Fall Garden Pleasures

For a few years, while we were getting our garden set up, Pater and I built our weekend entertainment around visiting nurseries, especially the favourite now-sadly-defunct Island Specialty Nursery.
Because we did this almost year-round for a couple of years, and because our magpie eyes were generally drawn to whatever was brightest and shiniest at that particular season, our garden happily delivers delights through every season.
As well, besides the blooms, berries, reddening leaves, and seed-heads that enliven a fall garden, I am charmed by the way autumn sunlight creates charming shadowplays, as above, on the various garden structures.
And the various garden sculptures, whether artist-wrought or beach-found, hold their own better when they needn’t compete with summer’s blowsy blooms.
Stones are the perfect foil for fallen leaves.
Clematis seed-heads, all silken shine, invite closer appreciation. . .

demonstrating their value long after their nodding yellow flowers are done
while nearby their kin are just getting started and the white petals will soon festoon wall, roof, and pergola (Sweet autumn — clematis maximowicziana)
Asters all over the yard . . .

October, and the garden is still giving me such pleasure. And I’ve got a few more photos to show you some winter-blooming plants getting ready to do their stuff. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving . . .

7 Comments

  1. LPC
    3 October 2010 / 6:06 pm

    Beautiful. I only wish the photos on your blog were bigger.

  2. hostess of the humble bungalow
    3 October 2010 / 6:33 pm

    Your garden has many charming features and I love that you have captured the details that are evident as we usher in the Autumn season.

  3. Susan B
    3 October 2010 / 6:37 pm

    So gorgeous! I love the juxtasposition of autumn leaves on stones. And you've really done well creating year-round garden interest.

  4. La Belette Rouge
    3 October 2010 / 7:09 pm

    The Clematis bulbs are fascinating—so sculptural. The only green I have in my garden is Ava the avocado. I envy you all that beauty.xoxo

  5. Mardel
    3 October 2010 / 10:49 pm

    Such a joy to see your garden photos while my garden is still looking worn and trampled and waiting for the men with boots to finally finish their labors.

    I did haul my tomato and pepper plants in to the sun porch this weekend though, so the harvest will continue despite nights in the 30s.

  6. Susan Tiner
    4 October 2010 / 12:12 am

    I never thought of focusing on the structural elements more in fall and the way that they work well the decay going on but now I will look. Thank you for opening my eyes.

  7. materfamilias
    4 October 2010 / 4:40 pm

    LPC: Thanks!
    Hostess: Thank you — I certainly derive all kinds of pleasure from it, year 'round. As I know you do from yours.
    Pseu: You must really be enjoying yours now, as well.
    LBR: Aren't they amazing! But really, Ava's pretty Amazing too — the Amazing Ava!!
    Mardel: Oh, I wish we had tomatoes to harvest — nothing better than fresh tomatoes, right from the garden!
    Susan T: And some of those structures are wonderful edged with frost or snow. . . Not that I'm wishing for any of that!

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