Fall Around The Neighborhood

I woke up this morning and all of a sudden realized fall was upon us!  Looking up I saw the trees turning color. I had not noticed how vivid they were until today, reds, golds, yellows and even browns and purples.

This wonderful tree is across the street from me.

This one is next door.

We try so hard in the colder areas to have at least three seasons of bloom and this is certainly achievable with some planning and four seasons are possible by adding structures and enjoying the plantings that can be left up over the winter.

Hydrangea Limelight
The flower heads will continue to dry and do hold up throughout the winter.

Looking South in the Fall Border

Yellow line in the middle is the umpteenth time the gas company has marked off for new repiping!  It doesn't seem to matter that we are a newer home with new piping!

The Miscanthus Udine plumes are coming into full bloom against the fall sky.

Panicum Northwind is developing seed heads and turning color.
This is a grass that will also stand straight during the winter.

Penstemon Hamlin
Looks great all winter

The border looking north shows daylilies that have been cut down and rejuvenated, Southern Comfort Heuchera, Greenstem Forsythia and Dark Horse Weigela.

Bronze Mums and aster in the front garden,  Crotons will not last in the fall garden.  I see many of them in nursery fall planters.  They do not do well below fifty degrees and I hate to tell you what happens below that!

I have to admit that Mums give that punch of color to the fall garden.

The Rudbeckias look great with the fall colors.

The cabbages have their own beauty as they open up.

I stopped and took this photo as I was driving through the neighborhood, very effective use of mums and cabbages together.

This is Aster Purple Dome and has never looked good for me, bare on the bottom, eaten by the rabbits and just tattered looking all season.

I am growing a last crop of lettuce in containers on my patio.  Anything edible planted in the veggie garden was eaten by the rabbits as soon as they sprouted.

Eva Cullum Phlox is a later and longer blooming variety.

Franz Schubert is an early blooming phlox but is still going.

There is nothing like the roses in the fall garden.  This is Pink Promise an All America Winner a few years ago.  However, it is very tall, over five feet.

Roses single and double Knockout, they add color like no other fall flower!

Rainbow Knockout

Pink Knockout

David Austin's Mary Rose

Home Run Rose Pink