Fall Color Project 2010 Wrap Up!

Author: admin  //  Category: Home Gardening, Tips

Do you want to know where you can find tons of awesome photos of amazing fall color? Right here in these posts listed below! Over the last couple months we’ve been treated to fall color all over the northern hemisphere courtesy of bloggers all over the world. In many places the weather of 2010 was very difficult for folks to deal with but the Fall Color Project Bloggers managed to find fantastic foliage everywhere. I hope over the next couple months while you are wistfully dreaming of sprouting crocuses and daffodils that you will take a look back at the fall colors in these 37 posts and remember the days when the trees were adorned in fiery reds, oranges, and golds.

Thank you to everyone who joined in the Fall Color Project 2010!

Week 1

Mr. McGregor’s Daughter had the first entry into the Fall Color Project for 2010! Originally posted last Friday her post highlights some of the early changes happening in her garden! Do you like Oak Leaf Hydrangeas? How about dogwoods? You’ve come to the right place!

At an Obsessive Neurotic Gardener‘s blog you will find more of fall’s beginning color transformation. Goldenrod, itea, and ‘Prairie Fire’ crabapple are some of the highlights that will help get you in the mood for more autumn. And that ‘Matrona’ sedum isn’t half bad either!

One of the plants that struck me for outstanding fall color last year was the grape. Plantaliscious shows us some photos of her grape vines changing. Although I have to admit I’m more envious of the fruit that she gets to pick than the fall colors at the moment! Pay a visit to this new gardener!

Week 2


Joy over at Garden4Joy has some very nice colour in the trees near her home. Maples, one of my personal favorite trees, are bursting in the colors of flame – red, orange, and yellow – which is one reason they are one of my favorites! The photos of fall colour that she took over the waters on her way to Kingston epitomize the beauty of fall!


Last year Janet took a trip to Westonbirt arboretum and came home with some fantastic pictures. Guess what? She did it again this year too! The picture you just have to see is the Japanese Maple. It’s form and shape combined with the color of Autumn make it a masterpiece maple.

Back in Pennsylvania garden author and blogger Nancy Ondra saw her region suffer from a similar summer to the one down here – too hot and too dry. Despite the challenges of the summer of 2010 she was still able to capture some great images of autumn. Another one of my garden favorites is in her picture to the left here. Do you know it? If not hope on over to Gardening Gone Wild and find out!

Week 3

Last Friday an Obsessive Neurotic Gardener (aren’t we all? ;) ) put up a post with some beautiful scenery. Could pictures of fall that include covered bridges and red barns not be perfect for the season? The colors up in New Jersey are beginning to show!

Tina at In the Garden joined the project with a post that included oak leaf hydrangeas, hickory trees, and berries! Sometimes people focus on the foliage and forget about the other colors of fall in the berries and drupes.

Back up in the Northeast again we can visit Nyack Backyard with a post that offers a lot more color fun! JGH’s post is very handy for anyone who lives in the area and wants to go leaf gawking. Suggested leaf viewing locations are linked to within the post – very handy info!

Fall in Kentucky is experiencing the same sort of drought those of us here in Tennessee have been dealing with in 2010. Despite the drought you should see the blazing maples Shawn Ann has! Fiery red colors in the trees lead to a lot of fun for a little one on the ground!

Poetry and pictures await you at Nancy’s blog, Leaping Greenly! THere she has shining reds and golds mixed with a bit of Emily Dickenson. That’s a pretty good combination!

Week 4

Charlotte told me about her Fall Color Project post last Friday with some very rich and colorful fall favorites. In fact the plants she has pictured are some of my personal favorites! Japanese maples and pyracantha are two of the highlights and the color is nothing short of amazing!

TC the Write Gardener is showing us the power of technology! Specifically the power of his iPhone to bring fall colors to the rest of the world. With phones and cameras integrated together no longer is there any excuse to not photograph the best fall color nearby! TC shows that you had better have your camera at the ready for those fall photos!

