Tuesday, November 1, 2016

This Month's Color in the Garden November 2016: The Changing Garden -The Many Shades of Brown

I've recently met a group of wonderful bloggers with vast knowledge on a variety of topics dealing with the home and garden. The bloggers are from Project Beautiful and each month the participants all focus on a color theme in a meme called #PBColorOurWorld. As you may of guessed by the title, this month's theme is brown. 
 As a designer and avid gardener, I have developed a deep appreciation for all the changes that take place in the garden and for what nature has to offer throughout the entire year. The garden can be beautiful, even after the prime of autumn, when shades of brown become more prominent throughout the landscape. For this meme, I have ventured out into the garden with my macro lens to get a close-up view of the many shades of brown that come my way!
Multi-colored leaves grace the landscape.
As hostas fade, the edges of once vibrant green leaves turn to shades of yellow then brown.  Even though they are going dormant for winter, there is much beauty there.
Here are the dried seed heads of Sedum 'Brilliant'...
and Echinacea 'Pow Wow'. A lone flower still remains...
as if it just doesn't want to give up!
Lamb's Ear (Stachys) with Astilbe Seed Heads in the backdrop add contrast to the garden...
while brown cones on evergreens are a sign of renewal.
Varying shades of brown are displayed in the perennial border with Lamb's Ear, Echinacea and Astilbe as they transition into dormacy for a winter's sleep.
I am looking at nature in a whole new way as a single leaf displays its changing colors.
Ornamental Maiden Grass is beautiful in the way it displays its wispy plumes that sway in the wind...
and allow the sunlight behind them to create a subtle glow.
Large brown seed cones are now appearing on Weeping White Pine...
and Caramel Coral Bells display a rainbow of colorful foliage, including...yes...some shades of brown.
Delicate Spirea seed heads still appear on many of these flowering shrubs...
 and every so often a colorful array of foliage can be encountered among the branches.
Yes...nature is beautiful and continues to amaze...
and "Bear" continues to watch over the changing garden.

I am hoping that this is the first of many "This Month's Color in the Garden" posts. Please feel free to comment if you enjoyed this meme, and I invite you to share whatever shades of brown you have going on in your garden in the comments below, whether it be in the form of plants or otherwise. I know I am already thinking about the many shades of red in my garden for next month's post! Next up is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up on the 15th. and Color Our World Round Up on the 30th.

Have you read my book A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9 on Amazon? If you haven't, feel free to check it out. If you have read it and found the information to be helpful, please consider leaving a brief review on Amazon. Your help would be very much appreciated!

As Always…Happy Gardening!
Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2016. All rights reserved




12 comments:

  1. Beautiful! I like Bear's watchful eyes♥

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    1. Glad you enjoyed! It was love at first sight when we first found Bear in upstate New York. He was hard to resist with those big brown eyes, so he just had to come home with us! Have a great week!

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  2. I love this time of year and the transitions that the garden undergoes. Here in zone 9a, we don't get much of the brilliant fall colors that occur in places farther north that actually have winters, but we can certainly count on brown! The leaves of our deciduous trees typically go from green to brown without much transition in between, while much of the rest of the garden also is turning to various shades of brown. Brown is good - I like it! It tells us that it is time for a rest for the garden and the gardener.

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    1. I appreciate your well thought out comment Dorothy and am glad that you enjoyed the post. I am hoping that this new meme featuring a different color in the garden each month will spark some creativity within myself and offer some enjoyment for my readers. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I appreciate your feedback!

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  3. Hello, pretty images from your garden. Lovely Autumn colors. Awesome mushroom shot. I like the cute bear too. Happy Friday, enjoy your day & weekend!

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    1. Thank you Eileen. The mushroom shot was taken in a client's yard as I was leaving and I had to get a capture. It's funny how some of the best photo moments are the ones that aren't even planned! Glad you enjoyed. Have a great weekend!

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  4. Great photos. The mushroom is amazing! I actually love wandering around the garden at this time of the year with the camera. In the summer, there are so many possibilities for shots, that the choice can be overwhelming. In fall, there is less in bloom and fewer distractions. I find I focus in better and force myself to notice more unusual moments of beauty.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed Jennifer. As I had mentioned in the post, since I have been more into photography, I strive to find the hidden beauty within the garden no matter what the season. I think it gives one a greater appreciation for what nature has to offer. 😄

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  5. i adore falls palate. i am always anxious to see it and sad as it leaves. i still have some beautiful knock out roses, seems they are just not ready to say farewell!!!

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  6. You must be a professional Photographer. Great shots, soon it will be a blanket of snow. I feel faded this year, the election has put a blanket on the holidays. I am not even interested in them, Can't believe it. Lost interest in shopping too.
    yvonne

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    1. Thanks so much for your post, and I certainly can relate to your feelings. The important thing is that we have to get passed this and realize there is still so much beauty in this life. All we need to do is look outside and find it.

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Thank you for visiting. I love reading your comments and knowing you have been here, and will try to reciprocate on your blog. If you have any questions I will try my very best to answer them. As always...HAPPY GARDENING!