Favorite Garden Combinations of 2010 (Part 7)

Early Fall
     September here in Zone 5 can still be quite warm, sometimes more like summer than fall.  But everywhere it is easy to see that this is not the garden of summer... change is happening.  The sedum blooms and the buds of the asters swell.  Some perennials are putting on another show and we are treasuring every tomato like a prize from our small veggie garden.

    The Hill Garden in September is full of roses again.  The color of the purple barberry (Berberis thunbergii atropurpurea) has intensified, while Rosa 'The Fairy' and Sedum 'Autumn Joy' have joined in the rosy theme. Silver foliage helps to breath life into the picture with Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Filigran') at the top of the hill and lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina) in the middle.

Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum)

I have worked to seed garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) into the Hill garden to add another touch of white to the September scene (right).  They are rather delicate looking and deal well with the extremely hot, dry soil in this elevated garden.

Warm, rosy glow of 'The Fairy'

     The Front Walk was just having its first season, so everything was still pretty small, but if you look closely you can see a lot of promise for the future.

Catmint (Nepeta faassenii 'Walker's Low') and Japanese anemone (Anemone tomentosa ‘Robustissima’)

     Catmint (Nepeta faassenii 'Walker's Low') is flowering at the front and dancing over top of it is the Japanese anemone (Anemone tomentosa ‘Robustissima’) which began in August and are still going strong.  These plants will fill in like crazy in the next couple of years until this is a wall of color (the anemones will reach four to five feet high!) for early fall. 

The Driveway Garden with Munstead lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

    The Driveway Garden is really starting to pick up again.  It had a break in August, but now the asters are starting and with Geranium 'Rozanne' still going strong, it is colorful again. Clematis 'Etoile Violette' is reblooming  as well as the Munstead lavender (Lavandula angustifolia).

Geranium 'Rozanne'

   A lady bug visits the creeping phlox.

  

Sedum 'Autumn Joy' blooms with artemesia (above right).  New York aster 'Thyra Viking' puts on a great show for September (below).

New York aster 'Thyra Viking'

   The Woodland Garden still has white and green tranquility.  The purple ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius 'Summer Wine') is gaining its darker fall foliage.

     The Shade Path has served well from April to September, always with something to look at.  The annuals are still blooming away and the self-sown native flat-topped aster (Doellingeria umbellata) is just starting to add a touch of white over top of the hostas and foxglove foliage (below). 

Native flat-topped aster (Doellingeria umbellata)

Toad lily (Tricyrtis 'Blue Wonder')

   This toad lily (Tricyrtis 'Blue Wonder') is new to the Shade Path and oh so welcome in fall! The purple freckles are such a different flower.  They have tolerated well the dry shade here beside the house wall. 

   The flat-topped aster has really come out just a few weeks later (below).  

Native flat-topped aster (Doellingeria umbellata)

   Cherry Corner has also added a rosy hue to its planting.  The heuchra (Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple') has deepened its color, and a couple of annual mums along with Sedum 'Autumn Joy' add some flowers to the otherwise foliage scene (above and below).   People often stop at this corner to look around. 

Concluding September is a collection of sunset photos that I took while enjoying a nice warm evening and appreciating our newly-painted home and mature maple trees.  Enjoy!

Go to Part 8: Mid-Fall