Diary Autumn 2010 - Colourful days

I used to be a great gardener as well as a great garden blogger. Now I'm neither, it would seem. Sigh... What kind of great gardener doesn't have a July and August Diary??????? A busy one I guess. Would it help if I said my garden looked really nice, colourful and lush this year? Just like last year?? .....................Doesn't cut it, huh?
Ok - well then I will at least post a good Autumn Diary with photos.
What caught my attention yesterday morning was, as I was looking out the back door, the sun was shining on my gorgeous Pin Oak, which has just started to turn colour. It was breathtaking!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so glad I researched Pin Oaks 22 years ago and then planted one near the back. It's strong, straight and a wonderful anchor for the garden design and landscape. It's in its full glory right about now.

I decided that I should do a walk around the garden with camera in hand. Here's what I came across:

Sedum 'Autumn Joy', a perennial favourite with brocolli type flowerheads that colour pinky-red-burgundy. This plant looks great with grasses:

The 'Fairy' rose always comes back for a strong autumn show:

Aconitum (Monkshood) has been a no-show after dry summers but it's blooming beautifully this year.

Feather Reed grass 'Karl Forster' sways delicately in the wind:

The little maple sapling that I cared for over the summer is doing very nicely by the back fence.

A cranberry bush Vibernum 'Popcorn', with its thick leathery leaves never succumbs to the bug that has eaten the leaves of its brothers over the last years. And it turns a marvellous deep wine colour in October.

I'll have to take my delicate tinkling wind chimes into storage soon.....love to hear them when the wind blows!

The climbing rose 'New Dawn" is pushing out one last beautiful bloom:

Of course the stars of the show are my 3 large Burning Bushes in the front yard. As my Dad once said, they don't "do much" all year but Wow! Do they catch your attention come autumn!

Last year, for the Twins christening, I planted a ton of mums in the front yard but only one survived. It sure is gorgeous, though!

And last but not least - the leaves of the extrovert Oakleaf Hydrangea, have started to turn burgundy and wine. Let's raise a glass to Fall colours in the garden!!!