Adieu Autumn, a last look at fall foliage

This year more than any other, I am thankful for all the time spent outdoors getting healthy doses of Vitamin N [Nature]. Whether it is working or relaxing in our garden, the time is a much appreciated distraction and positive contributor to my emotional wellbeing in this unprecedented year.  

Hamamelis 'Diane'

I always feel better after spending time in our garden; breathing fresh air, absorbing vitamin D, hearing the calming sounds of the birds, feeling the soil run through my fingers or simply caring for the plants. This time absolutely restores me. 

Astilbe (in container) with Dwarf Fothergilla 

As we close out the month of thankfulness, I am sharing views from around our gardens. It was a damp day with heavy mist turning to rain later in the day. This didn't deter me, as it was my last chance to photograph the foliage before the winter weather arrives. We are expecting freezing temperatures this week, so we can say adieu to autumn. 

H. quercifolia 'ruby slippers'

The fallen leaves from the tree canopy blanket the plantings around the dry creek bed. Oakleaf hydrangeas (H. quercifolia) with luscious burgundy and purple foliage are accented with the golden tones from paw paw tree (Asimina triloba) and smooth hydrangea (hydrangea arborescens). 

H. quercifolia 'Pee Wee'

Here is the view further down the garden path looking up into the woodland garden. On the right is the planting area with the dry creek bed (shown above). 

Bottom left is winterberry holly (Ilex verticulata) 'Winter Gold' adorned with bright orange berries. See how the birds devour them in this post. Far back center is Viburnum nudum. 

Viburnum nudum

Three Fothergilla 'Mt. Airy' shrubs brighten the transition area between the side garden and woods. They are at their peak color, glowing with reds, oranges and yellow. They rival blueberry shrubs for fiery color. 

'Mount Airy' dwarf Fothergilla 

One of my favorite trees, the American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) is one of the last of  the deciduous trees to put on color. They provide buttery yellow flavor throughout the understory. Their leaves persist through winter. [read more about their fabulous marcescent leaves here] 

In the foreground [left] are upland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), the bright green foliage is Florida anise (Illicium parviflorium) 'Florida Sunshine', which will become a pale yellow as winter advances.

R. austrinum

Some of the native azaleas are still providing some nice touches of reddish orange to purple foliage. The leaves persist later in the season on the shrubs that are more protected from the elements. 

Dogwood (Cornus florida) 'Celestial Shadow' has transitioned from its variegated yellow and lime to deep purple foliage. The deep leaf veins create wonderful depth to these fabulous leaves.  

In addition to enjoying the fall foliage, we put up all our hoses in the potting shed so that the squirrels don't chew holes into them over the winter, covered our spigots before our first freeze and removed the floating plants from the pond. We are overwintering them in the potting shed in plastic bins and supplemental lighting. This is the first year to do this, so we'll see how well they do. 

How are you celebrating the last fall days? Any last minute tasks to get the garden winter ready?