Autumn in the Air

 I usually bring my camera with me on autumn walks to catch the light left of the season. What follows is a collection of images -- gathered over the last week or two -- of some interesting plants that made me stop in my tracks and take note. I hope you enjoy.

One of my new favorite plants, Fothergilla - I don't know the species but this color makes me very happy. This garden we've seen before here and here.

There are several of these in this garden. Doesn't it look like it's lit from within?

Same garden---two Acer griseums or paperbark maples some kind of birch (thank you to Alan for the correction!) among grasses and wooly thyme as a groundcover.

Erica or heather in the hellstrip (or maybe it's Calluna? I have trouble remembering the difference). This garden has all of one species of this plant and it looks stunning en masse.

In my own garden the Hydrangea quercifolia is putting on a stunning show this year.

A sweet little maple, no idea of the species as it was a tiny volunteer that I decided to pot up a few years ago. It too has been turning gorgeous shades of oranges and reds.

The pineapple sage has finally decided to bloom. About time!

The Cornus sericea or redtwig dogwood is another plant that is not only native, but has some kind of interest year-round. Right now, its interesting attribute is color.

On a walk this week I noticed how lovely these heathers are in this garden, a great broad sweep of a single species makes for an eye-catching display.

Heathers, close up.

Along the same street is a garden I pass frequently and have photographed it many times. It can be seen at different times of the year here and here. This time of year it shines with late-summer interest and also grasses.

Joe pye weed on the right with its blossoms lopped off, likely so they wouldn't flop over.

More stained-glass colors of autumn.

Earlier this fall we took a walk in a different neighborhood and came across this gravel garden. As it was the hottest summer on record for Portland this style of gardening continues to prove its worthiness.

Zauschneria californica in the hellstrip along with agaves completes the look.

About that same time we took one of our usual walks near Mt. Tabor and noted this garden is really a great fall garden with Rudbeckia and Asters galore.

Nearby a strip of sedum (probably Autumn Joy) shows how to do it for impact - that is, plant the same species in broad sweeps.

A maple turning haunting shades with an interesting church as a backdrop.

Around the corner from us this gardener plants a hefty crop of corn and tomatoes every year. It always does really well considering it's in a hellstrip (technically) and on the north side of the home, but it's a big enough expanse that it gets sun.

On a walk this week, a Japanese maple doing its thing.

And a crape myrtle, I believe, also doing its.

Since we are moving soon and haven't put our home on the market yet, we are watching the real estate in our neighborhood closely. This is just a block from our home although I've never been on this street before as it's a dead end from a difficult-to-get-to, traffic-laden street. I had to walk over to investigate. What do you think of this landscaping? The house just went on the market for a hefty sum.

These "boulders" seem kind of fake to me, as if made of concrete to look like stones. Am I crazy? I'd love to know your thoughts.

Last but not least, Arabian starflower or Ornithogalum arabicum in the garden. I got these bulbs from the nursery when they were 75% off thinking they would never do anything. I was wrong. Aren't they interesting? Apparently, they are supposed to bloom in spring and summer but these are showing off in November. Go figure. 

As we get closer to our closing date for the new home and eventually moving to the new, the focus will certainly shift to the moving of an entire (almost) garden. For now, I find it important to stop and see what is around me and to appreciate the changes in motion. There's no turning back now. 

With that I wish you all a wonderful week and thank you for reading! Until next time, happy gardening!