The Gardener's Eden

 Stepping into Late Autumn, Through the Secret Garden Door

Jack Frost arrived a bit late to the garden this year, and so far, he’s breezed through only lightly. Though the calendar says it’s November, Black-eyed Susan and her pretty, pink Wind-Flower companions have thus far eluded his fatal kiss. The maples have all shed their leaves, but oak, beech and poplar trees continue to add confetti dots of color to the hills. Here in the garden, the ornamental grasses reign supreme, but Korean Dogwood (Cornus kousa) and Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum), as well as many Viburnum, Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), Witch Alder (Fothergilla), and other species hold tight to pretty red-orange foliage and brightly colored berries. Still, I remind myself daily to savor this last great wave of color. Days are getting shorter and nights are getting colder. Soon the garden and surrounding forest will stand naked, shivering in white, winter bones.

  A Garden Trio of Cranberrybush Viburnum, Maiden Grass and Limelight Hydrangea Vie with Blushing Sunset for an Autumn Evening Spotlight

 And Rounding the Corner on the Opposite Side, Creeping Blue-Rug Juinper (Juniperus horizontalis ‘Wiltonii’), Striped Eulalia Grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’) and Variegated Wayfaring Tree (Viburnum lantana ‘Variegatus’), Add Complimentary Color and Textural Contrast to the Fiery Hues

 The Autumnal Gold of Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’) Plays Pretty Against the Maroon Backdrop of Diablo Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diablo’)

 Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Issai’) and Hubricht’s Amsonia (Amsonia hubrichtii) Shine Bright as the Sun’s Afterglow 

 Early Amethyst Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Early Amethyst’) with Smoke Bush (Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’) and Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides), in the Entry Garden Walk

 Striped Eulalia Grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’) with Flame Grass (Miscanthus sinensis purpurascens) on a Dramatic, November Day

 Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides) Tufts Lend an Air of Soft Warmth to a Cold, Autumn Day 

 The Blue-Green Dragon (Acer palmatum x dissectum ‘Seiryu’) Breathes Fire at the Secret Garden Door on a November Day

Photography & Textâ“’ Michaela Medina Harlow/The Gardener’s Eden. All photographs, artwork, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of Michaela Medina Harlow and/or 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. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you! 

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A Moment’s Reflection and I’m Off to Work, Through the Secret Garden Door

My garden misses me, and I miss my garden. Autumn days are growing shorter, and with so many projects to finish before the ground freezes, I only have time to catch a glimpse of her sunlit beauty on the way to and from work. And oh, the low, golden light is so spectacular at this time of year… Don’t you wish we could bottle a bit and pull it out on one of February’s most dismal days?

So sorry for my absence, friends! Things have been a bit hectic, but I will be back soon to catch up …

Burnt Orange & Sunlit Saffron: The Blue Green Dragon is Breathing Fire at the Secret Garden Door (Acer palmatum x dissectum ‘Seiryu’)

Golden Silverbell Leaves, Scattered About the Table On A Frosty Morn

Cold Roses (Rosa de Rescht)

Secret Garden Design & Installation: Michaela Medina Harlow

Stonework by Dan Snow

Photography and Text â“’ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, 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. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. 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!

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!

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!