VP’s Fall Color Post shows us the beauty of fall that can be captured within a single leaf. The veining coloration of this single maple leaf reflects within its own heart the image of the tree it once hung on.

Shirley in Edmonton gives us fall color enmass in her post! She takes us to scenic bridges, to the gardens around the city, and to her own home for some gorgeous fall color.Aspen, oak, maple, buckeye, and all kinds of plants are highlighting Edmonton in fall splendor!

Janet at the Queen of Seaford has done a great job of highlighting each colorful tree near her. For each tree she put together an awesome collage of fall foliage. Dogwoods, sassafras, and other fall favorites are brightening up the South Carolina landscape!

Week 5

Janet at Plantalicous is Celebrating Autumn for another Fall Color Project Post! (Anyone is welcome to do multiple posts – especially if you can’t fit all that gorgeous foliage into one!) Ornamental grass tassels, coneflower seed heads, and many other fall features add color and interest the garden this time of year.

Gail’s post at Clay and Limestone is a great one for who everyone who enjoys gold! And who doesn’t this time of year? Shagbark hickory, witch hazel, and of course good old Rusty! Rusty is a little more orange than gold but definitely has awesome fall color!

Jan’s put together a perfect post for the fall at Thanks for Today! All the things you think of when imagining the perfect fall scene are there. Wildlife in the form of herons and geese, water with fall colors reflected upon its surface, and picturesque farm house landscapes really set the perfect autumn mood!

More rustic barns and lake scenes await you over at Growing Goodness! Pictures of the backroads remind me of when I was a kid in Pennsylvania riding the bus home in the fall. The view of her property with the cutting garden would be the envy of many a gardener!

Shady Gardener took a different approach when it came to her Fall Color Project post. She showed a sequence of fall as it progressed through her neighborhood! The orange colored maples appear to be on fire. Her words “breathtaking” and “gorgeous” definitely ring true!

Perhaps the number one tree for fall color is pictured in Prairie Rose’s Fall Color Project post – maple! Ash, sumac, and brightly colored crabapples also add color to her post. I’m extremely envious of the free pine needle mulch she has available. I would love to have a few of her pine trees in my landscape!

VP’s second Fall Color Post this year shows us what thoughtful landscape planning can do around roadways! The colorful trees in the fall make roundabouts and roadways into welcoming locations. Let’s just hope that the beauty of these trees doesn’t distract drivers too much!

Week 6

Frances has a great fall color post filled with autumn associated colors. One of my favorite plants (that I don’t have but want) is featured in the first picture – Winterberry Holly! It has great fall and winter interest with all those masses of bright red berries. There’s lots to see at France’s blog but one of the things she is most known for is the Muhly grass! Just take a look at the last picture to see why!

Phillip’s post at Dirt Therapy is a tour of his home garden but may as well have been at a botanical garden. The colors are filling up every corner of his garden. Japanese maples, hydrangeas, dogwoods and all kinds of color can be found down in Alabama!

Skeeter popped back in at In The Garden to show us some of the colors around her Georgia home. One of the most wonderful things about fall is the opportunity to see that 3 dimensional painting that our gardens become and Skeeter’s surroundings definitely fit the bill! Stop over to see Skeeter’s Georgia colors!

The brilliance of autumn can definitely be seen over at Chris’s blog Garden Sense. Red, gold, and orange colors are highlighted among maple, ginkgo, weeping cherry, and ash trees. A stop to Chris’s post should be on your fall color tour!

Newsflash – Texas has fall color! Stop on down and visit Tufa girl and see the brightly color trees emerging for autumn in the Lone Star state. Red and gold trees are beginning the fall transformation. There’s plenty of green still around so maybe there is more color to come!

Racquel has put together a cool collection of fall color through a collage. One of my favorite trees (yes I have quite a few) is featured there – the sweet gum! It’s often maligned because of its seed balls but I think its color in the fall makes up for that. Go take a look at Racquel’s Fall Color Collage!

Week 7

This gorgeous carpet of red Japanese maple leaves awaits you over at Plantalicious! Her last hurrah features birches, blueberries, and deciduous magnolias. There is definitely some nice color still to be seen during this Autumn season!

Mark’s fall color post points to one of Nature’s ironies. I’ll let you find that one out for yourself when you visit his blog. Blueberries, cotinus, chestnut and other colorful leaves are featured. Go check out fall in Great Britain!

How about some California fall color? Over at Town Mouse and Country Mouse you’ll find some great autumn colors from the California countryside. An old walnut orchard, sycamores, oaks, and other fall colors await you on a cross country walk in California!

Week 8

Ginny starts us off with our fall foliage tour today. Bright red and yellows fill the branches of maples, oaks, and dogwood trees. The words of Abraham Lincoln open her post and set the tone for Thanksgiving week!

Atlanta is beginning to show some signs of fall color which you can see if you visit Pook and Bug! You will envy the beautiful Japanese maples glowing with fall color. Also take a look at the nicely window framed photo of the Japanese maple!

Matt at Passalong Plants put up a post on Friday with some awesome fall photos. The clarity and perspective of each shot are amazing. Although I think the subject in his last photo had better run – it’s not a good week for members of his species!

Twolipps posted some wonderful shots of maples, a bald cypress, a tea house and the ponds from Brookside Gardens in Maryland. The first photo of the cypress is probably my favorite but all of the pictures epitomize fall!

Amsonia, little bluestem grass, and of course maples are putting on a show up in Ohio! Kyleeheucherella, oak leaf hydrangea, and a blazing sumac (great plants for fall color!) Go check out what fall color is blazing through Our Little Acre.

Week 9

Today’s entry comes from the blog Garden Sense and shares with us the gorgeous colors that fall foliage brings to shrubs. Brilliant barberries, itea, fothergilla, oak leaf hydrangea, chokeberry, and even azaleas fill this post with plenty of autumn wonder.  Go pay a visit to Chris’s post if you haven’t already and enjoy what could be the last of fall’s wondrous foliage!

Week 10

Chris over at Garden Sense has really enjoyed the fall color this year! This week’s fall color post is all about the berries. In many ways the berries are even better than the foliage. They last beyond the color change, they create food for the birds, and the brightly colored berries are extremely festive this time of year! Stop over to Chris’s blog and check out the hollies, the beatyberry, the chokeberries, and others!  

If by some chance you submitted a post for the Fall Color Project and I’ve left you out please let me know! I’ll work you in! Also if you wrote a fall color post but weren’t aware of the Fall Color Project until know then do three things 1) let me know 2) add a link either to this post or the kick off Fall Color Project post in your Fall Color post and (most importantly) 3)Mark this on your calendar for next year!

Originally written by Dave @ The Home Garden
Not to be reproduced or re-blogged without permission. No feed scraping is permitted.
All Rights Reserved.


Related Posts:

  • No Related Posts

Chilly Week Ahead – Warm Weeks Behind (Part 2)

Author: admin  //  Category: Home Gardening, Tips

Tuesday find ourselves cold again – waking up to temperatures in the mid teens in our little frost pocket. Fortunately the garden shed stayed about 10 degrees warmer without any extra heat. I hope to eventually add something for heating purposes but for now the shed is overwintering many of the plants I made from cuttings. Yesterday’s look back post ended with photos from June today we’ll finish with a few photos from the other warm months!

July 2010 – July brought us a new addition to the family with the birth of my son. On the day he was born I was out with my two daughters in the garden on a warm and windy day. They picked flowers and played in the summer sun knowing that they would both be big sisters soon!

July 1, 2010

July also brought many flowers to the garden like this combination of Russian sage, rudbeckia, and Shasta daisy. The daisies are very easy to root from stem cuttings or through division.

August 2010 – The months beyond July found us extremely dry. Very little rain fell in August which meant that only the toughest plants did much – but there’s always something to see in the garden! The crape myrtles were covered in blooms near the arbor and one of the most delicious tomatoes was harvested from the vegetable garden: the Woodle Orange!

