The Gardener's Eden

Soft Light Through Morning Fog at Woodland Edge

Indian Summer —that deliciously warm, golden season between the first, light frost and the killing freeze— is like a sweet dessert after a perfect meal. Oh how I delight in these last, precious weeks of mild weather. Usually, I host an open studio and garden tour in autumn, but this year —with a washed out bridge that will remain closed until next year and a network of back roads badly damaged by tropical storm Irene— my house and garden are strangely quiet. Some days —when torrential rain pours down my patched up driveway in a river— I barely make it home myself. Still, I so enjoy the sensual beauty of October —with all her musky fragrance, shimmering, low light and brilliant color— that it  feels unfair to hoard it to myself. So a short, misty-morning tour of some of this week’s highlights in a garden just warming up for a grand and colorful season finale …

Waves of  Golden Amsonia Sway with the Lift of Morning Fog (Amsonia hubrichtii in the entry garden with Clethra alnifolia, Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Summer Wine’, Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’ and the seed heads of Heliopsis helianthoides ‘Sommersonne’. Beyond, Juniperus chinensis ‘Sargentii’, Cornus kousa and Juniperus x pfitzeriana ‘Sea Green’)

The Beautiful Color of Redvein Enkianthus (Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Red Bells’) Lights Up the Morning Fog

Where Forest Meets Clearing (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Purpurascens’, Miscanthus sinenensis ‘Morning Light’, Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diablo’, Rhus typhina, Solidago) 

My Favorite Autumn Hydrangea, H. paniculata ‘Limelight’, Is Putting on a Sensational Display This Year. In the Background You Can Catch Just a Glimpse of the Heath & Heather Ledges with a Sea Green Juniper at the Crest …

Here You Can Just Spot Her, Rising Beyond the Stone Wall and Secret Garden Door, the Scarlet Heuchera (H.villosa ‘Palace Purple’) and the Variegated Daphne (Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’)

In Spite of Last Week’s Battering Winds, the Paper Bark Maple (Acer griseum) at the Entry Garden Edge is Still Putting On a Good Show. Soon, the Leaves will Blaze a Glorious Scarlet

In the Entry Garden, Amsonia illustris Glows in a Mound of Lemon-Lime. At this Time of the Year, a Shot of Citrus is Always a Warm Welcome at the Edge of the Drive (Beyond: Symphotrichum oblongifolium ‘Raydon’s Favorite’, Rudbeckia hirta, Lysmachia clethroides, Fothergilla ‘Mt Airy’, Amsonia hubrichtii, and Miscanthus sinensis ‘Purpurascens’ against a backdrop of Juniperus x pfitzeriana ‘Sea Green’)

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Purpurascens’ & ‘Variegatus’ are Really Putting on a Stellar Show Together this Season

Decked Out in a Sparkling, Tasseled Golden Gown that Would Turn Fappers Green with Envy, Seems This ‘Heavy Metal’ Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum) Is Adding Few Finishing Touches for the Fall Party (that dark and mysterious hedge in the background is a mass planting of Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diablo’, with a lacy slip of ferns peeking out at the bottom)

This Younger Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’  is Already  Painting Her New Space in Bold Shades of Gold, Orange and Red (Planted here along a slope of Juniperus x pfitzeriana ‘Sea Green’ and a carpet of Juniperus chinensis ‘Sargentii’)

Photographs 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!

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North American native Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) Shines Brightly in a Clear, Luminous Gold (for a detailed profile on this fantastic plant, click here and to see her spring blossoms, be sure to click here)

Most people don’t get excited about dark, dreary days. After all, it’s hard to jump up and down when you’re weighed down by rain gear and heavy galoshes. And this year, rain has a pretty bad rap: New England has had more than its fair share, and many states were devastated by flooding. Still, I have to admit that I actually like the rain, and I always enjoy a bit of autumn gloom. There’s just something about rain and drizzle that makes colorful foliage sing in the grey, mist-softened landscape. Oh how I love a foggy fall day.

Two of my favorite native shrubs for early to mid autumn foliage color are Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) and Spicebush (Lindera benzoin). The clear, luminous, lemony gold of Lindera benzoin shines like a glowing lantern in the entry garden on a drizzly evening. Placed in the center of an all-star, autumn line-up —including Witch Alder (Fothergilla ‘Mt Airy’), Bodnant Viburnum (V. bodnantense ‘Dawn’), Winterberry (Ilex verticillata ‘Red Sprite’) and Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa) among others— this beauty really holds her own from spring to fall. Read more about this pollinator friendly native plant in my previous post by clicking here, and be sure to check out photos of her delicate, golden blossoms by traveling back to a springtime post, linked here.

Underused and Oft Misunderstood, Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) is One of My Autumn Favorites. Backed Up By a Clump of Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera), This Gorgeous Native Shrub Glows Like a Bonfire in the Mist. (For more information about Rhus typhina, as well as other sumac species and cultivars, click here.)

