Monday, October 29, 2012

Super Red

You can keep your burning bush pink and your orangey-red Autumn Blaze maple (the "it" tree for fall color around here these days); I'll take the dark, luxurious reds of fragrant sumac, Rhus aromatica, any time.


The glossy foliage catches the low autumn light and adds depth and complexity — plus a touch of glamour — to this Rocky Mountain native.

Hands down, the best shrub for full sun, poor soils, and dry conditions when your goal is super red fall foliage.

Friday, October 19, 2012

October means Orange!

The last few days I've been seeing orange everywhere!  From soft, pale coral to intense, almost red (and I'm not even talking pumpkins!). . .

'Autumn Brilliance' serviceberry. This Amelanchear may morph into red.

Engleman ivy.  Parthenocissus may run rampant, but fall color never disappoints.


St. Johnswort.  Hypericum is not known for its fall color, but it's always showy.

The plumes get the press with maiden grass, but Miscanthus foliage color is terrific.

An unknown hawthorn, Crataegus spp., gets orange right.

Orange sand cherry, Prunus besseyi, plays well with the blue berries of Oregon grape holly, Mahonia.

Wind delivered beauty: leaves from a neighbor's 'Autumn Blaze maple, Acer x freemanii 'Jeffersred'.

Little bluestem grass, Schizachyrium scoparium, has luscious color that will hold well into winter.   

Orange you glad it's October?

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Wordless Wednesday 10.17.2012


The so-called "breezy" conditions of the past 12 hours brought down this 50 year old Douglas fir tree at the end of my street.



Note the red carpet and plastic used under the rock mulch. Did a good job of keeping the weeds out.  Kept all the water out too.  The soil is absolutely dry.  Poor tree never had a chance!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

A Different Kind of Rock Garden

A very high altitude rock wall

bordering a road less traveled,

overlooking an alpine meadow and timber blow-down,


giving color and grace to a sacred place:




a rock garden for the spirit.

During our recent travels to Wyoming we visited this National Historic Landmark in the Bighorn Mountains.  The 75 foot diameter medicine wheel, at an elevation of 9,642 feet, is thought to be about 700 years old and built by the Crow Indians.

It was a very moving experience to hear a native American man chanting prayers there while viewing a state-of-the-art communications structure in the near distance.


Monday, October 01, 2012

October!



October's Bright Blue Weather
O suns and skies and clouds of June, 
And flowers of June together, 
Ye cannot rival for one hour 
October's bright blue weather;

When loud the bumblebee makes haste, 
Belated, thriftless vagrant, 
And goldenrod is dying fast, 
And lanes with grapes are fragrant;

When gentians roll their fingers tight 
To save them for the morning, 
And chestnuts fall from satin burrs 
Without a sound of warning;

When on the ground red apples lie 
In piles like jewels shining, 
And redder still on old stone walls 
Are leaves of woodbine twining;

When all the lovely wayside things 
Their white-winged seeds are sowing, 
And in the fields still green and fair, 
Late aftermaths are growing;

When springs run low, and on the brooks, 
In idle golden freighting, 
Bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush 
Of woods, for winter waiting;

When comrades seek sweet country haunts, 
By twos and twos together, 
And count like misers, hour by hour, 
October's bright blue weather.

O sun and skies and flowers of June, 
Count all your boasts together, 
Love loveth best of all the year 
October's bright blue weather.