The Beauty of Autumn, Part 2

In the two weeks since my last post, I have continued to see vignettes of nature’s autumnal brilliance. Thanksgiving is a time for remembering to be grateful. Gardeners rarely need a holiday or calendar to remind them; I am grateful every day for these glimpses of beauty, so, once again, I thought I’d share.

"…it is not the late buttercup or the cheerful chickadee that makes November so dear. It is the quality of the light."

I love that quote from Elizabeth’s Gardens in Winter (1961, Claitor’s). I am reminded of it every November—especially at the beginning and end of the day, when warm tones are cast onto even the coldest surface.

Only rarely have I seen such nice fall color on Elizabeth’s Stewartia pseudocamellia var. koreana (Japanese or Korean stewartia). She remarked that it was rare for her to see nice fall color on this small tree as well… that usually the leaves would mostly turn brown, curl up and drop.

This new patch of Crocus speciosus ‘Conqueror’ (autumn crocus)—reinstated to the garden just this fall—has been a cheerful pool of pale violet for nearly two weeks, with more buds coming.

Fall color is the second reason to grow Itea japonica (Japanese sweetspire)… or perhaps even the first!

Elizabeth’s Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) is blooming better this year than it has in the past eleven years. She wrote of its clean astringent aroma, which I noticed only briefly—the first late afternoon the flowers began unfurling a week or more ago.

The turning foliage of Elizabeth’s Stephanandra incisa crispa ‘Nana’ (cutleaf dwarf stephanandra) shows up nicely against the dark green backdrop of Helleborus orientalis (Lenten rose) seedlings, Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae (Mrs. Robb’s bonnet), and low branches of Illicium floridanum (anise shrub).

I find beauty in senescence. The brilliant yellow and warm tan of Hosta ‘Hadspen Heron’ leaves contrasts nicely with fresh dark purple foliage of Cryptotaenia japonica f. atropurpurea (Japanese cow parsley) in the bed just behind the house.

Felder Rushing’s book Garden Hearts (2012, St. Lynn’s Press) inspired me to look for certain things in the garden… mainly for hearts.

I came upon this this morning… one fallen petal from the shattered bloom of an as-of-yet-unidentified Camellia sasanqua (fall-blooming camellia). The garden sends us all its love.

Remember to take the time—even five minutes can be enough—to walk outside and really see the beauty that is around you.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!