The Golden Glow of Early Fall

Fall has come, at last! Temps have dropped about thirty degrees, and some life-sustaining rain is making me and my plants happy. Overnight, plants perked up, and a few leaves are beginning to show fall colors. Last week I watched as autumn's mellow sunshine filtered through the woodlands, layering buttery tints amidst the leaves. I inhaled lungfuls of cool air, so refreshing after September's long breath of hell. 

Here are some of my trees. Early fall is still green, but these trees know summer is over!

Fallen leaves are beginning to cover our moss paths. We go from watering daily to daily raking!

The heart-shaped leaves of this Redbud tree (Cercis canadensis) are just beginning to reveal their golden autumn colors:

Foliage generally appears brighter and healthier since the arrival of cooler weather:Clockwise from top left: Deodar cedar 'Feelin' Blue'; Eastern Dogwood (Cornus Florida); Coniogramme emeiensis 'Golden Zebra' fern; Edgeworthia chrysantha, commonly called paperbush; Autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora); Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior).

Here is one leafy view from my patio. The weeping tree on the left is a dwarf lace-leaf Japanese maple:

This old cast iron birdbath is a favorite with owls and other large birds:

Here are a few more garden ornaments, which don't depend on the weather to look good!

That leads me to something new! There is an area (approximately 10' x 10') in the woodland garden in which even weeds refuse to grow. I once attempted to put my shovel into the soil there and it bounced back with a loud clunk. A pick-ax did no better. Dynamite was the next step, but I decided to cover it with pine straw instead. Later I added a small potted Japanese maple. That was an improvement, but the space needed more. I recently put in a couple of colorful pots. I may or may not plant something in them. So here is my new woodland "pot garden". The gazing ball is located in an adjacent space that is covered with vinca minor and has no problem growing weeds:

What to Do With a Hollow Log

Old or sick trees eventually die; and with a wealth of trees on our property, Lou usually has several trees to remove every year. Much of the wood is cut and stacked neatly, to be used in the fireplace during cold winters. Large stumps, such as those in our Stump World, may be left in the woods to rot, providing shelter and food to myriads of creatures over the years. But this year we had several more interesting hollow logs, and I immediately recognized their potential as features in the garden. 

When a long, shaggy, moss-covered limb fell, I saw it as a woodland serpent with a wide open mouth, ready to swallow its prey. It had broken into two pieces when if hit the ground. The two pieces together were about twenty-five feet long - quite a snake! Lou was doubtful at first, but I convinced him the serpent log would make a great edging to the trail next to our fern glade. He and a helper loaded the pieces onto the back of a truck and hauled them to the entrance of the woodland garden, then carried them from there. I think it was worth their effort!

Here is a view of the two pieces of the serpent log in place; you can see part of the second piece in the center rear of the picture.:

Lou thinks it looks like an alligator, and maybe it does. But it really is too long to be anything but a serpent. I wish the two pieces were intact. I am going to encourage the vinca to grow over the ends so that it looks like the center of the snake is hidden in the growth.

Here is the back end of the serpent log. Lou had to cut the sharp jagged end off for the safety of people walking along the trail.

This trail is next to our fern glade, and I also used a couple of hollow logs to make some easy rustic planters for the same area. I simply put the logs in place, then filled their cavities with a good potting mix prior to planting.These hollow logs came from a chestnut oak:

Here is another log I think has a lot of character. I laid it on its side and used it as part of the edging beside the fern glade: