maple foliage in fall

While I find it hard to choose a favorite flower, naming a favorite season in the garden is much easier.  Fall or autumn with all its finery never disappoints me.  Unlike spring which seems to  explode almost overnight with color and fragrance and then fade quickly (especially in the South) when heat sets in, fall often lingers and delights  us with a last flush of roses, colorful berries and foliage that ranges from pale yellow to brilliant shades of orange and red. 

Rosa 'Penelope' (hybrid musk) blooms in late October

roses with Japanese maples in background, November

Yesterday, I decided to take my camera along when I walked the dog so that I could document some of the fall show in my neighborhood.  I also made one of my biweekly visits to the Atlanta Botanical Garden.  What follows are photos of a few of my favorite shrubs, trees and perennials in fall. 

Cornus florida, native dogwood-a four season beauty

In my own small garden, Acer palmatum ‘Sango kaku,’ coralbark maple glows with its yellow leaves that are tinged  pink.  Single chrysanthemums (unnamed seedlings from a friend that owns a nursery) are most welcome at this time of year.  The botanical name  for these fall-flowering mums is now Dendranthema x grandiflorum  (Zone 5-9) .  Whatever you call them, they are as my English friends would say “good doers.”  I favor the “ Daisies,”  single daisy-like flowers with yellow centers.  To keep them from getting leggy and floppy, cut them back (by ½ is fine until the 4^th of July. 

Acer palmatum 'Sango kaku' and smoke tree

Dendranthema x grandiflorum (unnamed seedling) in November

Oxydendrum arboreum, sourwood- a great native, Zone 5-9

Hamamelis virginiana, witchhazel-fragrant flowers in November, Zone 3-8

Hamamelis flowers up close

Symphoytrichum oblongifolium (still an aster, ) 'Raydon's Favorite'

Cercidiphyllum japonicum-katsuratree-when the leaves change color and begin to fall they have a fragrance like burning sugar or cotton candy

Fagus grandifolia -native beech tree with seed pod

bird with beechnut

Hydrangea quercifolia, oakleaf hydrangea in November

hickory foliage in fall

Hovenia dulcis fruits

Back in September, I noticed across from my daughter’s school a tree with odd looking fruits.  When I got closer I recognized it as the Japanese raisin tree, Hovenia dulcis.  I first encountered this tree when I worked at the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College.  The fruits- actually the fleshy branches are (according to Michael Dirr, chewed by the Japanese and Chinese and are “actually not bad tasting.”  I have nibbled on them and found the taste unremarkable.  Still, I am drawn to their curious look.  Native to China, this unusual exotic makes a good medium size shade tree (up to 30’ tall) and is hardy to Zone 5. 

Taxodium distichum -immature cones

Some of my best plant sitings happen when I walk our dog in my neighborhood.  Recently I noticed a group of bald cypress loaded with 1” green cones.  I will have to check back as they should be mature (brown and looking more like cones) in a year.  What’s surprising about this tree is how adaptable it is.  Native to swamps bald cypress, Taxodium distchum will also grow in full sun and in a well drained soil.  In mid- October the foliage is just beginning to turn orange, brown and red. This deciduous conifer is known for its “knees” which only occur when they grow in or near water.  I have fond memories of canoeing at Trap pond in October when the trees were completely russet color.  Located in  Laurel,  Delaware this pond is home to “the northernmost stand of natural bald cypress in the United States.”  There’s something magical and mysterious about these trees that appeals to me at every season. 

Aesculus parviflora foliage in October

Some trees like Cercidiphyllum japonicum , also known as katsuratree  offer their own special brand of fragrance when the leaves begin to change color in the fall- shades of yellow, red and orange.  On a recent trip to Seattle, I was at Lakewold Gardens touring the collection and wham, that welcome scent of burning sugar or cotton candy, you decide, hit me before I saw all the leaves on the ground and realized it was the now leafless katsuratree  that was responsible. 