Of course, lovely as the yellow leaves can be, when it comes to autumn in Vermont, most people tend to think of orange and red foliage. And although leaf peepers may admire the brilliant show as they whiz past her fiery foliage on the highway, few can name the beauty in the technicolor dreamccoat: Rhus typhina. I adore sumac and grow a variety of species and cultivars in my garden (read my post on the oft-avoided and widely misunderstood Rhus family by clicking here) including the lovely, chartreuse-leaved R. typhina ‘Tiger Eyes’. But lucky me, Staghorn Sumac grows naturally at the edge of my woodland boundary. All that I need do in order to maintain this beautifully soft border is to thin unwanted cherry or black birch saplings when they pop up in and around the sumac stands. I like to play the brilliant hues of Staghorn Sumac against a backdrop of sparkling gold paper birch (Betula papyrifera) or —for extra drama— the deep maroon of Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diablo’ (click here to read about this dark and dramatic shrub). Wow, just look at these beauties together …

A Stand of Staghorn Sumac Began to Form When I Started Planting the Ninebark Border (Physocarpus opufolius ‘Diablo), Six Years Ago. I’m Enchanted by the Unexpected Drama. (Click here to read more about dark and mysterious Physocarpus opufolious ‘Diablo’). That’s Rudbeckia lacinata in the foreground; tawny stalks with seed heads held high for hungry finches.

Photographs 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 The Gardener’s Eden? You can help support this site by shopping through affiliate links. A small percentage of each sale will be paid to this site, helping to cover web hosting and maintenance costs. Thank you so much for your support!

Crows feasting upon native staghorn sumac berries (Rhus typhina) in my garden this morning…

This morning while lingering over my breakfast, I heard some loud caw-caw-cawing coming from the edge of the back garden, and then noticed a pair of American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) enjoying an early meal of fruit from staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina). With its velvety branches, brilliant fall color and bright red fruits, North American native Rhus typhina will always be high on my list of favorite four-season shrubs (read my detailed plant-profile post about this under-appreciated plant here). And beyond its value as a large-scale, landscape ornamental, sumac is an important source of food for birds and other wildlife. In late winter and early sping —when natural sources of sustenance are becoming depleted— sumac fruit and seed provides food for many returning and over-wintering birds; including crow, raven, robin, thrush, cardinals, vireos, catbirds, warblers, juncos, grouse and others.

Interested in learning more about how to attract birds to your yard with landscaping? Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a great site called All About Birds, with all sorts of great tips and resources. I love their free and easy to use sound-library and identification guides. Living here in the wilds of Vermont (happily without television reception) bird and wildlife watching is one of my main forms of visual entertainment, and I am particularly fond of the dark, beautiful and intelligent crow and raven. Click here to listen to the call sounds of the American Crow and take a tour of the fantastic Cornell Lab of Ornithology website.

Staghorn sumac fruits (Rhus typhina) persist through winter, offering sustenance to hungry over-wintering and migratory birds.

Read more about Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) here.

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Article and photographs are copyright Michaela at The Gardener’s Eden, all rights reserved. All content on this site, (with noted exceptions), is the property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be used, reproduced or reposted elsewhere without written consent.

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The Remaining Fruit on this Tea Viburnum Gleams Like Candy Store Gumdrops (Viburnum setigerum) Against a Background of Honey-Colored Miscanthus

Surprised by a late November warm spell —gardens enveloped by quiet rain and soft fog— I found myself shrugging a few responsibilities and wandering around in the late afternoon light. Everywhere, tiny droplets of rain —caught between cobwebs and berry-laden branches—sparkled like a million loose diamonds. The last colors of autumn are slowly fading now —shifting toward subtler, wintery hues— and on misty days like today, the conifers —particularly blue-green junipers— look fresh and lovely beside damped stone walls, candy-colored fruits and bleached meadow grasses.

On busy days filled with life’s chaos —places to go and things to do— the gentle calm of nature whispers and soothes a busy mind. The garden is my sanctuary. So, before the holiday whirlwind sweeps you up and carries you away, take a walk with me… Breathe in the scent of the damp earth and listen to the sound of falling rain…

Holger’s Singleseed Juniper (Juniperus squamata ‘Holger’) Atop the Secret Garden Stairs

Viburnum setigerum: Berries with Rain Drops

Sprinkled in Sparkling Raindrops at the Edge of the Meadow: Deschampsia flexuosa (Tufted Hair Grass), Cotoneaster and Juniperus squamata ‘Holger’

Juniperus squamata ‘Holger’ (Holger’s Singleseed Juniper) Atop the Secret Garden Steps on a Foggy November Morning at Ferncliff

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’ in the Late November Entry Garden at Ferncliff

Climbing Hydrangea Consumes a Lichen-Splotched Boulder at the Edge of the Garden (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris)

Flower-Remnants in Fog – Climbing Hydrangea (H. anomala subsp. petiolaris)

At Meadow’s Edge, Bleaching Flame Grass Continues to Add Texture and Warmth to the Landscape (Miscanthus purpurascens)

Rhus typhina, our Native Staghorn Sumac (read more about this beauty by clicking back, here)

The Texture and Color of Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diablo’) Adds Subtle Beauty to the Late Autumn and Winter Landscape

Thousands of Raindrops Add Dazzling Sparkle to the Colorful November Foliage of Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’

Juniperus horizontalis Spills Over the Entryway Retaining Wall

Raindrops Collect on Cobwebs Lining the Cotoneaster (C. dammeri ‘Eichholz’) Spilling Over the Stone Retaining Wall

The Vertical, White Lines of Paper Birch Stand Stark Along the Toffee-Toned Hillside

The Rich, Caramel-Gold Color of  Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus’ is a Welcoming Sight on a Foggy Day

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Article and photographs â“’ 2010 Michaela at TGE

All content on this site, (with noted exceptions), is the property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be used or reproduced without prior written consent. Inspired by something you see here? Great! Please give credit where credit is due. It’s a small world and link-love makes for fond friendships. Stealing makes for bad dreams…

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