Foliage Follow Up, November 2011

Focusing on foliage has real appeal as the days get shorter and we can rely less on the eye candy of flowers. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I have been loving the fall color in my garden and throughout the Northwest.

Our young Acer japonica in full autumnal regalia...the best it's ever been!

A few last dogwood leaves cling to the twigs, and a maple leaf glows against wet gravel.

Parthenocissus tricuspidata leaves are aging in a stunning green-to-red gradient, while orange-red berries on the Pyracantha x 'Mohave' provide a counterpoint to its glossy, evergreen foliage.

Please pardon the screen, but do share my view of a bright yellow Acer circinatum out of the window beside my computer:

And here's my view out of the window beside it: Tetrapanax and Melianthus major aren't going to look this good much longer, but both nicely fill the space between young clumps of bamboo for now.

The licorice fern log, dormant over summer, has sprung back to vibrant, green life following the first fall rains.

In contrast, this licorice fern-covered rock at a Hood River inn we stayed at last weekend is the epitome of Northwest natural landscaping. All we need to do to replicate it is import some gigantic basalt boulders to Longview Ranch...


And in a final note to November foliage, the Agave collection has migrated indoors to the bright south-facing breakfast room. I can't figure out how they all seem to fit there this year, when many had to live in the basement with a grow-light last winter, but I'm sure they're as happy to be above ground as I am to have them here.

Click on over to see what Foliage Follow Up host Pam Penick at Digging has going on in her monthly celebration.