With ample moisture and space this tree can become quite large.  One of my favorite specimens is located at Dumbarton Oaks, a public garden in Georgetown, a neighborhood in Washington, DC. 

Cercidiphyllum japonicum at Dumbarton Oaks

As a group many magnolias offer colorful and fragrant flowers in spring.  But there are also those with interesting fruits and foliage.  One of my favorites, Magnolia macrophylla (big flowers, big leaves) offers its own form of fall interest when the leaves turn yellow and then drop to the ground, exposing silver undersides.   Even the ordinary Magnolia grandiflora displays colorful fruits in October.  Great for decorations if you get to them before the critters do. 

Magnolia grandifolora fruit in October

A trio that caught my attention last fall at the Atlanta Botanical Garden includes our native dogwood, Cornus florida, a red  maple and Stewartia pseudocamellia.

Cornus kousa fruits in October

Cornus florida fruits are red and shiny but not very large.  This is not the case with Cornus kousa, which produces fruits that look like large raspberries.  They are edible but probably appreciated more by squirrels and birds. 

Fall foliage

Heptacodium miconioides in Fall

These are just a few of the gems that add interest and color to one of my favorite seasons in the garden.

Here are a few of the plants that caught my attention.

Diospyros kaki 'Pendula'

Farfugium 'Jitsuko's Star'

Itea virginica and Edgeworthia

Japanese maple

Aster 'Blue Bird' and Amsonia hubrichtii

We finally got some much needed rain, temperatures are cooling off and I am ready to order my spring bulbs and plant them.  This is also a great time in many parts of the country to add plants to your garden. And, when I see them doing their thing, whether it’s fruiting, flowering or showing off colorful foliage, I am inspired to garden. After a two hour stroll through the Atlanta Botanical Garden this morning I have a list of plants that are garden worthy for many reasons.  Some are old favorites and others are less familiar but good doers.  A few that caught my eye include Aster ‘Blue Bird,’ with violet-blue flowers (Zone 4 to 8 ) and Amsonia hubrichtii, (Zone 4 to 9) with willowy foliage that turns golden yellow later in autumn.  ‘Blue Bird’ will reach 3 to 4’ and will need staking if you forget to pinch it back in June.  Either way, it provides welcome late-season color. I also like Aster novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome,’ (Zone 4 to 8 ) a selection of New England Aster with vivid purple daisy-like flowers. For the gardener who wants a bullet-proof aster, Aster tataricus fits that bill.  In spring the foliage looks almost weedy so be sure you mark where it is planted.  This long bloomer starts as early as September and continues into November producing masses of pale lavender daisies with yellow centers.   If you like tall plants this aster grows 6 to 10 feet tall and won’t need staking in most soils and full sun.  The selection ‘Jin Dai’ is supposed to be a more compact form but mine is already at 6’ tall and growing.  Pinching back in the summer is bound to make a difference. Combine it with goldenrods or the Willowleaf Sunflower, Helianthus salicifolius (Zone 5 to 10) which also grows 4 to 8 feet tall at maturity. (You can pinch back this perennial too, stop by the end of June)  Ornamental grasses are fall favorites and Panicum virgatum ‘Dallas Blues’ was paired with Ilex verticillata (deciduous hollies) and hardy garden mums. 

Aster tataricus and Helianthus salicifolius

For a bright spot of yellow the rain lily Zephyranthes citrina is perfect at the front of the border or as an edger along a pathway.  Even easier to grow is the white rain lily blooming in my garden now, Zephyranthes candida. (Zone 7 to 10 ).

Zephyranthes citrina

Fall without Viburnums and other berried shrubs would not be as colorful. The Tea Viburnum, Viburnum setigerum, continues to be one of my favorites and although it is open in habit, it makes a welcome addition to the edge of a woodland border where it gets at least a half-day of sun.  Although I would not have thought to combine the two, Malus sargentii, Sargent’s Crabapple (Zone 4 to 7) looks good paired with the Goldenrod,  Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks.’

