The Magic of Morning Light …

A Web of Diamond Dewdrops, Left Dangling on the Balcony …

Early morning light is magical in the late summer garden. Soft and warm, the gentle rays illuminate fine textures and shimmering dew drops. I love to stroll the garden paths at this time of day. Sometimes my best design ideas come in the early hours, and when I observe a sunlit spot —an opportunity for backlighting texture— I make note of it in my journal. Later, when I spy a delicate, near-transparent colored flower or cloud-like plant —and I’m particularly fond of ornamental grasses— I will pick it up to accent the luminous space. Later in autumn and especially in winter (click here for photos of January light in my garden), the textures of the garden become even more pronounced as color fades back and detail takes center stage …

The Tips of This Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’) Sway and Glow as the Sun Rises Behind Cranberry Bush Viburnum (Viburnum trilobum ‘Bailey Compact’)

This Aptly Named Maiden Grass, ‘Morning Light’, Shimmers and Shines Like Spun Gold at Sunrise (Here with Viburnum trilobum ‘Bailey Compact’ and fading blossoms of Rudbeckia hirta)

When Backlit by Early Sunlight, the Golden Bands of Porcupine Grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus’) Stand Out in Bold Contrast to the Deep Wine Color of the Ninebark Beyond (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diablo’)

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