Hello GPOders!
We finish this week at Heronswood Garden in Kingston, Washington with Cherry Ong. A couple of weeks ago, I shared his photos of two different areas of this Pacific Northwest gem: Part 1 in the Bog Garden and Part 2 outside the Heron House. However, Cherry saw much more at Heronswood and sent many more photos for your enjoyment. Today we get to explore all the amazing specimens in Heronswood's Perennial Garden, and tomorrow we'll be back with Cherry to hear about her time with Heronwood Assistant Director Rizaniño 'Riz' Reyes.
Some of the most exciting perennials you can plant for your fall garden are, of course, herbs! This week at GPOD we've shared so many exciting ornamental grasses in endless shades of red orange, yellow and green.
This two-toned beauty appears to be Little Miss's dwarf maidenhair (Miscanthus sinensis 'Little Miss', zones 5-9), which looks like it will hold on to its red flowers until late October instead of turning into fluffy seed heads.
Chrysanthemum volunteer Riz Reyes grew from cuttings — More photos of Riz's amazing chrysanthemum collection in tomorrow's post!
Aconitum's abundant clusters of bright purple flowers have appeared on GPOD a few times this fall, and it's understandable why.
Violet pairs surprisingly well with the other colors of the season while standing out from the crowd.
So many great colors and textures come together in this perennial garden, using the amazing late-season flowers that are available in the Pacific Northwest, as well as exceptional foliage options.
For long-lasting color (with varieties blooming from spring to frost), look no further than the many types of fuchsia.
A couple of my social media friends have wondered about the fusion of the rhododendron and hydrangea in this photo? —What an interesting copy, really! I'm thinking this is a variety of rough-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea asperaZones 7-9) based on leaf shape and color, although the shine is waking me up a bit (I often see roughleaf hydrangea leaves described as “fuzzy”).
Given that renowned grower Dan Hinkley helped establish Heronswood in 1987 and is still involved in this incredible space, I wouldn't be surprised if this delicious variety wasn't readily available in nurseries and garden centers.
I always appreciate Cherry's captures and share the bigger picture as well as the little details that make a garden magical.
While most of us look for the high season in public gardens, it's great to remember what we're missing out on in the fall. As I mentioned in the introduction, tomorrow we will be back at Heronswood with Cherry and we will see another side of the public gardens that some of us may not use enough.
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