hard frosts and so there is not much left- just a few roses with a lot of pluck! The clematis looks great in your photos, as do the grasses and pink roses. Hopefully the yew will recover from whatever ails it.

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Jennifer, I know I saw your frost. We have just had a little surface frost so far, but I know it is coming. I can't believe those clematis. I did prune them a little this year after blooming, maybe I need to do a little more pruning next year.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Shirley, the Miscanthus grasses tend to flop in heavy rain or snow in the winter, except for the small ones. The Penstemons do well standing for the winter especially Hamlin.

Panicum Northwind is known for being able to weather the storms until about March, My Carex on the side of the house is a shorter grass but becomes mushy if left standing. It is both experience and noting which ones are recommended to leave up for the winter.

Eileen

Jim Groble said...

Wow! you still have blooms. that is great. Love the pics. Your sedum looks super. we have to move all of ours because of overcrowding. jim

Mary Anne said...

HI EILEEN:

IT IS SO HARD TO BELIEVE THAT CHICAGO WEATHER IS STILL ALLOWING A PERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL ROSE TO SHOW OFF IN ALL OF ITS GLORY..AS FOR THOSE CLEMATIS' THEY ARE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB AS WELL.

WONDERFUL POST AND WONDERFUL INFO EILEEN.

MARY ANNE OX

Karen said...

Hi Eileen, It's late at night again, but I just had to come over and see what's going on in your lovely garden. I am not disappointed! I read your other post about bulb planting...oh, next year is going to be even more stupendous for you! All of your plants look so stunning yet and to think it's the first of November. I have a confession on the grasses, in late spring, I take a cigarette lighter and burn mine to the ground...now, you do NOT want to do this near any structure or tree or anything you value, because miscanthus and calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' go up in flames as if you'd poured gasoline on them. However, for me, it works great; I have a lot of room around mine and it saves me the time and effort of cutting them down. Plus, once a year, I have a true 'burning bush' in my yard. :-)

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Jim, supposedly Autumn Fire does not need dividing as often as Autumn Joy. I just couldn't deal with the Autumn Joy every year flopping and dividing, flopping and dividing. It is more showy, but I gave that up for standing.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Thanks Mary Anne,

This rose didn't do much all summer and now it is showing off!

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Karen, this sure would make it easy if I could burn them, but we are not even allowed to burn leaves.

When I was a child, I lived in the city on a thirty foot lot and we were allowed to burn leaves,m what were they thinking? We could have burned down the whole neighborhood!

Eileen

Diana LaMarre said...

Hi Eileen,
I can't believe how much you have in bloom in November! That Miscanthus Udine is stunning as are the hydrangea heads. They look great on a Christmas tree or wreath. I wish I had a few large shrubs so I could use them as filler on my Christmas tree.

I will be looking forward to seeing what you decide to do with them for your holiday decor.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Eileen it is funny how many plants we share ! And yes I had planted a lot of White Swan a couple of years ago when I had a pot in my old car with me and it's scent was totally amazing! I have Baby Swan too : )
The grasses are a favorite of mine I totally love them and Chocolate Snake Root was amazing this year! Even husband asked "what is that really NICE plant over there ??" haha .. aren't all my plants NICE??
Joy : )

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Zoey, I had some friends over today and they were shocked to see the clematis. We are expecting somme light snow, so I am sure this is the end!

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Joy, I am going to look for Baby Swan, never have seen it in this area.

We are supposed to get some light snow tonight but looking forward to a predicted much warmer next week!

Eileen

joey said...

Dear Eileen ~ you have a gift for presenting the gift of the day. Blessings on your yellowing yew :)

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Joey, I am afraid I will need blessings on this yew. I hate to give up because it is so big and I don't know how it is going to be replaced.

Eileen

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous garden and post, Eileen!

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I think I started appreciating my fall garden a lot more after I started blogging too. The grasses are so pretty in your garden. I really need to find places to fit more in. I've looked at 'Southern Comfort' many times at the nursery. I need to find a place for one, I love that color.

Kate (daisygil_io) said...

I agree that blogging really makes me look at the world a little closer. you have a beautiful garden and still quite a few things blooming or in lovely foliage splendor! Enjoy these last few weeks before the cold sets in.

lazyclick said...

Very lovely flowers.

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Thanks for visiting Pat.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Thanks Catherine, Southern Comfort is a lot nicer than I had thought it would be, great color through the seasons.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Kate,m the cold had set in, but we are in for a warmer week, just a tease.

Eileen