Mid September with Hints of Autumn

In one week the season has stepped from summer onto the edge of fall, and there is no going back. Autumn's touch is evident. There are golden and orange tints in the trees, especially in dogwood leaves, which are always among the first to turn, and the breeze brings a few leaves fluttering to the ground.Cornus florida, our native flowering dogwood, is beginning to turn colors in mid-september.

I walk in the garden and feel sunshine on my face, but it is a gentle breath and no longer the hot, sticky lick of summer. I call autumn our second spring. Many summer flowers, like these in the front planter, are rejuvenated in the cooler, yet still warm air.

I walk slowly and enjoy my tour around the mid-September garden, with its pleasant atmosphere and hints of autumn:

Oakleaf Hydrangea leaf

Southern magnolia seed pods

Evergreen Dryopteris erythrosora, Autumn fern, does not turn colors in fall. Rather, new growth in spring has autumn tints.

Clockwise from top left: Licoris radiate, the spider lily; Ilex verticillata, the winterberry; Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'; Houttuynia cordata 'Chameleon'.

This old rusty woodpecker is in the woodland garden.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. Have a great week!   Deb

Rewilding and an Early September Walk

I have been thoroughly entertained by a flock of hummingbirds as they zoom with intricate combat maneuvers, fighting for supremacy over the the hummingbird feeder.One particular hummer, a young male, has been a steadfast defender of the feeder for several days, staying at his post with unwavering determination.I wonder if I will have to take down the feeder to encourage him on his way, though I have read that hummingbirds will respond to an internal call for migration once the weather turns cooler and the days shorten.

I enjoy watching  and listening to wildlife in my garden as much as I enjoy growing beautiful plants. I am very fortunate, and I am reminded of a TED video a friend recently shared with me. It takes about eight minutes to watch, but I think you will be glad you took the time. It is about fascinating experiments in rewilding and reminds us of the remarkable interconnections of the earth's ecosystems:

http://blog.ted.com/a-walk-on-the-wild-side-7-fascinating-experiments-in-rewilding/ 

Meanwhile, leaving the hummers whizzing about the feeder, I walked around the early September garden. Some of these images are similar to ones I posted in August, but the garden has a softer quality. Late afternoon light transforms the garden into a glitter fest, as if fairies have come through, spreading magic with their sparkling wands. The temperature is mellowing, and the humidity is supposed to break this week, which will make me VERY happy. A few leaves are already beginning to turn. 

I will start with the woodland garden, where molten light flows through the trees and over the moss paths:

Pots on the stone steps leading to the woodland garden.

Clockwise from top left: Variegated hosta, impatiens and variegated ivy make a common but effective combination in an urn near the patio; A wood fern in the woodland garden; Sedum in an old concrete planter on the patio; Hardy begonia growing by a woodland path.

Deodar cedar 'Feelin'Blue' grows on the sunny edge of the woodland garden. It is one of my favorites.

Finally, here are a few images taken around the front garden:

Colocasia escolenta 'Blue Hawaii'

Have a wonderful week!    Deb