In Search of Fall Color

One thing I usually miss at this time of year is fall color, the changing of the leaves.  It seems that the climate down here in coastal Texas is not conducive to the brilliant color usually seen up in New England and other places.

However, as my husband and I were driving around town with my parents, who were visiting for the Holiday from England, we noticed there was a lot more fall color than there normally is.

Now granted, most of it seemed to be courtesy of the obnoxious, invasive China Berry tree. But even as much as I despise China Berry, I forgave it a bit, as it was fulfilling my need for fall color.

 This first photo is taken of the hedgerow on the other side of the road that runs behind our house.

More color as we look over our wall and down the road :-)

There's even some fall color in our garden -- I don't think I have ever seen this crepe myrtle change color before!

But when we took mum and dad up to Davy Crockett National Forest and, quite by chance, found Ratcliff Lake, we hit the motherlode.

Not only did we see some lovely color on our drive up there, but the lake itself offered some wonderful views, with reflections of the fall colors in the lake. The maples, oaks and other trees were changing leaves in ways I really just haven't seen down here.  I was thrilled!

We had never heard of Ratcliff Lake before and we found it quite by accident, but it's a delightful place and, in the summer offers paddleboats and a swimming area, as well as hiking and fishing. 

There's a concession stand (closed for the winter now), picnic tables and barbecue pits.  Eric and I are looking forward to visiting again next year, during the season, and perhaps take a dip.

But there's always those pesky alligators to think about....

Fall Colors of East Texas

Fall Foliage in Texas State Parks
Texas Fall Foliage - Texas Tripper


Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.

Fall Colors in the Garden

The Houston area typically doesn't get the spectacular displays of fall color that New England is famous for.

Many of our trees stay green year round and those that do lose their leaves seem to just drop them without fanfare. It seems to me that one of the most colorful "fall color" trees we see at this time of year is the invasive chinese tallow tree.

Other than the Chinese Tallow, much of the "fall color" we're seeing is actually the rusty brown of dead trees that succumbed to the drought and/or pine bark beetle damage. So sad - acres and acres of dead trees.

On a more cheerful note, last weekend I was able to capture some photos of  fall colors in our garden, seen in both the flora and the fauna.

First is the front border, which is absolutely overflowing with tropical milkweed.  Incidentally, last week I applied to have our property certified as a Monarch Waystation.  I'm excited to make this commitment to providing habitat for migrating monarch butterflies and can't wait for the plaque to arrive.

Here's a Monarch, enjoying our hospitality :-)

And here's our insurance that we'll have plenty of tropical milkweed for next year's generation of Monarch butterflies.

Monarch butterflies aren't the only "fall color" in our garden at this time of year.  The Gulf Fritillaries are quite abundant right now, seemingly unfazed by the summer drought.

This one is enjoying the Buddleia in the back garden.

This one is enjoying the lantana in the front garden.

I was very happy to see this Buckeye too, dressed in his own fall colors, with the striking eye pattern on his wings. 

Last year Buckeyes were very common in the garden, but this is the first I have seen this year. As I get out in the garden this weekend, I hope I see more of them.

In addition to having our garden certified as a Monarch Waystation, it also became a Certified Wildlife Habitat, something I'll tell you more about in a future blog post.

Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Gardening!

Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.

Autumn Color in the Garden

As I posted in a previous blog post, I had a lot of hot color in the garden this summer.

But as August turned into September, I began to notice a change.  The garden was dressing itself for fall, all by itself!

The garden mums that I put in two years ago as $1.50 sale items in 3 inch pots are now a foot tall and 18 inches wide.  They're covered in buds and have started flowering in a lovely range of autumn colors.

I have several of these "White Gold" Lantana in both the front and back gardens.  I love them!  They're mounding so they stay compact (athough that's not to say "small" -- they do spread) and have done so well that I recently planted some "New Gold" as well.

In the back garden, the Tropicanna has put out a bloom, adding some fall color back there.  I added a couple more pots with garden mums and some Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' - purple fountain grass.

Since we spent a lot of time out on our shady patio, I added some fall color there too, all it took was a couple of accents on the shelf in the corner.

And finally, when I first saw this moth from a distance, on the wall above the garage, I thought it was the remains of a mud dauber's nest. Only when I got closer did I realize it was a huge moth!  And even he is wearing his fall colors! I'm sure his coloring works well as camoflage against a pile of fallen leaves.

On the wall -- not so much!

Anyone know what type of moth he is?


Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.