September 2010 – September brought many of the fall blooming flowers into the game. The caryopteris row was making progress and the Sweet Autumn clematis looked like mounds of snow in September.

And of course I finally managed to paint the garden shed!

October 2010 – October is probably the last of the reliable warm months here in Tennessee. The temperatures are cooler and nearly perfect for garden activities. November – not so much (although we did have several good days this yea in November). Mums and salvias were blooming all over and the fall colors were changing.

The Sheffield Pink mums were a new addition in the spring and proved to be an awesome addition to the garden.

October also found me cleaning up the vegetable garden (here’s the vegetable garden layout) from the summer crops. There’s still more to do but I’m not in a big rush to finish – not when it’s 25 degrees outside!

Thanks for joining me on this look back at the warmer months. The good news is that winter doesn’t last forever! Now it’s time to start thinking about seeds!

Originally written by Dave @ The Home Garden
Not to be reproduced or re-blogged without permission. No feed scraping is permitted.
All Rights Reserved.


Related Posts:

Past Peak But Peeking Back at Fall Color

Author: admin  //  Category: Home Gardening, Tips

It’s been rather hectic over the last couple weeks around here and I’m just now getting to my own Fall Color Project post! I figured a retrospective look back at the last few weeks would find the peak of the fall color season in my area.

Way back on October 12, 2010 we had the first of the trees beginning to change – sassafras!

On October 20, 2010 the sassafras were well on their way to the peak of color!
Moving ahead to October 27, 2010 we have a crape myrtle beginning to turn red on a few leaves.

This red maple was also changing color on the same day.

One of my favorite shots with the garden shed in it is this one. I love the gold maple in the back!

A couple days later (October 30, 2010) the colors in the back tree line were shining in gold.

An oak leaf hydrangea on November 2, 2010 is just beginning to turn. It’s in a sheltered spot in the corner shade garden and probably receives additional heat from the house.

Another shot of the shed on November 5, 2010 shows the gold color more solid in the individual leaves but the tree has lost leaves. Fall is progressing!

This Shasta viburnum is beginning to turn on November 5th also.

November 9th brings more fall color to the Shasta viburnum. It’s been a rough year for many plants and this Shasta has lost more than a few leaves due to drought conditions.

November 11, 2010 and the red maple is in full color.

This fall has been spotty at best. Peak time here was probably the middle to the end of October but there are still some trees with leaves hanging on. It won’t be long though until the fall colors are done for this year!

Originally written by Dave @ The Home Garden
Not to be reproduced or re-blogged without permission. No feed scraping is permitted.
All Rights Reserved.



Related Posts:

More November Color! (Fall Color Project 2010)

Author: admin  //  Category: Home Gardening, Tips

It is highly possible that post might not have happened. I’m glad it did since I’ve seen some great November colors in the blog posts listed below. Due to a computer bug and other issues this week it’s been very hard to get anything written. Whoever had the bright idea to create Trojan viruses on computers needs to be locked up and have the key thrown away! Fortunately I’ve found a way to bypass the virus to get this post done but it may be a few days before regular posting resumes.

This gorgeous carpet of red Japanese maple leaves awaits you over at Plantalicious! Her last hurrah features birches, blueberries, and deciduous magnolias. There is definitely some nice color still to be seen during this Autumn season!

Mark’s fall color post points to one of Nature’s ironies. I’ll let you find that one out for yourself when you visit his blog. Blueberries, cotinus, chestnut and other colorful leaves are featured. Go check out fall in Great Britain!

How about some California fall color? Over at Town Mouse and Country Mouse you’ll find some great autumn colors from the California countryside. An old walnut orchard, sycamores, oaks, and other fall colors await you on a cross country walk in California!

Originally written by Dave @ The Home Garden
Not to be reproduced or re-blogged without permission. No feed scraping is permitted.
All Rights Reserved.



