Late October in Cleo’s Again Backyard

Hello GPODers!

Whereas we see an incredible array of gardens right here at GPOD, I do know most members of this neighborhood are silent members that select to not share their very own gardens and experiences. And that’s completely fantastic! There may be by no means any requirement or expectation to contribute. Nonetheless, it’s all the time a thrill to listen to from a long-time GPODer who has determined to lastly submit their backyard pictures. This was precisely the case of Cleo Raulerson, an completed gardener in Bellevue, Washington.

I’ve learn GPOD since Tremendous Gardening first began doing it. I’ve opened my backyard for 10 years as a part of the Northwest Perennial Alliance Open Gardens program and frequently give talks on Gardening for Yr-Spherical Coloration. I’m a King County Grasp Gardener and have volunteered in a number of roles for the Bellevue Botanical Backyard.

My autumn backyard displays the latest motion for extra naturalistic gardens that assist the pollinators and backyard critters. There are late-blooming flowers, leaf flip, seedheads, drying stems, and leaves on the bottom. I depart as a lot as doable till spring clean-up. The pictures are a tour of the again backyard across the water characteristic in late October.

My exuberant, colourful backyard is designed in order that one thing is in bloom very day of the yr. I’ve about 750 varieties in my Bellevue, Washington backyard. I like the spontaneity of self-seeding vegetation, then skinny them to create pleasing compositions. Whimsical backyard artwork is tucked in all through. I’ve gardened right here for 35 years however make adjustments yearly.

To set the stage, that is my again backyard within the depths of a winter snow and in peak summer season bloom a couple of years in the past.

That is the late October view from our deck and lounge window which look down on this nook of the backyard. Pink-leaved vegetation from entrance to left to high proper: Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’, Zones 5–9), younger paperbark maple (Acer griseum, Zones 4–8), younger doublefile viburnum (Viburnum plicatum tomentosum ‘Mariesii’, Zones 5–8), and spring spiketails (Stachyurus praecox, Zones 6–8).

Focusing in on the waterfall with the steel leaping salmon. Grasses are: Variegated purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea ‘Variegata’, Zones 5–9).

This mattress is alongside the again fence: The asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome’, Zones 5–8) are simply ending their bloom. I like to make use of variegated October daphne (Sedum sieboldii ‘Mediovariegatum’, Zones 3–9) on the fringe of my containers. I proceed to benefit from the abelia (Abelia grandiflora, Zones 5–9) I planted in 1989.

Persevering with alongside the again fence: Redvein enkianthus (Enkianthus campanulatus, Zones 4–7) in fall shade, blue-grey Sawara cypress ‘Curly Tops’ (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Curly Tops’, Zones 4–8), narrowleaf English holly (Ilex aquifolium ‘Myrtifolia’, Zones 7–9), younger paperbark maple (Acer griseum), younger doublefile viburnum (Viburnum plicatum tomentosum ‘Mariesii’), Japanese aralia (Fatsia japonica, Zones 8–11), and mountain ash (Sorbus tianschanica ‘Pink Cascade’, Zones 3–9).

Perennials and small flowering shrubs in Autumn round pond boulders in a newly renovated mattress: Butterscotch bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii ‘Butterscotch’, Zones 4–9), ‘Darkish Magnificence’ Scotch heather (Calluna vulgaris ‘Darkish Magnificence’, Zones 4–8), ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ coneflower (Echinacea ‘Cheyenne Spirit’, Zones 4–9), and sedum Autumn Pleasure (Hylotelephium ‘Herbstfreude’, Zones 3–11).

Beneath the mountain ash (Sorbus tianschanica ‘Pink Cascade’): Witch alder (Fothergilla gardenii ‘Blue Mist’, Zones 5–9) simply beginning to flip purple in entrance of Rhododendron ‘Cunningham’s White’ (Rhododendron x ‘Cunningham’s White’, Zones 5–8), subsequent to blue false indigo (Baptisia australis, Zones 3–9), with red-leaf rose (Rosa glauca, Zones 2–8) and its purple rose hips overhead.

Alongside the walkway from the water characteristic to the entrance backyard illustrates how I layer my vegetation for curiosity all year long: a number of sorts of Scotch heather, purple barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Rose Glow’, Zones 4–8), my assortment of hydrangeas with Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ (Zones 4–8) within the entrance proper, and totally different groundcovers.

Toad lily (Tricyrtis formosana, Zones 6–9) in full bloom with ‘Gateway’ Joe Pye-weed (Eutrochium purpureum subsp. maculatum ‘Gateway’, Zones 5–11) stems peeking via.

Scarletta drooping laurel (Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Zeblid’, Zones 5–8) in its purple autumn glory.

The again backyard in winter, nonetheless displaying some shade and winter curiosity whereas offering resting locations for backyard critters and pollinators to attend out the winter chilly and moist.

Thanks for wading via the five hundred+ pictures of your backyard, Cleo, and sharing this gorgeous assortment of autumn scenes. I sincerely hope this isn’t the one time we get to see your sensational designs!

If you happen to’re like Cleo, and have been which means to submit pictures to GPOD for years now, please think about sharing some pictures this fall. Whether or not it’s a glance again on earlier rising seasons or a deep-dive into what’s rising proper now, we’d like to see extra GPOD readers turn out to be contributors. Comply with the instructions under to contribute, or ship me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad

Have a backyard you’d prefer to share?

Have pictures to share? We’d like to see your backyard, a selected assortment of vegetation you’re keen on, or an exquisite backyard you had the possibility to go to!

To submit, ship 5-10 pictures to [email protected] together with some details about the vegetation within the photos and the place you took the pictures. We’d love to listen to the place you might be situated, how lengthy you’ve been gardening, successes you might be pleased with, failures you discovered from, hopes for the long run, favourite vegetation, or humorous tales out of your backyard.

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