Having a berry good fall
Berries are reddening on the weeping yaupon holly. Yaupon holly is so versatile, with varieties ranging from little, round balls to the punctuation marks of ‘Will Fleming’. But the weeping yaupon remains one of my favorites. This is one of the very few plants I didn’t plant in my yard. In fact, it was one of the very few plants growing in the yard when we bought this house. I’m thankful that the previous owners chose it to anchor the corner of the house.
But I digress. This post is meant to be about berries. Here are the last of the beautyberries (Callicarpa americana ) that haven’t ended up in a mockingbird’s stomach as yet. The purple berries look even more beautiful against the bright yellow-green of the bush’s falling leaves.
And I especially like the yellowing leaves as a backdrop for the purple bench.
Here’s a little more purple—the last of the fading Mexican snapdragon vine’s flowers.
OK, I’ll admit it. This post has little to do with berries. It’s really just a vignette of autumn in my garden. Sorry, folks. The berry show is over. On to the next topic.
You may be sick of the stock-tank planter, but I am not. I still love the silver ponyfoot cascading over the edge. I love the black sweet potato vine’s dark color contrasting with the silver. I love the Dr. Seussian shapes of the manfreda, squid agave, and gopher plant.
So, yep, here’s another look. This time with those yellow beautyberry leaves behind and a few Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha ) blooms in front. I wonder how this composition will fare after a freeze. We’ll find out in a few weeks.
‘Belinda’s Dream’ still blooming prolifically
‘Valentine’ tries to keep up. Meanwhile ‘Carefree Beauty’ and ‘Marie Pavie’ stingily withhold their fall blooms.
I didn’t have this colorful leaf last fall. I planted this native, yellow-blooming crossvine last spring, not guessing what a pretty fall show it would put on. It’s supposed to be evergreen, so I’m a little concerned that the leaves, after wowing me with color, will drop, exposing the dreaded trampoline to main view again. As with all questions about the garden, time will tell.
Pam, I LOVE, LOVE those purple berries! Thanks for sharing them with us.
Aren’t they delicious? Well, only to the birds, I suppose, but I really love looking at them too. —Pam
Pam, I bet the Mockingbirds and Jays love your berries and are smacking their beaks at a chance to get a bite.
Yes, I see them in the bushes every day, filling their beaks. I hope they leave a few for me to enjoy. —Pam
So much in bloom in your garden! It gives me hope for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day next week. I’ll personally have precious little to post about, and my purple bench is now under a big brown tarp on the back patio, to protect it from snow and ice.
Carol at May Dreams Gardens (Zone 5 and I need to get out and buy a new snow blower!)
Carol, I’ve never known you to have precious little to post about. You’ll find a way, I feel sure, even when your garden is buried under three feet of snow. So it’s goodbye to the purple bench for the season, then? I’ll look forward to seeing it again in the spring. —Pam
“Sick of the stock-tank planter”? Ha. You could train a web-cam on it, and I would tune in for a peep every day.
OK, Chuck. That’ll be my next project. —Pam
I’m not sick of the stock tank, I want to do that too, I have a big plan for mine. We have lots and lots of berries this year. I posted about weeds today, hahahaha! Sorry, it made me laugh to compare my weeds to your lovely plants!
I look forward to seeing your planter, Kathleen. By the way, your URI never seems to work on your comments. Would you mind sending it to me again so I can revisit your blog? Thanks. —Pam
I just bought a spindly little beautyberry for 5 bucks…would you tell me more about the conditions yours is planted in and how big you expect it to get? I am having trouble figuring out where to put mine. Also, do you have more pics of yours? Thanks!
I understand there are quite a few varieties. Mine is Callicarpa americana, which prefers afternoon shade or full shade and a little extra moisture. It can get to be 6 feet tall and wide, and it doesn’t look so good pruned back, so plant it where it can just do its thing. I see them growing wild along the creek bottoms of Austin’s greenbelts. Mine doesn’t get a lot of extra moisture, but it does get a little by being near the hose. For more pics of mine, just look for the white Search box in my sidebar and type in “beautyberry.” It will take you to all the posts that mention it. Enjoy! —Pam
I think my beautyberries are all gone, but my yaupon [regular upright, not weeping] looks berry good, too.
The Mexican snapdragon is perennial isn’t it? What a super color!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
It seems to be a berry good year, maybe thanks to the summer rains. This is my first year to grow the Mexican snapdragon vine, but I think it is supposed to be perennial. —Pam
Pam: I could never tire of that stock tank planter! Love the cascading dichondra and your purple bench is still lovely. It is looking very much like Nov. here in the NE and it has taken a decidedly cold turn also! Enjoy those last blooms! P.S. I thank you for visiting Albuquerque with me and I also enjoyed Santa Fe. It is a lovely city, at least the old part. The drive into town looks like ‘Highway America’ with the Targets and the McDonalds everywhere.
Thanks, Layanee. I enjoyed your New Mexico post. And I even envy you the cooler weather. Maybe not cold weather, but cooler would be an improvement. It’s back in the 80s here in Austin, and very humid. Still, this feels like fall for us. —Pam
Yaupon holly with berries- oh, that time of year already? I just love to cut them and stick them in wreaths out front for Christmas. They just look so lovely.
And Ponyfoot is one of my favorites but I have never seen it with the sweet potato vine- so dramatic!
Yaupon holly seems to be playing along with the early Christmas displays in the stores, doesn’t it? —Pam
Every fall I make a note to plant beauty berry, and then I forget. The berries are just gorgeous here as well – and isn’t it nice to have roses blooming in November? Mine are very happy right now. Oh – I’m not familiar with the snapdragon vine…scientific name? It looks wonderful.
The Mexican snapdragon vine is Maurandya antirrhiniflora . I didn’t know it before this year either, and I’m eager to see if it comes back vigorously next spring. —Pam
Hey Pam,
Thanks for digressing…loved all the photos. Are y’all still hot down there? We got real cool for a couple of days and then it got hot again. Today it’s windy and seems to be blowing yet another change of weather in… I loved your BeautyBerry. I think I might have to get one of those. Anything that makes the birds happy, makes me happy. Well, any birds but those danged ole grackles. Sorry, but I can’t stand them! Have a great week! Chris
We’ve gotten warm again too, Chris. It’s been in the low 80s for the past week, and humid. It’s OK (it beats temps in the 90s), but I’m decidedly ready for cooler weather. —Pam
Are you out of town again, or is my computer malfunctioning? I’m hungry for a new blog post…
Thanks for the compliment, Chuck. Today or tomorrow look for a post on paths for Garden Bloggers’ Design Workshop. —Pam
Your callicarpa is covered with lots and lots of berries, great! I love purple so your garden seat is very much to my taste. 😉 Had some problems with my pc so I couldn’t post or comment for over a week. Bother!
I’m glad you’re back, YE. I’ll “see” you again on Bloom Day, yes? —Pam
Oh! I love in Austin as well and I took a picture of this tree outside our apartment complex that had a huge amount of berries. Now I know what they are. Thanks!
I’m glad to help with a plant ID, Rachelle. Thanks for dropping by. —Pam