Related Posts:

The Colors are Still Turning! (Fall Color Project 2010)

Author: admin  //  Category: Home Gardening, Tips

This year’s wacky weather has given way to quite a lot of speculation about when the actual peak time for the leaves is. I’ve noticed that this year hasn’t really had a peak color moment. The normal sequential leaf change has been extremely erratic and some plants still haven’t begun to change while others no longer even have leaves. Fortunately not everyone has the same issue and we can enjoy the autumn sights brought to us by other bloggers!

Janet at Plantalicous is Celebrating Autumn for another Fall Color Project Post! (Anyone is welcome to do multiple posts – especially if you can’t fit all that gorgeous foliage into one!) Ornamental grass tassels, coneflower seed heads, and many other fall features add color and interest the garden this time of year.

Gail’s post at Clay and Limestone is a great one for who everyone who enjoys gold! And who doesn’t this time of year? Shagbark hickory, witch hazel, and of course good old Rusty! Rusty is a little more orange than gold but definitely has awesome fall color!

Jan’s put together a perfect post for the fall at Thanks for Today! All the things you think of when imagining the perfect fall scene are there. Wildlife in the form of herons and geese, water with fall colors reflected upon its surface, and picturesque farm house landscapes really set the perfect autumn mood!

More rustic barns and lake scenes await you over at Growing Goodness! Pictures of the backroads remind me of when I was a kid in Pennsylvania riding the bus home in the fall. The view of her property with the cutting garden would be the envy of many a gardener!

Shady Gardener took a different approach when it came to her Fall Color Project post. She showed a sequence of fall as it progressed through her neighborhood! The orange colored maples appear to be on fire. Her words “breathtaking” and “gorgeous” definitely ring true!

Perhaps the number one tree for fall color is pictured in Prairie Rose’s Fall Color Project post – maple! Ash, sumac, and brightly colored crabapples also add color to her post. I’m extremely envious of the free pine needle mulch she has available. I would love to have a few of her pine trees in my landscape!

VP’s second Fall Color Post this year shows us what thoughtful landscape planning can do around roadways! The colorful trees in the fall make roundabouts and roadways into welcoming locations. Let’s just hope that the beauty of these trees doesn’t distract drivers too much!

Originally written by Dave @ The Home Garden
Not to be reproduced or re-blogged without permission. No feed scraping is permitted.
All Rights Reserved.



Related Posts:

Fall Cleanup: Best Practices and Tips

Author: admin  //  Category: Tips

The nights are getting cooler and the air has that refreshing crisp in it. It is the time for sweaters and light jackets to keep you warm. Once again the seasons are changing and trees are showing their beautiful array of fall colors. Autumn never ceases to amaze me with it spectacular colors that seem to go beyond an artistic pallet. It is a time of harvest and coming together to share the years hard work from our crops and gardens.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year and we should all enjoy it. However, there is still work to be done! A good fall cleanup is perhaps one of the most important steps in preparing your lawn and garden for the spring. In this article I will pass on some very important musts and some time saving tips so you can use and share with others.

Don’t leave the leaves

The leaves are a sight to see on the trees during their color change. But watching them fall to the ground may leave property owners feeling that there is a long road of work ahead of them. Not many people enjoy spending hours and hours of raking leaves and bagging them. But it is an important step in the fall cleanup process because once the snow flies, an unraked layer of leaves will get matted down over your lawn and smother it all winter long. This will result in dead patches and give rodents a cozy home to live in.

*Tip* Instead of waiting for all of the leaves to drop off your trees try mulching small amounts using your mulching lawn mower when you mow your lawn. Doing this weekly will make the work seem lighter when it is time to rake. Plus small amounts of mulched leaves will add nutrients to your soil making your lawn healthier.

Feed the Green

Your lawn is still using energy during the cool nights before winter. And what better way to show your lawn your appreciation for looking its best during the grueling summer then to feed it. Apply a slow release fertilizer to build back up its nutrients and prepare it for the long and cold winter. This is also a very good time to remove all weeds from your lawn as well to give a better start in the spring. Don’t add commercial fertilizer to any other garden plants (except bulbs) or you may spur growth too late in the season.

