Fall Equinox 2026

Colchicum 'Waterlily'

 

The Fall Equinox came last week with over an inch of rain, and my Colchicum 'Waterlily' sprouted three lovely flowers. The previous year it didn't bloom at all--I dug it up and re-planted it just a foot or so from where it had been--it was being crowded out by other plants-- it seems a lot happier now.

 

 

As the summer flowers in other beds fade, the classic fall flowers begin their show, and berries decorate my bushes. Along my front yard the Salvias in pots are still hanging on, feeding the hummingbirds that are now migrating, while the leaves of the dogwood tree turn to autumn shades.

 

Along the front walk

 

The Viburnum 'Brandywine' on the east side of the house is displaying its berries in pinks and blues. My Pink Turtlehead in the woodland garden managed to produce one flowering spike; the deer ate all the other buds, despite having a deer repellent on a stake right next to it! I'll have to try to protect it more next year, in hopes it will become a respectable clump. The Anemone 'Honorine Jobert is still looking good.

 

Viburnum 'Branydwine'

Pink Turtlehead (Chelone obliqua)

Anemone 'Honorine Jobert'

 

In the back yard the swamp sunflowers have opened up, making a nice display. Last Friday I had agreed to lead a workshop drawing flowers for Art in the Park, an annual weekend event at Shenandoah National Park. I had to provide my own flowers, as one is not allowed to cut any plants from the park, so I went out that morning and cut a bunch of my sunflowers and little wild asters that I let grow all over my yard, along with a few of my Agastaches and ornamental grasses. 

 

Swamp sunflowers (Helianthus angustifolium)

Wild asters growing next to my veggie pagoda

The workshop turned out very well, I had about 20 people, four adults had brought children with them, between the ages of 6 and 10--I was impressed by how well-behaved and attentive the kids were. It was wonderful to see them doing art, brought back memories of myself at that age.

Driving south on Skyline Drive on my way in, I almost ran into two wild turkey hens eating something in the middle of the road. I slowed down and carefully drove around them--they didn't even budge, they were so absorbed in whatever was there. Two other cars behind me did the same. I wish I'd had the time to stop and take a photo, it's seldom one sees a wild turkey these days, much less two! But I was running late...

Yesterday I found a neat surprise in my back yard--a circle of lawn mushrooms growing in front of the back bed--these are the edible Agaricus campestris, same variety that are sold at the grocery store as button mushrooms. Naturally, I went out this morning and collected enough for dinner tonight. These will have more flavor than the grocery-bought ones, which have had the flavor bred out of them.

 

Edible lawn mushrooms (Agaricus campestre)

 

Lawn mushroom harvest

In the backyard the Muhly grass is starting to open its airy plumes, and Herb's bed still has some Agastaches, Sedum 'Autumn Joy' and ornamental grasses. The yellow Chrisanthemums are holding their own, while the other mums are getting ready to open.

 

Muhly grass

  

Sedum 'Autumn Joy'

Yellow Chrysanthemum

 

Pink mum in bud

 

The two Beautyberries 'Early Amethyst' in the back yard have a nice crop of berries--the color is so lovely against the yellowing leaves.

 

Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma 'Early Amethyst')

Recently I've been working on a new piece on a material new to me--Aquabord. This mineral and clay surface is quite different from working on paper, it absorbs water and dries at a very different rate from paper. It's challenging whenever one tries something new, but the idea is to be able to seal it and mount it in a floater frame rather than put it under plexiglas and a mat. Below is the new work in progress.

 

Monarchs on Prairie Blazing Meadow Star, 16" x 20"

 

As the nights get colder, the leaves will soon begin to turn shades of red and gold. I wonder if we'll have a colorful fall this year? 

Early Fall in my Garden

Salvia 'Amistad'

It's been such a busy week for me with my Botanical Art Intensive class at Blandy this past weekend, that I had barely any time to even look at my garden. Today I finally get to catch up and take a look at what's blooming. The strange effect of a breeze blowing across the Salvia 'Amistad' created this unusual iridescent effect in my photograph--weird, but beautiful!

The dogwood is losing its colorful leaves, a few other leaves are turning and dropping, but our nighttime temperatures haven't been low enough to cause much change in the leaves yet. We're told that we won't be having a very colorful fall this year in our region due to the warmth. A few of the hickories in the back woods are turning gold, others brown.

 

Front garden

 

And yet my collection of potted plants are still blooming, if not as profusely. My two Mandevillas haven't bloomed at all this summer--I can't figure out why, other that they've been in those pots for a few years, and may be too pot-bound.

 

Potted plants along the front walk.

Pink Petunia

A nice surprise was to see the Sternbergias I planted among the strawberries pop up-- their golden blossoms only last a few days--so short-lived! I want them to multiply, but I also bought ten more bulbs to plant nearby, as well as some Crocus speciosus (autumn-blooming crocus). My Colchicums are done flowering, they came up very early this year, and with the recent hot weather, didn't last long. My 'Waterlily' Colchicum hasn't come up at all. Wonder what happened to it--is it the drought? 

 

Sternbergia lutea

Sternbergia

My small plant of Japanese Anemone 'Honorine Jobert' opened its first bud today, but it was caught in the nylon mesh that keeps the deer from devouring them--sadly, I cut it off when I tried to detach it to photograph--here it is fallen on the ground, surrounded by plantains. I'll move the barrier forward after the next rain to prevent this from happening and give the plant more room. I so envy the giant clumps of this flower in Blandy's courtyard, I wonder how many years it will take for mine to make a decent show?

 

Anemone 'Honorine Jobert'

 

Among the late bloomers are Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) that I grew from seed collected at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) last summer. The deer ate these earlier, so it took the plants longer to bloom, but they finally have. Like all hibiscus, the flowers only open for one day. I hope some will set seeds so I can grow this again next year. The two plants I have were the only ones that sprouted from those seeds.

 

Roselle flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

Roselle plant.

The Shasta Daisies have some blooms this year--behind the net enclosure, the deer didn't get them! There should be more soon, these tend to bloom very late.

 

Shasta daisies.

 

The Muhly and other grasses are one of the highlights at this time of the year, along with the swamp sunflowers.

 

Herb's bed with Agastaches and grasses (Little Bluestem, Calamagrostis)

Muhly grass 'Flamingo'

Swamp sunflowers (Helianthus angustifolium)

 

I love those airy wild asters blooming next to the Muhly grass! The beautyberries  (Callicarpa dichotoma 'Early Amethyst') have acquired a gorgeous color that complements the yellowing foliage.

  

Beautyberries

The deer have been munching the aromatic aster buds, I don't know if I'll have any flowers. They've been munching on the Chrysanthemums too, so mine don't look like much. The Abelia Panoramic Color' is still blooming.

 

Abelia 'Panoramic Color'

 

The seedpods of the Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles' are as interesting as the flowers. Unfortunately, I seldom get to see them, as the deer eat the flowers back a lot. These are some they left me.

 

Flowers and seedpods of Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles'

There's still some Indian summer weather left before out first frost cuts everything down. I wonder what else may be in store for my garden?

A Rainy September

Mushrooms growing under the birdbath.

 

The past week's rains from hurricane Helene here in Virginia have been good for my garden, even it if comes a little late--the growing season is coming to its end. Mushrooms are sprouting in my flower beds, the spiders are busy weaving their lacy orbs, while the fall-flowering plants and bulbs are making their appearance. 

 

Orange Chrysanthemum with Colchicum.

Colchicum 'Waterlily'

Colchicum 'Bornmuelleri'

Back bed with Colchicum

The Colchicum 'Waterlily' that I had planted a few years back put forth a couple of lovely flowers, which were torn to pieces by the deer shortly after I took this photo. Colchicums are poisonuous and most critters avoid them, which is why I chose this plant, but in this case it seems as if the deer tore my flowers up just out of spite (they didn't eat them), or was it perhaps to prevent their young from eating the tempting flowers? I'm never sure just how much intelligence to credit these creatures with.

The Colchicum 'Bornmuellerii' I planted in the back bed a couple of weeks ago popped up, but these have not been bothered at all. I'm waiting for the white Colchicum autumnale 'Album' I planted at the same time to come up any moment now, can't wait to see the flowers! I hope these will multiply over the years.

 

Muhly grass, Sedum 'Autumn Joy' and swamp sunflowers in Herb's bed.

Gaura 'Butterflies' with Agastache 'Blue Boa' and Little Bluestem grass.

 

Herb's bed really comes into its own in the fall, when the Muhly grass sets out its feathery plumes and the swamp sunflowers and 'Autumn Joy' Sedum put on their show.

 

Herb's bed with the Little Indians bed beyond.

Looking toward the back yard from the west garden.

The leaves of some trees are starting to show autumn color, the Yellowood tree (on the left) and the Redbud in the back. The dogwood in the front yard has turned a lovely orange.

 

Along the front walk.

The rain stimulated the much chewed-up Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles' to re-bloom, but the Leatherleaf Viburnum in back that is in bud has not unfolded its flowers yet--I hope they'll bloom before our first frost gets them.

 

Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles'

Leatherleaf Viburnum flower buds

 

The Anemone 'Honorine Jobert' is pushing against its wire cage, attempting to extend its flower stems to their normal lofty height. Unfortunately, I know the deer will decimate it if I remove the protective wire cloche, so until I can come up with a more effective barrier, they will have to stay cramped--I took off the cover for the photo.

 

Anemone 'Honorine Jobert'

 

After much browsing, the deer left me a few hardy Begonias in the front yard to bloom and re-seed themselves--not the display of other years, but I'll take it!

 

Hardy Begonias under the cherry tree in front.

My east woodland garden has prospered with the rains, although the Pagoda dogwood has started dropping its leaves. The holly 'Nelly Stevens' is full of ripening berries this year.

Woodland garden in the east.

'Nelly Stevens' Holly and Osmanthus 'Goshiki'

Woodland garden from the back yard.

 

One casualty of the tropical storm winds was one of my front porch baskets, which pulled out the hook from the beam from which it hung. Herb was watching it spinning crazily in the wind when it finally broke. Fortunately, it seems to have made a soft landing on top of the greenery in front. I hope we can re-hang the hook later on, but for now it makes the porch look unbalanced.

 

Fallen porch basket.

 

I wonder what October will bring... will we have a colorful autumn, and when will our first frost occur this year?