Autumn Leaves and Other Things I Love

The autumn garden has such gladness when the sun is shining. Leaves upon the trees turn into stained glass wonders, if only for moments with the passing rays:

This dogwood gives promise for next spring as it holds flower buds above its beautiful fall foliage.I love this season, not for the dying, but for the aging glory and for the celebration of winter's rest to come. I love the details of an autumn leaf — still fluttering on the branch, or fallen to the ground, or twisting in the breeze, caught in a crafty spider's web:

Dried Trident maple seed pods, still clinging to the tree, look like delicate parchment paper blooms:

The rose tints of a fading hydrangea bloom linger on into the season, and other flowers put out fresh buds, despite the chilliness of fall nights:

These mums beside the parking court have spread from a single plant, purchased long ago from a grocery store. They are just beginning to open their blooms. Nandina 'Firepower' grows in front.I have moved this Ipomoea carnea, or bush morning glory, three times. It is tall and skinny, and I finally found a good home for it beside this birdhouse. The bush morning glory seems to like the cooler temperatures of fall.

A few years ago I banished most of the Nandina domestica plants from my garden for their aggressiveness, pulling them up by the scores, but leaving only a couple, for I cannot part with their berries completely. I cut them off, when my eyes have had my fill of them.

Stump World knows no season, as its slow decay nourishes life throughout the year, but moss, fungi, and lichen are particularly lovely during fall:

 May you take time to reflect upon some of nature's finest details, and have a great week!  Deborah 

My Hearts-A-Bustin

Deep in deciduous woods from southern New York to Florida and as far west as Oklahoma and eastern Texas, there grows an unassuming native shrub with a certain pathos about its name. In Greek mythology Euonyme was the mother of the deities who caused suffering in everyday life, and Euonymus americanus grows most prolifically in Appalachian regions where tough topography and poverty traditionally make life difficult.

The shrub is also commonly called strawberry bush and hearts-a-bustin. It's easy to see why.
In early fall the seed pods turn from green to pink. Resembling wild strawberries, they are warty looking and about the size of acorns. As they open to reveal scarlet seedheads, the capsules split into heart shaped segments. The fruit are decorative, and I first fell in love with this plant when I came across a specimen covered with the interesting capsules. 

Early this year, I made the difficult decision to remove the agressive nandina domestica from my woodland garden, and I planted a variety of shrubs in its place. This was a great opportunity to try Hearts-a-bustin in my own garden. I like it because it is native to my region and because it is not aggressive, unlike its non-native cousin Euonymus alata, also called burning bush, which in some areas is very aggressive. Hearts-a-bustin will put out suckers and can form thickets, but it will not spread wildly through the forest or displace other plants. 

Euonymus americanus has thin green stems and an open, airy habit to about six feet tall. The deciduous shrub produces two to three inch lance shaped green leaves. Tiny yellow-green, star shaped flowers appear in the spring. They are beautiful, but you have to look at the flowers closely to appreciate them. Bees love the flowers, and deer will browse upon the leaves. I am fortunate that my woodland garden is in the middle of a small city, so I don't have to worry about the deer! Some birds will eat the seeds, but they can be poisonous to humans if eaten in large quantities, and they are also said to be poisonous to sheep. 

In September through October the understated shrub assumes the spotlight as its seed capsules dangle like bright ornaments.The leaves also are beautiful as fall advances, becoming translucent white, washed with shades of red and orange.

This shrub should be planted beside a path so one can easily appreciate its charms. It is a terrific low maintenance shrub - pest free and drought tolerant! It is comfortable in the woodland setting and grows best in sun dappled shade in humus rich, slightly acid soil.