Viburnum setigerum, Tea Viburnum

If you’re looking for something different to try this fall and you live in the Atlanta, Georgia area stop by Ashe-Simpson Garden Center and ask about Angelica keiskii.  It’s hard to find much about this plant but the glossy foliage is handsome for months (it grows in part sun or shade)  and then disappears only to return next year.  Pair it with evergreen foliage groundcovers for the best effect. 

Just a few ideas to get you out in the garden.  More to follow on plants for fall or plants to add to your garden this fall.

While I have my favorites I decided to take a poll and hear from some fellow plant lovers at local nurseries about their favorites.  I asked them to recommend trees, shrubs and perennials,  not necessarily in that order.  Here’s what they had to say:

Rosemary Bathurst, Ashe-Simpson

Amsonia hubrichtii – a hardy perennial with great fall color and form.  The airy shapes bend to the wind.  She trims hers back by 1/3 to half  after it flowers in spring  to keep it small.

Aster frikartii ‘Monch’-  one of the latest blooming and the clear blue flowers work so well with Amsonia as well as the fall garden daisies like the Ryan series.

Crocus sativus- this charming bulb with light lilac purple blooms is unexpected at this time of year.  Site it in a location that is easy to access so you can harvest the saffron threads. 

Eupatorium coelestinum- Rosemary admits that this plant can grow even where you don’t want it  but the lilac blooms make up for this bad habit.  In fact it seems to thrive on neglect and shows up in gardens long after they have been abandoned.  

Ginkgo biloba – brilliant yellow leaves and the fact that they drop all at once. She says that in one town in Wisconsin they have a betting pool that you enter by picking the date and time that the tree in the town square will drop its leaves.  The tree can be precise to the hour!

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Pee Wee’ –very dark burgundy fall leaf color and bark interest in winter.  She also likes its size, smaller than the species growing to about 4’ tall.     

Justin Branton, Habersham Gardens

Chionanthus retusus, Chinese fringe tree-although this tree is known for its spring blooms it also displays handsome bark which he appreciates in winter.

Sedum sieboldii ‘October Daphne’-gray green foliage and deep pink flowers

Vaccinium darrowii-also known as evergreen blueberry, tiny evergreen leaves,  it grows 1 to 4’tall and makes a great plant for edging or containers.

Itea virginica 'Merlot'

Melodie McDanal and David McMullin, GardenHood

Itea virginica ‘Merlot’-a compact selection of the native Virginia sweetspire with red and burgundy fall foliage. 

 Juniperus communis ‘Gold Cone’-an upright conifer with golden new growth, turns bluish-green in winter.  Grow it in full sun for best color.  Tolerates drought.   

Lespedeza liukiuensis ‘Little Volcano’- also known as Little Volcano bush clover is covered with masses of red purple flowers that last until late October.  It grows 4 to 6’ tall and is beautiful as it moves with the breeze.

Oxydendrum arboreum

Oxydendrum arboreum-called sourwood, this native tree is one of the first to exhibit brilliant red fall foliage that persists late into the season. 

Viburnum tinus 'Spring Bouquet'

Viburnum tinus ‘Spring Bouquet’-is an evergreen viburnum with dark green foliage, deep red stems and flowers in very early spring.  It grows 5 to 6’ tall, perfect for small hedges or screening.   

Dianna Allstadt, Scottsdale Farms

Cupressus arizonica ‘Blue Ice’-this conifer has fragrant branches she loves to use in arrangements and for wreaths and garlands.  A great color in the winter garden.

Lonicera nitida ‘Baggesen’s Gold’- great for containers.  The foliage takes on purple tints in winter. 

Pyracantha ‘Victory’-the brilliant red berries that persist into winter.

