Friday, November 16, 2012
Foliage Follow-Up November 2012
Unbelievably, I'm posting for Foliage Follow-Up on the correct day!!! I've realized that the reason I'm always late is because I want to be totally legit...so run around like a crazy person on the day of...trying to accurately catalog what's going on in my garden. Without my camera, I can breeze through the few photos I took over the past few weeks before it stopped working.
Of course, going through my photos, most of them were of grasses (this is Autumn, after all), but I decided to save most of those for a future, more expansive, post. This post will be a quick look at a few plants I'm particularly smitten at the moment. The Selinum wallichianum above was a great success this year. Planted late last summer, I wasn't sure what to expect. Needless to say, they've exceeded all my expectations. They grew big and fast this year...with amazingly delicate fern-like foliage. It really is a source of long-lasting and ever-changing interest. Spring and summer green with deep reddish-purple stems. Large, glowing white umbels of flowers in spring, and now, gorgeous golden foliage...which looks ever more smashing with those dark stems.
I couldn't help putting a few grasses in this post...so bear with me. Schizachyrium 'Blue Heaven' is such a stunner...gorgeously purple/pink on cloudy days, and a blazing mix of orange/red/pink/purple in sun...LOVE it!
Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium) are similar to the previously mentioned Selinum in their very long season of interest. Again, the golden fall foliage is even more striking paired with merlot-tinted stems.
Is it bad of me to admit that I planted this Parthenocissus (Silver-Veined Virginia Creeper) solely because I love it's Autumn color? If so...yes, I'm a bad person. Luckily, it looks good in every other season too...and those blue berries are a definite bonus!
Another fabulous grass, Panicum 'Northwind' is a real winner...stuningly upright with blue-green foliage all summer...which turns a rich mix of yellows and oranges in fall...this looks so amazing with sun coming through it.
Our Parrotia persica trees are only a few years old...and are finally starting to feel like real trees. I'm amazed at how different it feels now when I walk past them...they make the house & garden feel far less exposed. Parrotias can be pretty varied when it comes to fall color. Last year, ours turned a glorious golden yellow before a hard rain kocked the leaves off. This year, they are very slowly turning a crazy mix of orange, red and yellow...every leaf it different.
Another leaf on the same tree...isn't it crazy how different they are?
While Pennisetum 'Vertigo' doesn't change color during Autumn, it's constant brooding coloring is a fabulous foil for it's bedmates. Seen here with Panicum 'Rostralbusch', I love how the more solid 'Vertigo' contrasts with the ephemeral blooms and golden hue of the Panicum.
I leave you with the stained glass spectacle that is Panicum 'Huron Solstice'. For more celbrations of Foliage around the world, head on over to Pam Penick's Digging!
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Is 'Northwind' *very* upright? How does it compare to 'Heavy Metal'? I've been growing 'Heavy Metal' for a few years and it's okay but does flop for me eventually. I want something that's better. Is 'Northwind' it?
ReplyDeleteI've found it to be about as upright as you can get...much more so than 'Heavy Metal'. I had a few that were molested by some leaning Verbena bonariensis...which bent them over a bit...but the ones that were left to their own devices are very upright...even after heavy rains :-)
DeleteStill am admiring your Pennisetum 'Vertigo' and will get one or two next spring. Dying to know if it makes it through the winter for you. Beautiful foliage!
ReplyDeleteWe'll see...I'm in a very mild little corner of Portland...so there's a decent chance they'll pull through :-)
DeleteYou get the gold medal...and the bronze medal...in the autumn olympics.
ReplyDeleteHahahaha...I will wear them proudly ;-)
DeleteThe rusty hues in everything really capture this month for me - that Panicum...mmmm!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to over-state the beauty of Panicums...they are so wonderful.
DeleteI also love the Schizachyrium. And it's not bad to plant Virginia Creeper. If I didn't already have it growing wild on the back fence (and up the telephone pole), I would probably plant some.
ReplyDeleteIsn't the Schizachyrium wonderful, Jason...I wish I could have a whole field of it!
DeleteHi Scott,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful colour; grasses are invaluable at this time of year for their colour/interest. Soon we'll be looking at only bare skeletons of plants...
So very true, Gwirrel...this is the time of year that grasses really prove their worth!
DeleteSelinum wallichianum...what a sensational photo!
ReplyDeleteI have a young Parrotia and only yesterday observed 3 brightly coloured leaves among the many green ones. I hope it enjoys our Ontario winter and returns with more colour next year.
It's a fabulous plant, Marie...I love it! I think our Parrotia were slow to color up the first year or two...but seem to be getting better and better as they settle in.
DeleteThe grassmeister!
ReplyDeleteHa...THAT is going on my business card someday ;-)
DeleteThe photo of the sunlight in the Huron Solstice captures the season so wonderfully. I can feel moment in that photograph. Lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks, LeLo...I adore Autumn...and could spend hours and hours just trying to capture those moments :-)
DeleteI'm impressed by the golden color of your Joe Pye Weed. Mine just turns brown.
ReplyDeleteIt really seems to depend on the year...some years it isn't quite this good...I lucked out this year, I guess ;-)
DeleteScott, I have decided that your garden isn't anything special but rather you have a great camera! ;) Outstanding photos as always. Thank you.
ReplyDelete(Btw, what are the specifics of your camera?)
Hahahahahahaha...that could VERY well be the case ;-) It's a Canon Rebel xti...sort of their standard entry-level SLR camera from a few years ago.
DeleteLove the fall color of the Parrotia! Did I tell you Dr. Dirr is especially fond of these trees? Was at an Arbor Day event last year where he was the speaker-- then we got a tour of the arboretum... with him leading the tour. Great fun.
ReplyDeleteYour grasses photos are stunning as always.
I would have loved to have been there, Janet...sounds amazing...I'm generally so clueless about trees that I'm amazed and inspired by those with knowledge of them :-)
DeleteYou are the king of grasses, Scott, and you wear the crown well! Beautiful pics and lovely foliage.
ReplyDeleteHahahaha... I love that, Pam...hopefully I will be a benevolent ruler ;-)
DeleteThanks! I still have moments of regret that I didn't plant Paperbark Maples...but right now they are just splendid :-)
ReplyDeleteI just have to say that you make Fall look its absolute best, Scott. Lyrical photos...and text!
ReplyDelete