Falling for Autumn’s Slow Color Shift …

The Brilliant Vermillion Fruits of Tea Viburnum (V. setigerum) are Striking Against this Silvery-Mauve Screen of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ in My Garden

With two large garden design & installation projects to button up before the end of the year, fire wood to stack and countless post-Irene repairs to tackle, it seems the weeks are flying by in a wild blur. Indeed, the Autumnal Equinox is mere hours away, and the last days of summer are upon us. Even with my busy schedule, it’s hard to ignore the signs of fall, steadily creeping into my garden …

Arkansas Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) in the Wildflower Walk is Revealing Her Inner Chameleon (This delightful, spring-flowering native shifts from green to chartreuse-gold and orange as Autumn plays on)

Of course I will miss summer’s long days and balmy nights, but fall will always be my favorite season. I love observing the slow color-shifts in my autumn garden as verdant trees and shrubs come alive in shades of brilliant saffron, orange, scarlet, plum, smoke, violet and rust. The viburnum are particularly showy at this time of year —with colorful leaves and fruit— and already the cranberrybush, tea and nannyberry viburnum have started up the early show. I’ll be posting more photos of seasonal favorites as the garden’s grand finale progresses. For the early birds —settling into front-row seats, hoping for a glance of players rehearsing lines and slipping into costume— it’s never too soon to arrive at the theater …

Just a Few, Short Weeks Ago (Late August) the Stems of V. setigerum were Coral, But Fruits Held Green …

… Now Transformed to a Brilliant Shade of Orange

As Fall Progresses, North American Native Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) Fruits Morph from Kaleidoscopic Candy-Store Colors (above) to Deep Blue-Black (below)

Viburnum lentago Berries, Later in Autumn (Click Here to See More Plants with Ornamental Berries)

Bright Red Winterberries Provide a Visual Jolt in a Sea of Verdant Leaves and Blue-Green Juniper (Ilex verticillata ‘Red Sprite’, Juniperus chinensis ‘Sargentii’ and Lindera benzoin)

With Brilliant Fall Foliage (Starting Peachy Green and Peaking in Scarlet) and Cinnamon-Colored, Curling Bark, This Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum) Has Much to Offer the Garden from Late Summer Through Winter

The Scarlet Fruits of Viburnum x burkwoodii ‘Mohawk’ are Attractive to Many Birds (including my resident Catbird – click here to read more about this noisy little fella). This Wonderful Shrub Provides Fragrant Flowers in May, Shiny Green Leaves in Summer, Brilliant Berries, Kaleidoscopic Foliage in Autumn and Pretty, Frost-Covered Form in Winter.

I’m wild about Beautyberries, and Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Issai’ —a hardy cultivar I planted in my garden a couple of years ago— is a real eye-popper! Each year I am rewarded with more and more glorious purple berries, and they are an absolute, autumnal delight! Read more about Callicarpa, and my obsession with this glorious shrub, by clicking here.

Eventually the Vivid Purple Fruits will Stand Alone on Bare Branches. Beautyberry Indeed! Click here to read more.

A Simple, Low-Maintenance, Trans-Seasonal Border: Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum ‘Shasta’, Miscanthus sinensis purpurascens and Viburnum trilobum ‘J.N. Select, Redwing’ 

Photos and Text â“’ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All photographs, articles and content on this site, (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!

Do you enjoy visiting The Gardener’s Eden? You can help this site by shopping through our affiliate links. A small percentage of any sale originating from The Gardener’s Eden will go toward web hosting and maintenance costs. Thank you for your support!

Dutch Gardens, Inc.

Shop at SpringHillNursery.com to save $25 on a $50 order!

Breck's - 468x60 Logo

Gardener's Supply Company