Symphoricarpos x doorenbosii Amethyst-this coralberry has vivid purple hot pink berries that stay on after the shrub drops its foliage. 

Acer palmatum 'Sangu Kaku'

Sources: call ahead for hours of operation

Ashe-Simpson Garden Center

4961 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30341, 770-458-3224

 GardenHood

 353 Boulevard SE, Atlanta, GA 30312, 404-880-9848

Habersham Gardens

2067 Manchester St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30324, 404-873-2484

Scottsdale Farms

 15639 Birmingham Hwy,(Hwy 372), Alpharetta, GA 30004

770-777-5875

Osmanthus fragrans aurantiacus

The Southern autumn garden offers an abundance of interesting plants, including those with fabulous flowers, striking foliage and colorful fruits.  And, let’s not forget our extended growing season.  Fall with its cooler temperatures (and this year plenty of moisture) offers the ideal time to add plants to our gardens.  This includes winter vegetables, shrubs, trees, perennials, bulbs and cool season annuals like pansies and violas.    I have already planted some Peach Frost Sorbet violas with wonderful pastel colors and this weekend I  will add  Darwin Hybrid red tulips called ‘Comeback’ which Brent Heath of Brent and Becky’s bulbs (www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com )  says will come back reliably.

As a garden writer often I am challenged to come up with sources for new and unusual plants that I am excited about so I was thrilled to visit GardenHood, an inspiring  new garden center in Atlanta with an extensive offering of  ornamental plants.  Don’t expect your standard nursery with plants grouped by type, instead they have created rooms of color combinations.  One that I really like is the yellow group, highlighting plants with yellow flowers, foliage and even bark.  A sampling includes the selection of Florida anise, Illicium floridanum ‘Florida Sunshine’ with golden leaves and red stems, a juniper, Juniperus conferta ‘All Gold’ and the striking bark of the Japanese maple, Acer palmatum ‘ Bihou.’

Acer palmatum 'Bihou'

A variegated Chinese holly, Ilex cornuta ‘O’Spring,’ with foliage that is green, cream and gold, is a plant I have written about but this is the first place I’ve seen it offered for sale.   A selection of Arborvitae, Thuja plicata ‘Daniellow’ also grabbed my attention.

In an effort to address the needs of  urban and surburban gardeners with small or tight spaces, GardenHood offer a number of shrubs and trees for special situations such as fastigiate trees for narrow planting spaces like the sweet gum Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette,’   the fringe tree, Chionanthus retusus ‘Tokyo Tower’ and the columnar  hornbeam Carpinus betulus ‘Franz Fontaine.  A dwarf parrotia called ‘Henny Dwarf’ grows only 15 to 20’ tall with colorful fall foliage and handsome peeling bark.  Perfect for containers is the dwarf Japanese zelkova, Zelkova serrata ‘Goblin’ which matures at 4’ tall.  I have always enjoyed our native sweetbay magnolia and was charmed to meet the  dwarf cultivar, Magnolia virginiana var. australis ‘Sweet Thing.’   For the winter color in pots, the tiny  Chameacyparis pisifera filifera ‘Snow’ is ideal especially in combination with colorful violas.

Ilex cornuta 'O'Spring'

Screening is an issue for gardens, both large and small, and some of GardenHoods offerings include hardy Loquats and evergreens like  Viburnum tinus ‘Spring Bouquet, ’ Viburnum odartissimum ‘Awabuki ,’ and, covered in fragrant orange flowers in autumn, the selection of tea olive, Osmanthus fragrans aurantiacus.

Many of the plants I talked about as well as numerous  others are available for purchase at GardenHood, located at 353 Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30316, 404-880-9848  www.gardenhoodatlanta.com

Apricot Single mum, euphorbia and Heuchera 'Citronelle'

October in the South can be delightful, with late season roses, asters, chrysanthemums and more.  Here’s what’s blooming in my garden today.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva' and Asters in October

a new patio