November Woodland 2017
Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 8:40PM Last night a stiff wind blew for hours. I could hear it gusting as I lay in bed, and all I could think of was all the leaves being swept to earth. It has been a disappointing autumn, as far as fall foliage goes. Colors have gone from summer green to murky tints of gold and red to brown and on the ground...in days! This morning was very chilly with a sharp, clear sky. For the first time I felt the breath of winter as I gazed at the tide of leaves drifting over the garden. It is the price we pay for living amidst towering trees.
Here are some images I took in the woodland garden this past week. Lou had just raked leaves off the moss paths. Ha! He has much more to do now! It is important to keep the moss paths clear of leaves and other debris. Moss does not need earth to grow, but it does need air.
Japanese maple 'Waterfall'
Clockwise from top left: Persimmon 'Tamopan'; Mahonia 'Soft Caress'; Camellia 'Leslie Ann'; Witch Hazel - I planted this years ago, and it has finally bloomed!
Finally, a view across the lower front lawn toward a natural, undeveloped wooded area. It was once brimming with dogwood trees. Sadly, drought, disease, and old age have taken their toll through the years. The trees with the red leaves are my remaining dogwoods. Oaks and hickories are the larger trees with gold and brown leaves:
Reader Comments (20)
You may not have as much autumn color as you'd like but you've got much more than we do! Despite the work required to corral all those leaves, I still don't think there's much of anything as pretty as a woodland garden, of which yours is a fine example. Best wishes for a happy Thanksgiving and a gentle transition into winter. We're poised to have temperatures near 90F here on Thanksgiving as summer mounts yet another (hopefully brief) comeback attempt.
Tantalising about the mossy paths but they do look enticing!
Does a hickory give nuts, edible?
The woodlands are lovely; I've been working on a (much smaller) moss path, and it brings me much joy!
Less than satisfying fall color or not--your forest is magical. And on the practical level, wonderful supplier of leaf mold?
Those moss paths are so lovely. Poor Lou though! Gardeners' work is never done.
We haven't had a great year for fall color either. In fact, we haven't the past few years. The saving grace is a few trees that turn late and color well, so we've still gotten spots of color. I'm missing all of the big red maples turning color.
PS Your oaks, hickories and dogwoods colored up beautifully!
The moss path looks so inviting. How does Lou rake the leaves off without damaging the moss?
Hi everyone, thank you all for your comments!
Diana, yes hickory nuts are edible, though they are hard to crack and some varieties taste better than others. Pecans, in fact, are a type of hickory nut. However, squirrels and other critters eat most of my hickory nuts.
Denise, we use a rake made of rubber-like material, and it does not tear the moss.
Best wishes to you all! Deb
I can sympathise with your leaf sweeping, I'm having to do all mine every few days too! This is the price we pay for having such beautiful old trees and a woodland garden.
Gorgeous woodland views and I love your mossy paths.
The weather this autumn has meant that we have much more in the way of autumn colour than I've ever seen before in this garden. Nothing fantastic like your usual show but a pleasant change all the same. Your moss paths are a delight; well done for keeping them clear.
You've got so much verdant greenery still. It looks fresh and cool.
Mossy paths sound wonderful, like your garden has a plush carpet!
Gorgeous woodland views as always!
Your woodland garden and mossy path photographs are beautiful and transmit a feeling of calm and tranquility. Simply gorgeous! Happy Thanksgiving to you!
We’ve transitioned into the murky time of autumn, when most of the leaves are gone. It was so beautiful just a short time ago, I just wish it could have lasted longer. I love your mossy paths, can hubby not use a leaf blower instead?
I love your witch hazel. I have Hamamelis virginiana growing on my property, too, but they barely bloomed at all this year (perhaps a response to two consecutive summers of moderate drought).
The photos are so delicate and pretty, they look like paintings. You may have lost lots of dogwoods, but that natural woodland scene still looks wonderful.
We have 2 acres that are "developed" and about a quarter acre left in woodland. I can truly appreciate how much work the two of you have to keep it looking nice.
Hi Deb: Your woodland is always so beautiful! You're lucky to have Persimmons on your property. I saw some at the market the other day and thought about buying some, but they were too expensive. I've only tasted them a couple of times, but enjoyed them.