Dirt Therapy

Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki' usually turns color at the last minute. This year was no exception. The autumn colors are really spectacular right now although recent high winds are doing their best to blow it all away. Ginkgo 'Princeton Sentry' Sourwood ( Oxydendrum arboreum )     Birch ( Betula platyphylla 'Dakota Pinnacle') Acer palmatum 'Geisha Gone Wild' Acer japonicum Aconitifolium 'Dancing Peacock'   Sycoparrotia Sumac 'Tiger Eyes' Black Tupelo ( Nyssa sylvatica ) is another one to change color at the last minute. I love this tree. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

The fall colors have really been kicking in these past weeks. I've made a video with live shots of the most colorful plants in the garden right now.     Or, if you'd rather just see the photos - Burning Bush ( Euonymus alatus 'Rudy Haag' and Sourwood ( Oxydendrum arboreum )   Birch (Betula pendula 'Trost's Dwarf')     Amsonia hubrichtii   Sumac 'Tiger Eyes' (( Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’))   Vine Maple 'Pacific Fire' ( Acer circinatum )   Miscanthus sinensis 'Little Miss'   Persian Ironwood ( Parrotia persica )   Bloodtwig Dogwood ( Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire')     Strawberry Tree ( Arbutus unedo)   Redbud ( Cercis 'Rising Sun')     Dogwood ( Cornus kousa 'Celestial Shadow')   Dogwood ( Cornus kousa 'Wolf Eyes')   Joe Pye Weed ( Eutrochium purpureum )   Redbud ( Cercis 'Hearts of Gold') and 'Pacific Fire' vine maple in back Pomegranate ( Punica granantum ...

  We fell for fuchsias in a big way when we moved here because they didn't fare well in the southern heat at all. We started growing them here in pots the first year and then learned that many can be grown in the ground. One of my favorites is 'Hawkshead' which has pendulous white flowers. If you look closely at the flowers, you will notice that they have green tips. 'Hawkshead' is a vigorous upright plant and reaches about 3 feet in both height and width. It tends to have a heavy bloom in early summer followed by another one in fall here in our garden.   Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy