Gradually the colour green is draining away from some of the leaves in the garden. Underlying colours are starting to emerge as the garden prepares to have it’s final fling of the year. Usually we can rely on fantastic colours for about a month before they all blow away in a puff of wind, but for the last couple of days it has been a lot more than just a puff! I’ll start in the front garden where the front border is now looking very colourful with the red leaves of Cornus alba sibirica Westonbirt , the gold of the silver birch Betula ermanii and the orange of the Prunus by the entrance.
Taken from the landing window, this view is so different now from in the summer when the leaves are nearly all green.
New silvery leaves on the buddleia contrasting with purple cornus and gold silver birch. All the Silver birch leaves have now blown away, thanks to Gonzalo, they didn’t last long at all.
Penstemon Garnet still flowering and picking up the colour of the Cornus leaves behind it.
The Cherry by the front entrance always turns such a lovely colour, but with gales from the remnant of hurricane Gonzalo, I’m glad I photographed them a couple of days early as half have blown away already.
It is only at this time of year that I notice the sharp teeth round the edge of the cherry tree leaves, they look like a Venus fly trap!
Half have now been blown away, such a shame as they are such a pretty colour.
Another group of Cornus alba sibirica Westonbirt and Betula jaquemontii in the border by the field, they go so well together.
This was shown on GBBD to show the flowers of Viburnum plicatum Maresii flowering out of season, but now it is because the leaves are on their way to becoming deep burgundy.
Azalea Persil contrasting with Miscanthus sinesnsis variegata behind and variegated Euonymus in front.
The ghostly leaf of one of my Solomon seal plants, the others are all still very green.
The fountain of Miscanthus sinensis Malepartus is now changing from green to gold.
The Acers have started to change colour, but they are only half way there at the moment. This is Acer Osakazuki which is much darker now than a couple of weeks ago and will turn the most beautiful red/fuchsia pink in a couple more weeks.
Acer Sango Kaku, in the woodland, is getting lighter as the days go by, eventually it will end up a pale buttery yellow.
Just at the entrance to the woodland is a fern, I think belonging to the Polisticum family, that looks so fresh and green, contrasting with everything around it.
The foliage of this Cyclamen hederifolium caught my eye in the woodland, almost silver in colour,
then on the opposite side of the path, I noticed another single silvery leaf nestled among all the other green ones, have the ants spread it across the path?
The woodland is looking autumnal with the Chestnut tree leaves which have come down.
But there are still all these leaves to come down!
Thanks to Christina at My Hesperides Garden for encouraging us to go out into the garden and appreciate the contribution that foliage makes to the overall picture of our gardens. I was so glad that I took my photos a few days early, once I knew we had the remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo heading our way, so many leaves have come down, especially the cherry and silver birch. Hopefully the Acers will have completed their change in time for GBFD in November.
Beautiful, Pauline. Thank you. My miniature acer and cherry plum were also hit by the winds. There is still quite a lot of colour around here in Powys though 🙂
Thanks for leaving a comment Rosemarie, I think we got off pretty lightly down in this corner of the country, it was worse further north. We noticed all the autumn tints this afternoon when we went back to the hospital, it had all changed so much since we were last there!
Fabulous foliage Pauline. That solid silvery leaf is a beauty. ‘Gonzalo’ took a fair few leaves down yesterday. I’ve filled two large bin bags with them earlier this afternoon and that’s just from the area in front of the garage. Oh well there’s plenty of potential leaf mould 🙂
I was very taken with the silver foliage of the Cyclamen Anna, so different from the others around it. All the leaves that Gonzalo brought down will make lovely leaf mould which I will spread over my snowdrops in a couple of months!
I loved the image of Viburnum plicatum Maresii when you showed it for GBBD and it is perfect for Foliage day too. I knew you would have lots of sumptuous colour and you didn’t let me down. I love the foliage colour of you Cornus, it is sad it is too dry for it here. I have bought a Miscanthus sinensis Malepartus after seeing yours; mine has about 3 flower spikes but I will water it well and hope that it will eventually look like yours. thank you for joining GBFD this month, it is much appreciated when I know you have other things to think about this month.
The foliage colours are deepening every day Christina, we visited the hospital again this afternoon, just out patients this time, and the colour of the trees all around the building are stunning, such a change in 2 weeks, I should have had my camera with me!
I’m so pleased you now have a Miscanthus Malepartus and hope that it grows well for you, it certainly makes a statement!
Osakazuki seems to be taking its time this year. Mine has been threatening to turn for the last month but now seems ‘stuck’ at the mid way point. I love the combination of the cornus with betula, and the Azalea Persil with euonymus. Very striking.
The Acers have usually turned colour by now Jessica, they are late this year, but I’m not sure why. Hopefully the Cornus leaves will last for a while, I love them at this time of year!
t is all looking very lovely, and you have some gorgeous colour combinations, I especially love the Penstemon ‘Garnet’ against the Cornus. Penstemons are fantastic, with such a long flowering season. I really like ‘Wine’ (the Penstemon… not the drink… although , actually I do like both…) and have taken loads of cuttings.
Penstemons certainly earn their space in the garden Jane, they flower for so long and are so easy to increase from cuttings. All the different foliage at the moment make the garden a very colourful place, before it finally slips into winter.
You show some lovely views. I quite admire that purple cornus.
Thanks Susie, the Cornus is one of my favourites for autumn colour.
Dear Pauline,
good to see you posting again, I hope this means that The Undergardener is doing better. And having a garden can be such a great comfort, can’t it.
I loved the photo of the fern, I have many ferns in the shady parts of the garden, they always spruce things up.
Helle, thank you for your thoughts re the Undergardener. In himself he is fine, we saw the consultant yesterday and he outlined the way forward for us. There is still a long way to go but at last we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel and feeling a lot happier about everything.
Ferns are such a wonderful family to have in the garden, I wouldn’t be without them in all my shady areas. There are so many different ones with contrasting foliage.
Such beautiful colour, Pauline, particularly from the cornus – and your jaquemontii really stand out against these autumn colours. Is your silvery leafed cyclamen a different form of hederifolium, or just a quirky one? Good to hear that the Undergardener is making progress.
The Cyclamen must just be quirky one Cathy, I have only ever bought the ordinary one many years ago, nothing special, but it has turned itself into something beautiful, maybe it was a seedling a few years ago. We were so glad that Gonzalo didn’t whip the Cornus leaves away, we should be able to enjoy them for a while yet.
Yes, the undergardener is making progress, but more tests to be done before they decide the course of treatment. It will take a while but eventually he should be ok, thank goodness.
Beautiful foliage, Pauline! Sorry about your gales taking so many of the leaves away. We all love a relatively dry, still, and warm autumn with beautiful foliage and leaves to crunch underfoot as we walk in our gardens. At the moment we’re having a wet and windy week or so that feels almost like winter already. Hopefully it will pass and we’ll get a few warmer days.
The weather is very still now Peter, Gonzalo has moved over to Europe! At last today I have managed to sweep up some of the leaves to store in a corner of the woodland, my snowdrops will get a nice mulch of last years leaves when they appear. I hope your weather settles down soon for you to enjoy crunching the leaves!
What lovely autumn colours Pauline. And you have my favourite Acer Osakazuki. I think it is the very best for fiery, red autumn colour. I love the red Cornus with the birch.
Acer Osakazuki is my favourite too for its stunning autumn colour. The leaves are darkening each day now, soon it will show it’s true autumn colours. The purple Cornus leaves with the silver birches amongst them make the front drive look so different from the rest of the year, even when the leaves do drop, we will be left with the bright red stems all through the winter.
Good to see you back, and glad to see such nice photos. I love the fern, you’re right that the color has a fresh look to it. That reminds me, I meant to transplant one of mine and now might be just the perfect time… well actually tomorrow since it’s dark out right now 🙂
The garden is generally looking very golden at the moment, the leaves are all turning and lots are blowing away. Some of the ferns have died down , just a few are looking as fresh as when it was spring, I hope you got yours moved safely.
Beautiful colours and colour combinations in your garden! Unfortunaltely our trees are completely bare now as deep frost and strong winds of past week stole the last of the gold from trees. It is dark late autmn now for us, which is bit sad, but in some ways, it is needed too. Time to rest and let the garden rest!
I think you have much colder weather than we do Tistou, at the moment the wind is coming up from Africa so it is very warm for October! Even though all your leaves have gone, there is still beauty in a winter garden. We will still be gardening well into December, enjoy your rest!
Hi Pauline, Our fall colors are well ahead of yours- infact the wind has laid many trees completely bare. I always love the translucent color of fall leaves. They remind me of stained glass. I hope winds do not carry off all your colorful leaves before you have a chance to enjoy them!
Our colours are late this year Jennifer, I think because of the warm air coming up from Africa! It is so mild for the end of October, very unseasonable, usually the winds are coming from the north at this time of year. I agree that the leaves look like stained glass when they have the light coming through them, so beautiful.
Dear Pauline, I am just now catching up with some of my blogging – it seems I am always behind – and I am so sorry to hear of your husband’s illness. And then a hurricane! I am glad the under gardener is out of the hospital, and my thoughts and prayers will continue to be with you both.
Your fall garden looks wonderful. I especially love the view from your landing window and the shot of your woodland garden. This truly is a special time of year with all the color changes.
Thank you so much Deb for your kind thoughts and prayers, they mean so much to us. To look at my husband you wouldn’t think there was anything wrong with him plus he hasn’t lost his sense of humour, thank goodness. The diagnosis has now changed, it is prostate cancer not bowel cancer, his growth is on the outside of his prostate and is blocking the bowel. Just a couple more tests to do then they will decide which course to take of the three options available.
Our weather is so warm at the moment due to wind coming from Africa, you would never think that it is almost November! This also means that the red colour in the leaves is taking a long time to show themselves, we need warm days and cold nights for that to happen. At the moment the night time temperatures are only a couple of degrees lower than daytime, so very unseasonal!
Pauline I really love seeing the foliage as it puts on its new color and you have some incredible standouts there. I especially love the cherry.
I love all the different colours too Donna, they make the garden look so colourful before dropping and leaving the garden bare for winter. The cherry was beautiful before the remnants of hurricane Gonzalo blew most of the leaves away!