Autumn Glory

Today was another wonderfully sweet Autumn weekend, and I went apple-picking with my family at Stribling Orchard which was quite the fun adventure. Upon arriving home, we all headed back outside and spent the afternoon puttering around the deck and working on yard projects, and I managed to do a walk-around the property to take some snapshots of the garden in its Fall Glory.

Front Entry Garden
The Japanese Maple is now blazing red, and I've set up a Fall Harvest Scene in front. The Sedum 'Autumn Joy' has now turned brick red, perfectly complementing the Maple.





Sun Perennial Border
Last year, I planted Garden Mums as annuals, but they overwintered so well that I went ahead and kept them, and now this year they've come back bigger and badder than I could have expected. I wish I had more sunny spots in my garden for more Mums.




Kousa Dogwood
The bright orange leaves of the Kousa make a real impact, and this is one of the most high performing trees in my garden. I adore this tree.



Rock Garden
The Serviceberry 'Autumn Brilliance' has officially been in my garden for one year. It was a perfect addition and the leaves are coloring up nicely, and I couldn't be more pleased with this all-star understory tree.



Assorted Woodland
The trees at the back of my property are lit up with color, and the birdhouse that my husband built fits in so perfectly among this backdrop. The Redbud 'Forest Pansy' trio is golden yellow now, and a favorite shrub of mine, Bottlebrush Buckeye is also aglow with golden leaves.




I am so grateful to be the caretaker of this great garden, and I look forward to watching it continue to grow and thrive and flourish.

Crape Myrtle 'Natchez'

Today I brought home the newest member of my family, a gorgeous ornamental tree that is sure to provide many days of viewing pleasure for years to come. Crape Myrtle 'Natchez' will eventually reach an impressive height of 20-30 ft, blooming in late-summer with long-lived white flowers, and having flaming orange-red foliage in Autumn. The exfoliating bark will reveal an attractive cinnamon colored trunk as the tree ages, and this Super Star specimen tree is disease resistant and very low-maintenance. I have struggled in the past to find the perfect plant for this part of the garden, but now that I've settled on the Crape Myrtle, the rest of the planning will be easy.

What's In Bloom?

There are flowers everywhere all throughout my garden, some finishing up and others just getting started, and each day seems to bring a new surprise. Many of the Peonies, planted in Fall 2009 mostly, are blooming for the first time, and the Mountain Laurel shrub has never looked better. It is all quite a sight to behold, the garden in its full gorgeous glory.

Peony 'Louise Marx'

Peony 'Pink Hawaiian Coral'

Peony 'Karl Rosenfield'

Peony 'Charlie's White'

Peony 'Monsieur Jules Elie'

Peony 'Scarlet O'hara'

Peony 'Do Tell'

Dutch Iris

Digitalis 'Camelot Cream'

Geranium Biokovo

Dianthus 'Bath's Pink'

David Austin Rose 'Harlow Carr'

Viburnum 'Dentatum

Mountain Laurel

Kousa Dogwood

Pastel Delights

The National Arboretum




Neighborhood Trees

Early Spring Renewal

My rock garden was quite an eyesore one year ago, but last Fall I installed a Serviceberry, and then today I dug out all the weeds and honeysuckle seedlings and put in some Creeping Phlox. I re-arranged several rocks and mulched the area to give it a nice unified appearance, and as a finishing touch, I spread some Sweet Alyssum seeds beneath the tree.


(Phlox subulata 'Purple Beauty')

(Phlox subulata 'Emerald Blue')

(Phlox subulata 'Mcdaniel's Cushion')

Upon wrapping up work in the rock garden, I planted my first container of the season for the front door stoop: 1 Snapdragon, 2 Annual Dianthus, 1 Vinca Vine


While adding new plants to my garden is always a pleasure, nothing beats seeing the old ones come back again. The Viburnum Burkwoodii has just begun to bloom, and the wonderfully strong fragrance knocks my socks off.


My Bradford Pear, which has a (distastefully) unique scent of its own, is covered in blooms. I find this stately beauty to be among the most graceful of all trees.


What a great day in the garden!

Yellow-Orange-Red Tapestry

The Washington D.C. region was ridiculously gorgeous this weekend, as perfect as could be with incredible sunshine and blazing bright tree foliage. I feel really lucky to live in an area that is so amazingly photogenic both Fall and Spring, and our moderate climate provides a world of possibility for gardeners of all stripes. When I lived in Chicago (zone 5), the planting of Camellias was a no-go, and when I lived in Houston (zone 9), you couldn't do Tulips or Peonies. Now I am privileged to be able to chose from a wide variety of plants, and to have weekends in November where it's still mild enough for an outdoor picnic.

My weekend was busy with garden chores, from planting 60 Dutch Iris and 18 Allium bulbs amongst the many Dayliles that I dug up and divided, to transplanting the Forsythia bush. However, after all that work I actually feel refreshed. I look around my garden, and see all that has been accomplished (mostly by Mother Nature), and I feel totally rejuvenated. With this tapestry of color all around me, how could I not?

Kousa Dogwood (Bradford Pear behind)




Japanese Maple



Burning Bush




Sugar Maples

Fantastic Fall Foliage

After a summer of unrelenting heat, it's rather nice to have the cool days of Autumn finally here. The trees and shrubs are really getting down to business with splendid displays of color, but alas several (Dogwood 'Cherokee Brave', Clethra Summersweet) had suffered during the drought and had little healthy foliage left by summer's end. My garden took a beating through both my neglect and Mother Nature's refusal to let up on the 95F+ days, but as the garden becomes more established and requires less maintenance, I know that better days are ahead. The older trees are looking as gorgeous as ever, and the Redbuds which were only planted last year have done just great. Trees are such workhorses in the garden, and it's nice to simply sit back and watch them work their magic.

Japanese Maple




Forest Pansy Redbuds




Assorted Woodland