In love with fall gardening
I spent yesterday in the garden, digging holes for new plants, delighted not to break a sweat in the perfect fall weather (mosquitoes didn’t bother me either–yea!). Beforehand I snapped some photos of the fall garden and new fence. Pictured above, fragrant-leaved Mexican mint marigold (Tagetes lucida) responds to cooler weather and shorter days with a burst of golden flowers, which pick up on the variegation of the Yucca filamentosa ‘Bright Edge.’
A similar color and texture scheme in the front garden: Yucca filamentosa ‘Color Guard’ and copper canyon daisy (Tagetes lemmonii).
The beloved ‘Whale’s Tongue’ agave (A. ovatifolia) is looking lovely in its raised-bed perch.
The fall grasses are in full bloom. The bottlebrush inflorescence of purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’) glows with intense color in the afternoon light.
At its feet, Annie in Austin‘s passalong cuphea ‘Twinkle Pink’ adds more rich pink color.
On the other side of the garden, Mexican flame vine (Senecio confusus) clambers along the fence, its hot orange contrasting with the cool tones of the ‘Blue Ice’ Arizona cypress (Cuppressus arizonica var. glabra).
Butterflies throng to the flame vine, despite our recent cooler temperatures.
I’m so happy with my new fence on the west side of the garden, holding back the loathed red-tip photinia hedge.
Like the sunny hillside garden on the other end of the garden, this side is steeply sloped as well.
Quietly blooming in the shade of live oaks is our native shrubby white boneset, or white mistflower (Eupatorium havanense).
I hope you enjoyed this peek into my fall garden and have plans to enjoy fall in your own garden this weekend. Have a good one!
All material © 2006-2010 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Thanks for the tour. Beautiful! Love Texas gardens in Fall.
Lovely peek. And your Flame Vine is spectacular. I think mine is in too much shade. It is not blooming like it should for me. The grasses are lovely – I can’t wait until my babies grow enough to do that.
Seems like my plant wishlist grows every time I look at your blog. I love your little peek-a-boo fence…what a great added touch! The first photo combination is very pretty with the silver foliage in the container.
I am soooo happy about fall gardening, too!
What a great color of the mexican flame vine blooms!! This is an exciting time for gardening for me too…almost as good as Spring.
Pam, awesome photos, as always. Happy to see you’ve been able to complete your fence! My white mistflower didn’t live through last year’s freezes – I guess it was too young. Now seeing yours reminds me I need to repurchase – I miss the mistflower and it’s butterfly attraction. I’ve never seen flamevine in person before, and your post is causing me to add that to my list, now, too!
Mexican flame vine is a tender perennial here in Austin, Robin. I’d suggest waiting until spring to plant one. A new plant might not survive the winter. —Pam
Wow…you got our temperatures, and now it looks like you have our light, too! If only I could take credit…
So much fun visiting your garden… especially since SNOW is in the forecast for me today.
You have some great fall color in your garden. And, that fence is the perfect answer to a steep slope. I love it.
It was 28 degrees here this morning. Maybe summer is gone for good. Not sure what to expect for winter. Each of the last two years has been so different.
It is so wonderful to be able to work comfortably for hours in the garden. And not require intravenous hydration. The fall colors are still good here (Washington DC) and since we haven’t had a freeze yet we still have all the late season perennials and the tropicals. It’s a wonderful time. Unfortunately I put two and two together a few years ago and realized that the end of fall means the beginning of winter. Still…it’s beautiful out there now.
Wow, that Whale’s Tongue is really shining. Love the Tagetes lucida. Does it make seeds?
Love your fence. I also have that same hedge on the west side of my property. I try to keep it manicured but is very hard for me. Just paid to have it done. It looks much better. Box wood in front of house also. I’ve threatened to have that yanked out. It is in the shade of my house which faces NW.
Yes, the mint marigold makes seeds. In fact, I have another that was a volunteer seedling in someone else’s garden. But I don’t find it to be an aggressive seeder in mine. —Pam
Meant to ask what is the grass by the cypress?
That’s ‘Adagio’ miscanthus, Lola. —Pam
Pam, This is the time of the year when I really begin to envy southern gardeners. Your garden still looks so fresh and alive while mine is definitely going to sleep. We had our first few light frosts here in CT and most of my perennials are decidely black now. The weather had been cool and rainy and when I walked around my garden today I could already see the faintest traces of winter. I’ll be gardening vicariously through you this winter!
Sounds as though you’re getting some good gardening days in – must be nice after the long hot summer! that whale’s tongue agave is a stunning specimen.
Love the pics.. what a great looking back yard
I’ll definitely agree with you on the joy of gardening right now in Austin. No mosquitoes!!!! That’s the biggest thing for me since they’re absolutely rabid around here. Blech!
Your new fence looks marvelous especially with the blue cypress and vines clamoring over. I won’t be in the garden too much this weekend. The temps have gone down quite a bit. I am just awaiting the maple tree to drop her fall frock on the ground so I can clean up. Then the garden will be bedded down for the winter. Enjoy your weekend.
Hi, great pictures! Couldn’t help but notice your beautiful Bottle Tree! Won’t you share a picture of it here: http://www.allaboutrosegardening.com/Bottle-Trees.html
I’m sure my readers would appreciate it, and be inspired by how lovely it is!
Thanks so much.
Carol
http://www.allaboutrosegardening.com
I love the new fence! And for sure, it is so wonderful to get back to digging holes without breaking a sweat. It all looks gorgeous!
What a lovely garden and your fence looks great! Mexican mint marigold is so pretty – does it have a minty fragrance? I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it up here.
Yes, the leaves smell great when brushed or crushed. I hear that it can be used as an herb in place of tarragon in the South. —Pam
Your images are always so beautiful, but I really like the last one. A peek through the gate at the pretty blue bottle totem. I am with you. I love fall gardens.
Thank you.
Fall is looking like a great time in your garden. The yuccas and marigolds are striking pairings. As gardens farther north drop off one by one into the cryogenic freeze of winter it must be gratifying to be able to enjoy all the sights you have around you!
Pam, it’s been wonderful to have so many great fall days to enjoy in the garden. I’ve spent a lot of time clearing out overgrown plants that are past their peak bloom times. I discovered a White Mistflower in one area that has been struggling beneath the shade of larger plants; I’m hoping it will be happier now that it has room to grow!