The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Category Archives: Fall color

My Fall Garden

Posted on by Posted in Fall color, Uncategorized .

Hello friends, long time no chat. Hope you’re all doing well and more importantly, hope your garden is giving you everything and more.

The foliage in NJ has been off the charts beautiful this year and I’ve spent more time ogling my dying plants than I have in a long time. My garden shines when the grasses take the lead and everything else falls in line. It’s been worth the wait even if it is incredibly fleeting.

Now to figure out how to get that same joy come spring.

Here’s a sampling of the current state garden and now that Halloween has come and gone, I’m sure it’s going to disappear overnight.

Boo hoo.

The November garden

Posted on by Posted in Fall color, Ornamental grass .

A few standouts in the November garden right now.

Pennisetum (Fountain Grass) ‘Foxtrot’

This one came out of nowhere this year and kicked some serious garden booty. It bloomed beautifully and quickly reached four to five feet in height after only a year or two in my garden.

I’ll put together a post dedicated to this grass in the upcoming weeks with photos depicting it in all seasons.

Right now, it is shining with fall color.

 

 

Molinia (Moor Grass) ‘Sky Racer’

Another killer grass that keeps making a statement throughout the fall season.

It’s a great specimen grass and unintentionally, a great see-through grass from up higher on my deck.

 

 

Panicum (Switch Grass) ‘Cloud Nine’

I believe this Switch Grass is ‘Cloud Nine’ (please call me out if I’m wrong, I have no shame) and my lord does it stand out.

It’s currently at six feet high if not taller and has remained upright without fail.

You can’t help but notice it no matter where you are in my front yard.

 

 

Miscanthus purpurascens (Flame Grass)

Another day, another pic of the Flame Grass.

I have no fear of featuring it in a foundation planting.

 

Barberry

I’m not sure of the cultivar of this yellow barberry but is it ever eye popping in color right now.

I swear I didn’t touch up this photo below.

 

 

Amsonia hubrichtii

Still kicking butt and taking names this far into the fall. Even if only a small portion of it is visible from a certain angle.

I will never stop adding these to my garden each and every year.

 

 

Viburnum carlesii ‘Aurora’

Underrated autumn color and the leaves remain on this shrub longer than any other shrub in my garden.

Stages of decay

Posted on by Posted in Fall color .

Verbena bonariensis still holding on well into October. Here’s hoping they all reseed like mad for next year.

 

Appalachian mountain mint has been a solid addition with the blooms only recently showing signs of decline.

 

It’s worth keeping the Astilbe blooms even after the blooms are spent.

 

Hoary mountain mint foliage still shining even if the blooms have seen better days.

 

Turtlehead foliage in what I like to call the golden hue phase.

 

Those last stubborn flowers remind us of what was. I’d actually like that time back if it’s an option?

 

 

Fall color on Fothergilla ‘Mt. Airy’.

 

 

Scarlet autumn color on the aptly named Itea ‘Henry’s Garnet’.

 

“Coneflower down”. I repeat coneflower down“.

 

The end is near for John’s garden 2018.

Some pics

Garden tour – 10/3/18

Posted on by Posted in Fall color, My garden .

It’s been awhile I know.

Between the septoplasty surgery, recovery, a wicked cold where I couldn’t blow my nose because of the recent surgery, rainy weather and softball weekends, I haven’t spent as much as five minutes in the garden. And that sucks because it’s the best time of year with the grasses in full swing and the slow introduction to autumnal color.

I did manage a few minutes outdoors yesterday morning to see what was going on and snapped a few pics for your viewing pleasure.

Nothing dramatic quite yet but it’s coming.

Eternal flame

If you’ve been around here the past few years, you may know already that Flame Grass (Miscanthus ‘purpurascens’) is the star of my garden September through October. It’s just now started to show off its killer foliage color and in tandem with the silver blooms, it’s kind of awesome.

 

 

 

 

Sedum and weep

The blooms on the Sedum are fading quickly but they are also a reminder as to how much they are a must in the garden this time of year.

 

 

Container fading

The one advantage to all of the rain we’ve received this summer and early fall is that there’s been little need to provide supplemental water to all of the containers.

They’re still holding strong and I’m enjoying every last minute of joy they provide.

 

 

Other signs of autumn

Viburnum carlesii ‘Aurora’.

 

While half the size because of the deer, the Redtwig Dogwood still shining with the good old red stems.

 

The Ajuga ‘Black Scallop’ with great dark color in contrast to the yellowing Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’. This combo looks phenomenal on an overcast fall day.

 

My go-to mash-up of Joe Pye Weed, Amsonia hubrichtii, Itea and of course, ornamental grasses.

