The maples are putting on their autumn show while the Musa basjoo awaits a heavy frost which will turn it brown. In mild years, that hasn't happened until after Thanksgiving.
The heavy rain and wind have caused this tall grass to lean over all of the plants in front of it, one of the few things I don't like about the taller grasses.
Even as this seed pod ripens on a camellia,
new buds are forming for the late winter and early spring show!
A little soggy and battered, a rose still blooms in the cold autumn air.
The cyclamen continue to produce beautiful foliage which will be fresh and green all winter, along with the Arum italicum, and then be gone in the summer.
I hope your autumn garden is full of fun surprises!
Cyclamen is still underused and underrated but the exotic looking foliage is a delight to see in the depths of winter.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more!
DeleteIs that Miscanthus that's so floppy? I always think of it as very vigorous and upright. So vigorous that it scares me away from planting it. I've read horror stories about trying to dig and divide established clumps. There is still a considerable amount of beauty out there, if you look carefully.
ReplyDeleteMany (most?) Miscanthus get floppy when they don't get enough sunlight. Removing mature clumps isn't as bad as you'd think if you have a good strong bar for prying. Depending on your climate, the scariest thing about Miscanthus is reseeding. I get seedlings even in my z6 garden.
DeleteI had a Miscanthus 'Giganteus' next to this one for about 10 years and it was upright until it aged and the middle died. I removed that and it took a whole day. I saved some of the bits and put them in an area where they can stay forever. This one is a variegated version and it is upright all year but as the foliage around it fills in and it gets less sun and the heavy rain and winds come, it topples.
DeletePeter: how tall is your basjoo? How many pups does it produce each year? I'm curious to know how this plant behaves in other climates.
ReplyDeleteAlso: don't think I've seen that globe-pruned shrub (?) before. Have you featured that in a post before? If not, let's see it! :)
It only got to about 12 feet this year as the pseudostems died to the ground. In milder years (above 19 degrees) when they don't die back, it gets much taller. It really likes warm weather and, although we had a pretty nice summer, it's still cooler here than in Portland (seldom above 80) or St. Louis so you'll probably get much faster growth. It produces more pups as it gets older but this year, rats decided to burrow beneath and use the roots as winter food so many of the smaller pups perished.
DeletePeter, I've seen the frost fell in your place, it was too early, wasn't it?
ReplyDeleteYour Camellia buds are growing despite of cold weather. Have a nice week!
No frost yet although it may look like it in some of the pictures. We could see frost any time but the weather forecast for the next couple of weeks, with mostly rain and clouds, doesn't look like we'll get frost for a while yet.
DeleteAh fall, it looks good in your garden.
ReplyDeleteFall is not a bad time in my garden although I'm tired of the rain already.
DeleteI have cyclamen that traveled away from the original clump and started new colonies. I'm enamored with both flowers and leafs. They are slow going and for once I wouldn't mind if they sped it up a bit. I love the permanent allium blooms: they are particularly useful this time of year when a pop of bright color stands out that much more. And how great are the fallen maple leafs on the black mondo grass! This little grass makes a statements in unexpected times.
ReplyDeleteI understand that ants have something to do with spreading cyclamen seeds. They are such sweet plants! The allium blooms came from Farmer's Supply Catalog. I'm always surprised by the fun things that black mondo grass says!
DeleteI, too, was taken with the photo of the fallen leaves in the black mondo grass. Those accidental compositions are a source of delight.
ReplyDeleteIt was a total happy surprise. Now, if I can encourage some of the scarlet colored leaves to fall there it would be even more fun!
DeleteThere is a lot of color in your garden for fall, it looks good!
ReplyDeleteFall brings a nice burst of color - a fireworks show to end the party that was summer.
DeleteAutumn and the promise of next Spring is looking good in your garden. I love the cyclamen too and planted some a few weeks ago, but alas, rabbits have dug them up. Seeing yours makes me determined to start again.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Those pesky rabbits! (I hear they taste just like chicken:)
DeleteI always like to catch a glimpse of your garden. It looks lovely in its autumn finery. Is that a cloud tree in the second picture? And does your Musa live outside all winter or will you dig it up and put it in your nice new greenhouse?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words. It is a cloud tree. Musa live outside all winter. This clump was started from a single one about 14 years ago. Frost will kill the leaves but in mild winters the pseudostems remain intact and new growth starts from the top. In harsher winters, they are killed to the ground and growth resumes from there.
DeleteI have roses that are still blooming, which is such sweetness. I like the juxtaposition of the bamboo against the maples. It's like New England went to Bali.
ReplyDeleteThose roses that aren't aware that they should be getting ready to sleep are sweet indeed. New England went to Bali - Love That!
DeleteYour garden looks great! The first picture is especially gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Evan!
DeleteThat first picture with the banana plants is really stunning - they are huge! I like the contrast with the autumn foliage behind them.
ReplyDeleteMy Miscanthus always have a metal corset round them to keep them upright, it soon disappears among the foliage! Your golden Acer leaves look beautiful with the Ophiopogon, stunning!
ReplyDelete