Looking round the garden with a view to taking photos for GBFD this month, it was obvious that there weren’t many deciduous leaves that warranted being photographed for posterity. It is too soon for autumn tints, they will hopefully be ready for next month, so this month it was up to the evergreens, especially the clipped evergreens, that provide the interest in the garden this month.
Box ball and Euonymous Emerald and gold
Lonicera nitida Baggesen’s Gold in the foreground.
Variegated box balls at the top of the steps onto the side lawn..
The variegated box balls in the above photo, contrast with everything around them. On the left is the weeping foliage of a silver birch tree and in the right foreground is a golden bamboo, Pleioblastus.
Variegated Box cubes on the driveway.
Other unclipped evergreens also keep the interest going.
Purple Phormium with Pittosporum Irene Patterson.
Blue Cedar.
Tree Heath, Erica arborea.
A new variegated Euphorbia characias Glacier Blue, planted in the Pot Garden or Gravel area.
Ilex Golden King.
Purple Berberis.
Spiky leaves of Yucca variegata.
I managed to find a few deciduous leaves that were still looking good.
Cutting of Heuchera Limelight.
Brunnera Jack Frost.
Acer Osakazuki is still showing its summery green, no sign yet of the wonderful colour it will turn to next month.
Acer Sango Kaku is just beginning to lighten in colour, eventually it will be a buttery yellow.
A fountain of leaves on Miscanthus Malepartus.
Lovely dark leaves on Dahlia Moonlight.
Cornus alba sibirica Westonbirt has started to change to its wonderful pink/purple colour for the autumn.
I managed to find more than I first thought I would. As the flowers are becoming fewer and fewer, foliage takes over the baton, so I think it’s important to have lots of lovely foliage to keep the interest in the garden over the autumn and winter months.
Thanks once again to ~Christina at My Hesperides Garden for holding this monthly meme, please pay her a visit to see other foliage from around the world.
Your Box is looking perfect, I love to see it when its just been clipped. I have to be a little envious that yours is so good an I lost mine to the dreaded box moth caterpillar. thanks for joining the GBFD.
We were late getting the balls clipped this year Christina, they should now be nice and smart all through the winter. I can’t remember which variety it is, but it isn’t the usual small leaved variety used for little hedges. When I bought the little “twigs” 25 yrs ago I didn’t know there were different varieties, ignorance was bliss, but it seems now that maybe I chose the right variety, or is it just that the box moth hasn’t arrived here yet?
How fortunate we are to live in climates where so many beautiful evergreens are hardy and maintain interest year round. You have some gorgeous examples and the contrast between clipped and natural foliage is stunning!
We are lucky, aren’t we Peter, able to grow so many different sorts of plants which make our gardens interesting all through the year. The clipping was done much later this year, so everything will still be neat and tidy hopefully till next summer.
I lost my box hedging, too, so it’s lovely to see yours flourishing. I’m certainly appreciating the last of the greenery in many areas of my garden, before it starts to change.
So sorry to hear about the loss of your box hedging Wendy, maybe I’ve just been lucky so far, I hope it continues to be that way. Soon we will have the autumn tints before the leaves fall, then after that it will be up to the evergreens to keep the garden interesting.
Those neat formal shapes make the whole garden sing.
Thank you Diana, they make a nice contrast with everything else.
Lots of lovely contrasting foliage Pauline. You have really planned the garden well for those times when flowers become scarce. The Erica arborea looks lovely, but is not hardy enough for here unfortunately.
Many thanks Denise, I have always loved foliage, for as long as I can remember, I can remember pressing leaves when I was a child. I suppose it must be a problem growing evergreens where you are, with your cold snowy winters.
Such neat clipping on those evergreens – are you still doinv tgese yourselves or is this ond ofvthd rasks your young man does? That miscanthus is amazing – how long did it take to get to this size?
They are lovely and neat aren’t they Cathy, clipped by Neil, my back would be protesting with all the bending needed! Th Miscanthus must be at least 15 yrs old, I think, it makes a lovely display at this time of year.
Looks good! I especially like the tall Yucca variegata with its flower spike.
Thanks Jason. The Yucca is now in full flower and will be seen soon in my next post, it is amazing!
Your garden has a fantastic variety of foliage! With all the lovely evergreens, a garden like yours will shine year-round. I love your new Euphorbia characias Glacier Blue.
Thank you Deb, the evergreens certainly get noticed in the winter when everything else has lost their leaves. I think I will put the new Euphorbia into a nice pot as I don’t think it will like my heavy soil.
The box balls always look so nice after clipping. I’ve been mulling over adding a few but I don’t know how well I’d keep up with them or if they would even look good. Something to think about this winter!
Such a nice range of evergreens. Someday I hope to have a decent selection as well.
Frank, the box balls grow quite quickly from small plants, mine were only a few inches high when I bought them, more little tufts than any shape at all! It wasn’t long before they started looking “ball shaped” and they only need cutting once a year. In England they say to cut them on “Derby Day” which is the first weekend in June, but I’ve found they can be cut later than that, as mine were this year. Neil who is now helping me with the garden, cut them this year, so I now think he has a job as long as we are living here!