Piet Falls Apart

'Piet' view from the Dock

This photo is about 5 weeks old and it shows the 'Piet" section of the front yard just starting to fall apart. The Molinia caerulea 'Transparent' (front) is starting its late fall collapse. The stunningly sturdy Miscanthus sinensis malepartus stands upright--even through the string of wind storms that have pummeled the northwest.

Syneilesis-aconitifolia

Although I grow Syneilesis aconitifolia for the leaves, I have to say that the seed heads are quite nice too.

Senecio cristobalensis

I just love this plant. Love, love, love! It was a weak-knee moment when I first came across it at Heronswood where I was wandering around in a pleasant plant stupor when it just presented itself to me. The gorgeous leaves (I've never seen it bloom) hold morning dew like liquid jewels. I also love the way it catches--in this instance--the late afternoon fall light. After several attempts at propagation, I finally found success. I'm hoping I don't lose my mojo because I'm leaving several plants in the ground to see if they winter over. (I'm still keeping a few in the greenhouse over the winter!)

Architectural Plants

Books and plants. Plants and books. Books about plants, and gardens and all things horticultural. I love books--real books that I hold in my hand. While I'd love to have a Kindle, it wouldn't replace the feeling of paging through a really good garden book. Now I'd love a Kindle for everything else I read.

This is my first post on Garden Books of Note. What I mean by that is I intend to list my garden books that I go back to time and again. Books that I typically learn something, or see something of value each time I open it.

These are not book reviews but rather postings about books I like and a few sentences of what makes me go back to them.

Christine Shaw's, Architectural Plants, is a book that has lots of solid info, good photography and a great layout that is conducive to reading a section (Palms, Ferns, Grasses, Bamboos, Climbers, Trees, Other leafy exotics, Spiky & Succulent plants), or opening to a random page.

I loved this bit from the chapter, Making the right decisions.

Unless you are especially stubborn, there is little point buying plants that have only a slim chance of surviving in your particular plot."

I surely place myself under the column of "especially stubborn." Or just a bit slow to learn.

Seattle Weather Forecast. Yikes!

Rain, rain and more rain. With weather like this, it's easy to cast back to sunnier and warmer days. So we'll fire up the time machine to last July when we visited Chanticleer, a Pleasure Garden.


Papaver somniferum

It was a pleasant sunny day when we visited Chanticleer. Uncharacteristically mild, temps in the low 80s, and very little humidity. So much to take in and alas so little time. The vignette of a last poppy blossom and the poppy seed heads caught my eye. And the light was hitting the poppy petals just so.

Whither Wilma?

Cupressus macrocarpa 'Wilma'

Sometimes it pays to see your mistakes front and center. I left this shrub, Cupressus macrocarpa 'Wilma,' in the pink pail holding the screen door open all summer. It didn't get the light it needed and did what it rightfully should have done: die. The shrub I paired with this, another 'Wilma,' also in a pink pail, sat about 3 feet away and flourished. Well not flourished, but she survived with just a wee bit more sun. Hoping against hope, I placed the sickly shrub on the Dock hoping for a miracle. And of course it was too late. And so it goes.

Darkness Comes to the Dock

The Dock

Here is the Dock, looking a bit grim in its Fall clothes. However, this space is my zen zone for my morning coffee, our special gathering place to follow the sun, our place for sipping Mint Juleps. The early 20th century French outdoor furniture set that spends late Spring, Summer and a stretch of Fall here, is now inside. It's from the Dock that I can look across to Piet and down the Meander. I love this space.

Light in the Sculpture Garden

Hydrangea paniculata

The Secret Garden is at its darkest and most subdued in the late Fall and Winter. But on November 11th, we had some marvelous bright sun. So much the better to view the fading blossoms of Hydrangea, which paniculata carry well into winter and hold my attention when I'm actually outside, or viewing them from the Pavilion.

Fall in the Meander

Philadelphus leaves and faded seed heads

I love these vignettes of dark and light, faded leaves and seed heads; Fall before it turns mournful and Winter squeezes the color out of the garden. Even in this state, I think about how amazingly fragrant this Philadelphus is when in bloom; it fills the garden with a citrus scent--even when I'm on the other side of the house.

The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden from the Piazzetta

One of my favorite views in my garden is looking at the Secret Garden from the Piazzetta. (This is looking the opposite way from the view in this post.) Here in the pale Fall light, the leaves scattered on the path and the boxwood make for a quiet scene of transition. My habit is to pause here and and take in not only the plants, but to take a measure of the season. Where have we just come from? Where are we headed? What am I missing?

Plume Poppy's Last Stand

Macleaya cordata

I love the rare moments of sunshine we get in November here in the Northwest. And when the brilliant sun makes its cameo, you have to make the best of it. So when I walked out to see what I could see in the garden, I came upon this Macleaya cordata catching the late afternoon light. I love the beauty of the leaves, stems and stalks as they break down into their inevitable and final resting place: compost.

Southward Across the Secret Garden

The Secret Garden

Looking south from the bench in the Secret Garden, the pale fall light scatters through bare branches and highlights the yellowing leaves. The lavender, which should have been cut back at the end of August remains unshorn. The Italian Alpine strawberries (Fragaria vesca, 'Fragola di Bosco') in the parterre are still producing fruit.

Helen's Flower

Helenium 'Morheim Beauty'

For years I've read about the the virtues of Helenium 'Morheim Beauty' as a stalwart in the late summer-early fall garden. And for whatever reason, I just couldn't see them fitting into my garden. Until now. The yellow-orange-red zing amidst the fading grasses is a pleasant piece of summer. When much of the garden has given up the ghost, Helenium 'Morheim Beauty' soldiers on and on. It will be interesting to see how the plant takes to life in "Piet" next summer.

Echinacea 'Fatal Attraction'

Echinacea 'Fatal Attraction'

With all the wacky things that plant breeders are doing to Echinacea, I still prefer the plain old Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus.' But then I came across Echinacea 'Fatal Attraction' and I knew I needed to loosen my conservative kravate. This plant was introduced by my guy, Piet Oudolf. The blooms are purple just as they open and then become an intense purplish pink. Although still in full bloom in my front yard now on November 1, I'm not sure if that's because I planted these in late September, or if they would normally be blooming now. We'll find out in a year.