 

 

 

Newly added

I planted three Aster ‘Lady in Black’ a few weeks back and they are now blooming. We’ll see if the deer stay away as advertised (ha, as if) and how they ultimately fit into their new location.

 

 

Deck views

When there’s nothing but rain and the garden is drenched, the only option is to enjoy it from above on the deck.

 

 

 

Grasses

Let’s end it with some ornamental grass photos.

Sorghastrum (Indian Grass).

 

Miscanthus ‘Variegatus’

 

First few blooms on Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’.

 

Pennisetum ‘Foxtrot’

Before autumn leaves us

Posted on by Posted in Fall color .

I’m desperate to not miss out on the beauty that is the fall garden. Cold temps are in the forecast in the very near future and before we know it, all of the delicious colors of fall will be gone.

I’m not ready for that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My garden – 10/11/17

Posted on by Posted in Fall color, My garden .

A lot of changes in only a week’s time. I’m doing my best to capture those changes, both  subtle and dramatic.

To the shock of no one, the ornamental grasses lead the charge.

And the remaining flowers are few and far between.

Enjoy.

Grasses reaching their peak

 

 

 

 

 

 

Color coming to an end

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bye Bye Berries

 

 

Shrooms

 

Seed heads

 

 

 

Garden tour – 10/6/17

Posted on by Posted in Fall color, My garden .

Still holding on

The Globe Amaranth is finally showing signs of fading but what a show it put on for months. I’ve mentioned it before but it’s worth mentioning again, to myself.

USE MORE ANNUALS FOR LONG LASTING COLOR ALL SUMMER

 

 

You know it’s October

When there is artwork left behind each morning.

 

 

 

Light

I said “Oh, shit” out loud when I saw the flowers on this Pennisetum early this morning. They are completely blinding. I think my eyesight is still screwed up hours later.

 

 

Sorbaria (Sem False Spirea) in front of Schizachyrium (Little Bluestem) in front of Panicum ‘Rots’ (Switch Grass).

 

Grasses

I kind of like them. Especially in October.

 

 

 

 

Savoring Fall via Instagram

I can’t take enough of these types of photos.

 

 

 

That’s Why I Wrote the Book

The seed heads left behind on the Boltonia look fantastic right now.

 

 

 

 

In and around the November garden

Posted on by Posted in Bulbs, Fall color, My garden, Ornamental grass, Plant shopping .

What have I been up to of late?

Glad you asked.

I finally got around to installing my Screech Owl house. Fine, I didn’t physically install it so much as I was an active gofer for my handy brother-in-law who fortunately lives two houses away.

You all know me too well.

owl-house

The owl house was installed during the day on Saturday at a temperature close to 70 degrees and got its first test that night when we had gusting winds and almost 2 inches of snow.

Yay, November.

Who can resist a good late season plant sale? How about this monster bargain:

carex-lowes50 cents x 3 is so worth the risk of getting these through the winter. They are all Carex buchananii ‘Red Rooster’.

I consider it research for my ornamental grasses book.

A tax write-off.

Wish me luck.

Some times you just have a feeling.

Some times your gut tells you to just do it.

Some times you need it.

As silly as that all sounds, it all added up to me attempting to grow tulips successfully for the first time ever (not including in containers).

tulips

There is a deeper meaning at play here and one I’ll never talk about.

I need this to work and I’m confident that it will.

Tulips don’t dig the wet winter soil and that has been my problem for decades.

Until 2017 that is.

bulbs

We now wait until spring where my blind faith will hopefully pay huge dividends.

Beyond all that, I’ve been doing my best to soak in what is left in terms of color out in the garden.

spirea-fall

Spirea nipponica ‘Snowmound’

heuchara-fall

Heuchera

rhamnus-fall

Rhamnus frangula ‘Fine Line’

mountain-mint-fall-2

Pycnanthemum incanum (Hoary mountain mint)

And you know, ornamental grasses.

grasses-fall-2

 

grasses-fall

 

grasses-fall-3

 

miscanthus-fall

 

 

 

 

Fall color on Viburnum carlesii ‘Aurora’

Posted on by Posted in Fall color, Shrubs .

Quick one today.

The fall color on my Viburnum carlesii  ‘Aurora’ has been incredible for over a month now.

It gets better and better each year.

aurora-grass-fall-2

I wrote a post about this gem a few years back – Viburnum carlesii ‘Aurora’ – and continue to recommend it as a must have shrub based on the fall foliage alone.

viburnum-fall-3

viburnum-fall-2

It started changing color back in early September and is one of the few plants with its leaves still in place today.

fall-front-bed-diervilla