Lipstick Shades in November

My trees really took a shellacking during a windy night last week, and I awoke to find them completely defoliated of leaves. However, there are still some bright spots in the garden. My deliciously fragrant David Austin 'Harlow Carr' rose is still blooming strong, with many buds set to open, and Camellia Sasanqua 'Kanjiro' has just begun to bloom with one flower fully open. I am also impressed by the nice cherry red berries covering the small Japanese Skimmia shrubs which I planted last Spring. It's a true delight to see such wonderful bright colors in the garden during these gray November days.

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

Wordless Wednesday: Capitol Columns

--The National Arboretum

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

Tree Planting Season

My Woodland Garden just got a little more varied, as 2 new trees were added in mid-October. I added a touch of Southern Majesty to the side border, with the addition of Southern Magnolia 'Little Gem', and the invasive Bush Honeysuckle in my Deck-side Rock Garden has now been replaced with a lovely Serviceberry 'Autumn Brilliance'. There is room in my heart for so many trees, and I just hope there is still room in my garden for at least a few more too.