Autumn, a cornucopia of color

Autumn and spring are my favorite times of the year. This autumn has been fantastic for tree color and the garden has been equally beautiful. I've been introduced to some new fall flowers and fruits this year that have added a new level of awesome to the colors and textures in my garden. I don't have a separate vegetable garden. I grow the plants mixed into the perennials in the yard. I let them fill in where other plants take longer to appear, or there are sunny gaps.

Peppers are great to grow. They need little water and produce big peppers and an interesting addition directly grown mixed in a perennial garden.

Poblano pepper

Snap dragons are a new addition for me this year. They were a last minute addition and I had no idea of what color they would flower. It was a nice surprise to see the peach, pink and yellow flowers that complimented the rest of the blues and purples around them.

Snap dragon, Lavender, Beautyberry co-mingling

Lavender was another new addition for me. Though not perennial, the punch of deep purple color that this plant added near the bird bath was just the right thing. On a side note, the bird bath had far more insect visitors this year during the drought than birds. Though on occasion I found a large variety of bird species taking turns drinking and bathing. I filled the bird bath daily during the summer.

Lavender in front of a bird bath

I am such a fan of the onslaught of Coleus on the market. I like growing red and pink varieties of Coleus because it looks like a flowering bush that lasts all season long. No deadheading necessary. If the plant becomes too large for the space, just pinch off the offending branch. I can also set my 5 year old free to cut them fairly harshly and not worry about it dying. Coleus in a nutshell is durable and fun.

Coleus

This little rose plant (Oso Easy® Cherry Pie Rose) is compact, heavily covered in flowers, disease resistant and happy. It holds up well to its name. It bloomed all season long and didn't seem to suffer from the harsh summer conditions.

Oso Easy® Cherry Pie

I've written a few times about the Blackberry lily (Belamcanda chinensis) in the past. Everything about this plant is surprising and delightful. I can't get enough of it.

Blackberry lily (Belamcanda chinensis)