Compacted? Aerate!

Heavy traffic throughout the summer can cause soil to become compacted. Perforating your lawn with small holes helps reduce compaction and lets water, air and fertilizer get down to the soil, which strengthens the turfs root structure.

*Tip* For smaller yards, a manual aerating tool that removes plugs from the turf while you step should be just fine. If you’ve got a larger yard, consider renting a power aerator or calling your local lawn maintenance company.

Compost and Re-Use

Don’t get rid of all of your fallen leaves they make for attractive mulch in your garden. Collect leaves and put them through a mulching machine (if you don’t have one you can find them at most hardware stores for about $100 – $200) and add them to your garden. You can also use your push lawnmower by running over the leaves and bagging them. Not only does this provide a beautiful mulch but adds vital nutrients to your soil making your plants more vibrant.

*Tip* One way to turn autumn leaves into nutritious compost is to gather them in a big pile surrounded by chicken wire in a corner of yard where they can be left for a year or two to break down into rich crumbly goodness. Don’t compost any plants or leaves that look diseased. Throw them out. You will only contaminate next year’s gardens.

Water your trees?

Water any trees and shrubs that still have their leaves because they are more than likely dry from the past several months of drought (this year may be an exception to the rule). This is especially true of young trees planted less than three years ago and street trees, which endure extra punishment from traffic, pollution, and paving. Though your town may plant street trees in front of your house, it’s up to you to water them when rain is lacking. Leave a hose dripping by the trunk for several hours so the moisture can sink in.

Also, water your evergreens each week that there’s no rain. Rhododendrons and pine trees will continue to lose moisture from their leaves and needles all winter. So help the roots stock up on water now. Wrapping small evergreens with burlap will especially serve to protect them from browsing deer and from harsh winter winds. However, if your trees are near salted winter roads avoid wrapping your trees in burlap. The salt will soak into the burlap causing direct exposure to the host plant. In this case try making burlap screens instead.

*Tip* Don’t plant evergreens this late in the year, but feel free to plant deciduous trees and shrubs once they’ve dropped their leaves and gone dormant. Take advantage of late season sales at your local garden center.

Mushy Annuals

Once the frost hits, it is usually the end of the road for annuals. They can easily be removed by pulling them by the base of the stem. This is also a good opportunity to remove any weeds from your garden and cultivate the soil. You can compost all of the annuals you pulled out…but make sure to watch for diseased plants, just toss them into the trash.

Veggie Garden

Clean out your vegetable garden. Fruits and vegetables left in the garden can decompose all winter long, and provide comfy living for insect eggs. Gross? Not as gross as they’ll be in the spring…well at least you won’t have to mash your potatoes. Now’s the time to get rid of diseased plants, too, but keep them out of the compost pile so the problem doesn’t spread to the rest of your garden next year.

Spring is just around the Corner

Fall is the perfect time to plant spring flowering bulbs like daffodils and tulips. But pay attention to the weather in your area; planting too early can cause bulbs to sprout before winter, and planting them too late can mean their roots don’t have enough time to develop before the ground freezes.

*Tip* Make sure to plant the bulb 2 – 2 1/2 times deeper than the size of the bulb. So if your bulb is a small 1 inch bulb, you would plant the bulb 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep. If your bulb is a larger 3 inch bulb, you will want to plant the bulb 6 to 7 1/2 inches deep.

Get ready for next spring

Give your tools and equipment some love. When it comes time to put away the backyard tools for the season, don’t just shove them into the corner. Spend a few minutes wiping them down and removing debris and dirt, then apply a light layer of oil to keep them from rusting over the winter. That way they’ll be all set to go again come spring. And as for your lawnmower, if you are not going to drain the fuel from the tank and carburetor make sure to add some fuel stabilizer to the gas. Doing this will prevent your gas from going bad and keep the carburetor in good working order.

Fall is here and by applying some of these best practices you’ll be in great shape for the spring…just as long as we make it through the winter.

Related Posts: