Favorite Garden Combinations of 2010 (Part 9)

   We have reached Late Fall, November in PA, and the end of the growing season at Gilmore Gardens.  It has been enjoyable to relive and doubly appreciate all that is here after just two-and-a-half years of intensive gardening.  The killing frost came the first week in November 2010, which was a month later than usual.  One of my favorite areas was still the Hill Garden...

      
   Though the plants are quite common, the combination here is not one that I have seen elsewhere.  The purple barberry (Berberis thunbergii atropurpurea) are beautiful in their deepening color, the lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina) still beg to be touched.  But it is the Sedum 'Autumn Joy' that steals the show, with its foliage passing through chartreuse on its way to yellow.  The Phlox subulata is filling in around the cracks, still holding its place as an anchoring evergreen.

   Touched with snow just a few weeks later, the delicate stems of Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Filigran'), standout against the reddened barberry leaves (right).










   The irresistible texture of Stachys byzantina (left).

 

   

     Here was a fun treat!  The cool-weather loving violas decided to put out some last minute blooms again - their last bid at propagation for the season (above).  I love their dark purple seen with the red berries of the burning bush (Euonymus alatus) and the orange-yellow leaves of the ornamental pear tree (Pyrus calleryana).  Again, very common plants, yet they are more lovely together in combination.

   Below is a full photo of the Hill Garden, which looks down on the driveway entrance.  I am thrilled the fast-growing pear tree has started to fill its role in just two years.  Also, I am very happy with our autumn color display, though we do not have room for a wilderness of foliage on our property.

  

   The Bradford pear, Pyrus calleryana (above), which is lovely in foliage, though is now known to be invasive in some areas of the country.  

  

   The last of the combinations for late fall is in the Driveway Garden...  Aster hybrida 'Peter III' still is blooming profusely at this late date, and looks perfect with the ripening rose hips from the old pink rose by our house.

   And here is 'Peter III' with just a dusting of snow...  
lovely end to the 2010 bloom season.

Other photos from November (clockwise from top left): vibrant Aster hybrida 'Peter III' in the sunset; immature hawk sitting in the maple tree out of our back door, casually eying our bunny's hutch; sunset on the aster, rose bush and young rose of sharon skeleton (Hibiscus syriacus) by our back door; looking down the Shade Path from the Circle Lawn.

Snowy November - photos from the end of the month (clockwise from top left): love the structure of the new alberta spruce topiary behind the patio (table soon to be stored for the winter); burning bush (Euonymus alatus) with its pretty but toxic berries; Sedum 'Autumn Joy' dusted with its first snow of the season; two little cuties all bundled to enjoy the great outdoors before the snow really comes.

If you would like to start at the beginning of the 2010 season, go to Part 1: Early Spring

     Or see a glimpse of Gilmore Gardens in December.