We had a first frost this weekend. The cold temperatures knocked out most of my fall containers with plants like Coleus and Begonias. The plants went to the compost and I cleaned up the front porch for late fall.
I usually do arrangements with three to four types of plants per container. But this year I thought I would try just one type of plant per container and instead to group the containers. It turned out really nice and clean!
We had our first frost of the year. Night temperature went down to 25 °F (-4°C).
The garden looked different this morning. The feeling of greenery and lushness has begun to disappear. While most of the perennials are still hanging in there, they have changed shape and color during just one night.
I’m happy to have a lot of winter interest in the garden. Heucheras, Hallabores, Yews, Boxwoods – all of them keep their shape and most of their color all year round.
The serviceberry glows in the morning sun. It has just begun to turn color and the orange and red leaves are looking beautiful.
We planted this tree in early spring. It’s still quite small but has already given us a taste what it will bring in terms of year-round interest: pretty white blooms in spring, red berries in the summer and gorgeous colors in the fall.
It can grow in sun to part shade. I did read that it needs full sun to get the prettiest fall colors. However, mine get only 6h sun a day and it doing just fine.
Actaea simplex ’Pink Spike’ (Baneberry) has grown quite a bit in just a few months. In a uear or two it will get 3-5 feet tall (90-150 cm) and 1-2 feet wide (30-60 cm). The size and the dark foliage bring drama and contrast to the garden.
Most Baneberrys prefer part sun. However, the ’Pink Spike’ variety can grow and bloom in full shade. The delicate pink blooms glow in a shade garden.
It’s hard to describe how beautiful the Japanese forrest grass is with just a photo. The picture is still while the beauty of this grass lies in its movement. When the wind blows it looks almost like these settle green waves flowing around in the garden.
I’ve planted it together with Heucheras for contrast. The combination makes both the plants stand out.
Hakonechloa gets 12-18 in. (30-45cm) tall and 18-24 in. (45-60cm) wide. It prefers part shade, although in my garden it gets only 3-4 h of sun. It’s a slow starter and grows very slowly for the first two years. Year three it takes off and proves it was well worth the wait!
My plants are three years old so they have just begun to do their thing.
Another weekend with dull weather – another succulent arrangement. This time I used a pretty bonsai pot at the local garden center. I chose succulents that go well with the color of the pot – concrete grey with touches of red.
Succulents need good drainage. That means letting water rinse quickly. Here’s how you keep them happy:
At the end of my garden is a green boxwood hedge. The green color of the hedge is similar to the color of the large trees in the background. They blend together so well that if you look quickly, it almost looks like they are the same. The hedge adds an impression that these huge trees are part of the garden – making the garden appear much bigger.
Behind the boxwood hedge is a small road that the hedge hides so neatly. All you see from the garden are the gorgeous trees.
It really doesn’t have to be more complicated than this. A simple shallow container is everything you need to bring a touch of water to the garden.
Make sure that the inside of the container is dark. Darker colors bring forth the reflection in the water.
För några veckor sedan ville jag göra en höstkrans av torkad Hortensia. Jag klippte av några blommor från min Hortensia Limelight, satte den i vatten för långsam torkning och väntade på att de skulle torka färdigt. Till min stora förvåning vissnade dem ned. Allihop tappade färg och såg trista ut. Så vad gick fel? Jo, jag klippte dem från busken för tidigt. De var fortfarande mitt i sin blomning, behövde mer vatten och var inte redo att torkas. Klipp hortensiablommorna först ner du ser att de har börjat torka medan kvar på busken.
Mitt andra försök gick betydligt mycket bättre, blommorna torkade så vackert så. Här är hur jag torkar hortenisablommor.
Det går bra att använda torkade hortensior som en dekoration hemma, gärna i ett mörkt hörn där inget annat växer. I år använde jag en mix av hortensiablommor för att göra en krans. Det blev en blandning av Limelight, Little Lime och Annabelle-hortensia.
I’ve been looking for a plant to match my newly planted Heucherellas. To get some inspiration I made a visit to the garden. I didn’t have to look long before I found the Helleborus Orientalis ’Viv. Victoria’. What a beautiful perennial! It matched the Heucherella perfectly with the purple and orange/yellow colors.
Helleborus Orientalis ’Viv. Victoria’ is a perennial. It grows 10-15 inches (25-40 cm) tall and preferens half shade.
This variety will bloom sometime between September and April. It will keep blooming for 3-4 months!
