A Fall Walk Around Tiger Way Gardens

A recent walk around Tiger Way Gardens had me finding lots of neat fall colors. Above is a monarch sipping from a Mexican sunflower (Tithonia). Funny thing about Mexican sunflowers, I've never grown them before and don't really know where this one came from amongst the zinnias. I almost pulled it out but due to lazy weeding, it bloomed before it was doomed. That was a good thing! Monarchs love tithonias.

The front corner garden is outstanding in its fall glory. This garden never fails to please me. Except for the dastardly weeds (which thankfully you probably can't see too well from this angle).

The Sheffies in the front foundation garden are putting on quite a show. Here they are paired with hyssop, spirea, and Japanese roof irises.

Another garden has a bunch of Sheffies. Here they are paired with daylilies, 'Autumn Joy' sedum, and tall yellow garden mums.

'At Last' rose is an AHmazing rose. It blooms and blooms, has a great rose scent, and does not get foliage diseases (at least in my garden this rainy summer).

My beloved glass mosaics are finally in their new home. I am very happy they survived the move, the subsequent storage, and then reinstallation. Considering these have been in the garden since 2009 that is fantastic!!

The koi pond with its surrounding pink garden is a highlight for me. All of the koi are active and eating well. We've not had a single issue with wildlife dining on the koi. Thank goodness!

Beautyberry (Callicarpa bodinieri 'Profusion') is beginning to color up. This is a rather large shrub that continues to grow, flower, and fruit even with multiple prunings during the growing season. I like it a lot.

The chickens got a new roof over their run to keep them dry this winter. This was a long time coming project but it is mostly finished for now.

Looking down the driveway along the south side of the orchard we see asters in the butterfly garden and lots of PG hydrangeas and grasses. The leaves are beginning to fall in earnest as well.

The beehives have had their mouseguards installed and I am in the process of hay baling the northwest side of the hives in order to block the cold north winds. I am most relieved to be mostly done with the bees until next spring.

Some of these PG hydrangeas are still showing new blooms but most have faded to the brown flowers they'll keep all winter. I love these as much for their winter interest as for their bloom in the summer.

On the back 40 Wildflower Hill is doing its stuff. The broomsedge has turned brown and the trees are coloring up. We don't seem to get much fall color in Tennessee, especially when it has been dry, but some trees color up nicely. The short red tree is a native dogwood. These almost always have a lovely red fall color.

The hickories in the foreground turn a russet color. I mowed a path down the hill and oftentimes this path beckons me to travel onwards.

This is simply one of my favorite sights on the property.

I mow the flat part of the crest of the hill and have planted numerous nut trees in this area.

More of the russet hickory trees. Our forest is predominately Oak/hickory hardwoods and I try hard to maintain it thusly.

Some golds mix in with the russets.

A dogwood and cedar stand mix well in this southern facing exposure.

Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima', aka red chokeberry, is coloring up. These berries will persist all winter long as long as the wildlife does not find them.

I finish back at the house in a foundation garden. This is one of four 'Black Dragon' (Cryptomeria japonica) and they are finally getting their beautiful shape. I purchased four of these as markdowns two years ago. 'Black Dragons' can be very expensive but are so beautiful I had been on the lookout for them. All four are planted along the foundation corners in the front of my home. They are actually growing fairly quickly and once mature will make lovely counterpoints to the house. Additionally, since they are evergreen they provide year round interest.....

in the garden......

I don't post as much as I used to, but I am fairly active on my Facebook page found here. I find it so much easier to be in the spur of the moment to post interesting things on FB with my smartphone rather than on the blog. So if you like Coach in the Garden and would like to keep up with the plant happenings in Tiger Way Gardens please check out and like my professional page...in the garden.

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Georgia Fall Colors 2012

BY SKEETER

Finally, some Fall Colors near my Georgia Gardens!

We strolled the Augusta Canal where the Savannah River is in sight. As you can see, we continue to be in drought conditions. Rocks which are normally below the water, are easily seen below the dam.

As normal for us, we see more orange and bronze type colors of the leaves. After 12 years of living here, I recall only 2 years of red colors. Sigh... 

I long for the bright reds but rarely do we become lucky enough to see them in our neck of the woods. Of course we see reds planted in landscaped areas but not where nature tends its own.

Not much more then a few touches of yellow by the Water Fall which leads into the Canal.

Spanish Moss dangles within the colors.

I would enjoy this view more if the two tree trunks were not in view. But to be expected as tall Georgia Pines are a big part of GEORGIA FALL COLORS, In the Garden...

 

To see more Fall Colors from different states, Visit Dave over at the Home Garden by clicking HERE.

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Fall Colors with the Queen & King

BY SKEETER

The Saint and I took a quick road trip over the weekend. We drove to Tennessee for a benefit for the Humane Society of my hometown of Clarksville. The Fall colors in my niece's front yard were stunning! Real color has yet to arrive here in my Georgia Gardens so seeing the Fall Colors of Tennessee was a treat.

Prior to our departure, I was busy making a costume for the "Wags to Witches Fur Ball Bash"

The Saint does not like to partake in such silliness but I was able to talk him into wearing this green tee shirt with a painted "P" on it. The Theme of the Ball was "Grimm Fairy Tales". So keeping with the Fairy Tale theme, we went as the "Princess (mummy) and the Pea"

We had a blast at the Fur Ball. And I am proud to announce that our kitty Sheba won the title of Miss Wags earning the most money for the Photo Contest in the Female category. Meet the Queen of Sheba's King, Herman. I must share a quick story about Herman the Beagle. He was recently located at the Clarksville Montgomery County Animal Shelter and on death row. He was on "the list" for the day and had been sedated before the final goodbye. Someone came forward and requested to adopt him just in the nick of time! It does not get any closer then that! His story was so touching that his jar was filled with money at the event. He is now in a happy home and crowned King of the Ball. Stories such as this happy ending keep everyone involved within the Humane Society going strong from day to day. We drove many miles for just 2 days fun but it was worth it to see the FALL COLORS WITH THE QUEEN AND KING, In the Garden...

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Fall Color Rocks in Woodlawn Tennessee!

Fall color along the Kentucky-Tennessee border rocks! Specifically fall color in Woodlawn Tennessee looks ever so good this year! All pictures in this post were taken in my garden or from my garden with the exception of the one picture of an old farmhouse; which was taken about three miles down the road in Woodlawn. 

Experts are saying the so called drought of this year has affected the fall color and timing of the fall colors but I beg to disagree. Yes, we had no rain in my Woodlawn garden in the months of May and June but since July we have had an abundance of rain and as far as I can see all of the trees have recovered. Additionally, I went back and checked my last four years of these Garden Blogger Fall Color Project posts and found that this year's schedule is only about one week ahead of the previous four years of posts. What is different this year is this is the best year ever!

Just look at my Korean maple shown above and below. Oh how it sparkles in Tiger Gardens. I love the orange colors as they are so sunny and bright. It was also my lead in photo in last year's Garden Blogger Fall Color Project Post.

Here it is again. Love this little tree that is ever so s-l-o-w-l-y growing.

Just past the Korean maple is some interesting color. The tall red tree along the property line is probably a gum tree. The small multi-stemmed green leaved tree is a Four Winged Silverbell. It is funny how some trees show their fall colors so quickly while others hold on to their chlorophyll a lot longer. The sun sets in this direction so the view from my yard and my home is awesome each afternoon.

This beauty resides along the road in the right of way across the street from my home. I adore the beautiful red each year but do not agree with allowing trees to grow on the edge of banks along the road in the right of way. I find it irresponsible in that not only does the county have to prune this tree and others in this yard but I fear someday the trees will come down in my yard from across the road. This is due to the overcrowded conditions these trees grow in as well as the fact that one whole side of the ground the trees grow in is a five foot drop off to the ditch. Growing with lopsided roots cannot be a good thing for trees. It is a mess over there and managing trees is a big deal for me so I am a bit unhappy about the situation. The tree color is pretty though.

Here Winged Sumac grows in my far and away garden behind the garage.

This is what I believe to be another gum tree in the yard two houses down from me. Our yards abut a cow pasture that faces west. The setting sun backlights the trees wonderfully.

Fall color also includes fruit. Here we have some orangey crabapples growing on the north side of my home. Birds love crabapples in the garden.

Another backlit picture shows my bottle tree and vintage bench waiting for someone to sit and rock in it. That person is almost never me!

This picture is of an old house surrounded by maples not far from my home. I love the orange color of the maples each year and when I see this now long abandoned home I think of pioneers of yesteryear. Smart pioneers planted trees alongside their homes to help shade and protect the homes. That is what I envision the first owner of this house did and today, some 50 years later (I'm guessing) I and everyone else who passes by can notice the beautiful trees.

We finish our fall color with Lo-Gro Sumac. This is one of the loveliest and easiest shrubs to grow in my garden. It does great in dry shade and looks good all year long. And wow on the fall color! I may follow up this post with a Japanese maple fall color post but for now that's it for spectacular fall color....

 in the garden....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Garden Blogger Fall Color Project

This year's fall color sees many neat things changing in the garden. The trees are usually the stars of the show but in today's post we are not going to just lump all trees together. I hope to show you some different trees, shrubs, and flowers you might not be familiar with for fall color. I was also happy to see that on Dave's blog he stated fall color is not just about the trees. I will be linking to Dave today and his Dave's Garden Blogger Fall Color Project.
 
In the past when I've posted fall color I have traditionally posted pictures from areas other than my gardens. This year all pictures are from Tiger Gardens.


We'll start with my little Korean maple, aka Pseudo Japanese Maple.  I love this little tree purchased from Don Shadows nursery in Winchester Tennessee in May of 2008. During the past three years it has doubled in size and is starting to look like a real tree. It seems to take a l-o-n-g time for baby trees to mature but the wait is worth it. I love this tree because no matter what I throw at it it still hangs out in the garden and looks good. Fall and spring are the best looking seasons for this tree and its foliage. In the spring the leaves emerge a limey green with graduations to yellow and pink. In the fall the color is unmistakeably orange.

I don't have many good orange trees in my garden and actually, I don't see a lot of oranges in Middle Tennessee. We mostly have golds, reds, russets, browns, and the purples of dogwoods with few orange trees. There is an occasional stunning maple but generally I miss orange and this is probably why I love the trees in my yard that kindly turn orange for me. I also grow a serviceberry that turns orange but that tree usually loses its leaves before the show in the fall due to summer droughts. I do have one other tree that turns orange and that is a stunning Japanese maple. It will start its change anytime now but is still green.

The 'Sheffield Mums' are putting on a quite a show. I got my initial start of these lovelies from a fellow Tennessean blogger. It was a most kind gift as I did not know what they were prior to her gifting me with some. Last year I added another 'Sheffield' style mum that is only just beginning to bloom now. Its blooms shows promise of a vivid maroon/magenta so I am very excited to see them in bloom. The cultivar name was lost with my garden catalog a few months ago. I kick myself almost everyday for losing that catalog.

The asters in the Rear Center Garden are in a perfect spot. I may spread them around to make this short hedge a bit larger. Asters are a very drought tolerant plant. These grow in a partly shaded garden and are doing quite well. You just have to love drought and shade tolerant perennials that can look this good in the fall! Directly behind the aster hedge are two smoke trees that will soon start changing colors.

A view of the colorful Sunny Perennial Border. I just can't get enough of it. It is normally a full border but this year I seem to have a greater variety; which I like very much.

Winged sumac, Rhus copallinum,  turns a brilliant red each fall. This species does not grow showy seed heads (not in my garden anyhow) like its cousin the Staghorn sumac, but it is still a nice small tree in my natural style garden. I did not plant this sumac but have allowed it to grow and sucker on a small bank behind Mr. Fix-it's garage.

This small native tree is commonly called Sourwood, Oxydendrum arboreum, and has stunning fall color. The leaves are turning a brilliant and deep red.

So far my tree is but a seedling (purchased in the summer of 2010 at Jackson's Summer Celebration) but it has pretty good fall color. Someday it will get large enough to give me lily of the valley like blossoms that will add to the allure of this tree.

The Greenhouse Garden is doing well. I planted the pink impatiens back in April and all summer long they did nothing but languish. Now that the weather has cooled down and we have received some rains they decide they want to bloom. Ironic right?



Oakleaf hydrangeas are a multi season shrub without a doubt. This native looks good all year long.

The mottled kaleidoscope leaves are very special.

The 'Forest Pansy' redbud is beginning to turn yellow. I enjoy the fall color of the redbuds almost as much as I enjoy the blooms in the spring. This tree could be considered a winter interest tree when it is loaded with seedpods but I personally don't find much attractiveness from them in the winter.

Here is some definite fall color in the form of  the light tan of the ornamental grass plumes. This grass is fronted by 'Chocolate' eupatorium. The flower forms of the ornamental grass and eupatorium contrast nicely.

Now this little shrub is a fantastic shrub that is deer resistant and easy care-think no care! It is called 'Lo-Gro' sumac (Rhus aromatica). As a side note NONE of the sumacs I have talked about in these posts will give you a rash or bother you in any way. Every time I say sumac to a friend I get a worried look so I thought I should reassure you all ahead of time. I do NOT grow poison sumac in my garden. When I find it I quickly take action to eliminate it right away since I am allergic to the oils. 'Lo-Gro' is a suckering shrub that stays about three feet tall but will spread to six feet or more. This picture was taken from the back side of the Front Center Garden.

Here is a picture of the same shrub from the front of the Front Center Garden. The yellowish shrub to the right of the colorful (red, yellow, green, orange) 'Lo-Gro' is Japanese kerria. Both of these shrubs are shade and drought tolerant. Some of the fabulous oakleaf hydrangeas are located further down from the 'Lo-Gro'.




There are yellows, golds, oranges, reds, browns and green. This shrub is electric in its fall finery and the wide variety of colors makes the shrub very interesting.

I think it is pretty neat that while trees all around the crepe myrtle are changing color and preparing for their long winter's sleep this crepe myrtle is still putting on a fine show of blooms. I am not sure which variety this crepe myrtle is but I'd like a few more of them.



Asters and lantana provide great color in the fall. It seems the 'Miss Huff' cultivar of lantana I grow does not really catch its glory until the fall! When it does begin blooming it blooms in a big way. The blue of the asters sets off the oranges and yellows of the lantana. This picture was taken in the Front Sidewalk Garden. Do you see the swing in the distance? We'll soon move to a better vantage point to see it.

This is a look at the Foundation Garden that shows some mums and grasses with a few 'Sheffies' beginning to bloom. This is the view you will see when you approach my front door. It is quite a different view you see from the swing you see in the background. Gardens are neat in that you can almost have different gardens within the same garden.  This garden is obviously closer to the house than the previously shown Sidewalk Garden. Both gardens tie together though.





The fading flowers of the 'Limelight' hydrangeas give us some fall color and texture. The textures are the best I think. These hydrangeas front the crabapple in the Greenhouse garden. The crabapple is just beginning to turn yellow and it will soon drop its leaves as a another fall turns into winter. Time sure does pass quickly and I think that if you are a gardener you seem to mark the seasons even more acutely due to the changing seasons. Fall is a time when I get a bit melancholy. 

What is your favorite fall color plant in your garden? Mine is of course the Korean maple (at least for today)....


in the garden....
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden