Home of the Practically Perfect Pink Phlox and other native plants for pollinators

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Let Me Introduce You To

Diane~~~~~~
Diane~~Fall 2008

Hamamelis x intermedia is her formal name. But feel free to call her Diane. Everyone does.

Last fall she was lovely~~
Diane~~Fall 2007

This fall she is even more spectacular 
 
wearing gold with red tipped leaves.

Just last week, she was a pale version of her now vibrant self~~

with  only hints  of her spectacular fall good looks.

I especially like her  vase shape.  It never overwhelms  a smaller bed.  The intense color is a good focal point every fall.


Diane adds to the   golden glow that is continuing to light up Clay and Limestone.

She's planted with beautiful fall colored

Amsonia hubrichtii,
  
Euonymous americanus

 
Heuchera villosa "Autumn Bride"



Longer views of Diane in the garden~~

Stepping back toward the driveway gives you the full view of Diane's place in the garden.  You can enlarge the photo to see how she looks in this bed!  She is the golden shrub on the left. You can see one of the  Japanese Maples in the wildflower garden.



In this view, we are standing behind the bed with our backs to  the driveway facing  toward the porch and the wildflower garden.  You can see the smaller  Japanese Maple and the Dogwood (left).

Last, is this view of Diane from the wildflower garden.

We are standing behind the small Japanese Maple and looking through the taller Japanese Maple and onto Diane beyond!  



I hope you enjoyed my celebration of Diane's fantastic fall foliage! Sometime this winter her orange blooms will light up the garden. You can go  here for her full story.

Gail

83 comments:

  1. Good morning, Gail. A new day dawns. Diane is looking superb in her fall finery and your new sign is the icing on that cake! It will attract many positive comments, as will your whole front show, it is fabulous. ;->

    Frances

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  2. That Diane is a lucky lady to have such a beautiful surrounding to show off her glow.

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  3. Good morning Gail, Diane is a lovely lady, as are all her companions in your beautiful fall garden.

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  4. Good Morning Gail,
    What a lovely lady in all her finery. She is of beauty to behold. Her neighbors are also very lovely. Your explanations were excellent. I could sit & look at them all day. I love the colors of Fall. So vibrant.

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  5. Good morning, Gail. I have missed my visits with you in more ways than one. :-) What a vibrant spot of color Diane offers to your wonderful garden. She is placed so perfectly it seems for your full time enjoyment. This Florida native is enamored with all the changes your garden is realizing. I'm guessing that recent cold snap helped Diane to become all she was meant to be.
    Have a great day!
    Meems

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  6. Gail,

    Diane is a delightful dancer and I'm sure she's so lovely to see swaying with the breezes. She appears to carry her good cheer and character throughout the seasons, no matter how hot or cold she gets. Her choice of colors is quite stunning.

    It is wonderful that Diane gets along so well with the neighbors. Not only is she beautiful, but she's clearly sweet and kind.

    Cameron

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  7. Hey Diane is a good name, it's my middle name. She sure is putting on a show!! Great colors.

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  8. Diane looks great! We have two witch hazels we picked up this year for free at the Williamson County Ag Fair. They aren't named cultivars. Unfortunately the deer seem to like them as well. Deer 7 Dave 0.

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  9. I really like the way you use Diane as a focal point to orient us in your beautiful garden. Your fall colors are so beautiful!

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  10. Well howdy Diane. Pleasure to meet you. You are stunning in all of your fall finery this wonderful gardening morning.

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  11. It is strange how some trees are special and hold court.....although she is small she stands out, her colour quite dominating.......her surroundings enhance her beauty.......

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  12. Frances,

    A new day indeed! I showed a long shot of the gardens. She is a beautiful little shrub/small tree and her colorful costume changes will continue for a few more days. Isn't the sign fun! I still think of the gazing ball stand and may have to have it.

    Gail

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  13. Lisa,

    Diane loves her supporting cast. At her feet are cyclamen and native aster. She sits at the feet of Celtis and Shagbark Hickories! Glad you enjoy her good looks!

    Gail

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  14. Gardengirl,

    I only saw Orange flowers when I bought her a dozen years ago...what a delightful surprise to see her fall gown...she compliments the scene. Diane recognizes your praise;-)

    Gail

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  15. lola,

    You are being so kind and complimentary! Thank you..you are welcome to join us on the porch for tea and golden colors.

    Gail

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  16. Meems,

    I missed seeing you, too! I am glad you stopped by to see some more golden colors. You must have seen many lovely sights in Franklin. Isn't it spectacular in the rolling hills of Williamson County? It's one of our favorite Sunday drives.

    gail

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  17. Cameron,

    A great little tree with just that problem with dropping her leaves when her flowers bloom, but we can forgive her that! Do you grow this lovely in your NC garden?

    Gail

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  18. Darla,

    It is a good name! She is a great little tree with great colors and a nice fall show!

    Gail

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  19. Oh how gorgeous she is indeed! And so lucky to have such a beautiful home. Great photos, enjoyed your post very much!

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  20. Dave,

    Those darn deer, but they have good taste! You probably have H virginiana. H vernalis is rarely available. maybe next year they will show you their color!

    Gail

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  21. Cosmo,

    Thank you for that compliment. I never know if the long shots will work...they have a tendency to show up the failure of either the photographer or the camera;-) What are you shooting with these days?


    Gail

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  22. Tina,

    She acknowledges your praise;-) with a wave of her brancehes in the fall breeze!

    gail

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  23. Cheryl,

    She is a lovely little tree...and is lit up by the rising sun every morning. It makes her glow! I am so glad you stopped by to say hey!

    gail

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  24. Inadvertantfarmer,

    Good morning and welcome to C&L...I popped over to see your morning post! I do like the rain chains very much. We have wet winter but not like you all have! I am glad you like Diane, she is a beautiful little tree and I can recommend her for most gardens cooler than Zone 9! She would bring lovely color to a gray day!

    Gail

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  25. Diane looks just lovely all dressed up in her fall colors(-:

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  26. Diane is a lovely addition to your beautiful garden! I love her colorful fall color, what a beauty. Thanks for the link on her story. :)

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  27. Clay and Limestone is just full of lovely ladies and Diane is no exception. It's lovely to make her acquaintance. Is it the "peak" of the autumn color now or is that yet to come?? Enjoy the show Gail, for as long as it lasts.

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  28. Nice to meet you Diane! And what a lovely dress you have on today! Soon you will be doing a strip tease for us... Sorry, could not resist... tee hee...

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  29. Thank you for the introduction, a particularly lovely witchhazel.....
    Diane, je t'aime plus qu'hier et moins que demain

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  30. cindee, She is quite the looker! Each year the ball gown gets a bit fuller and more elaborate! Aren't we lucky she ihas a dress allowance...Are you ready for your frost?

    Gail

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  31. Racquel,

    She is a great little tree...I keep saying it but it is so true! I love that you guys think so, too!

    Gail

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  32. Kathleen,

    Autumn keeps fooling us! It is more beautiful everyday...now there are some oaks with color and even a few maples down the road. I even found a 15 foot maple hiding in the shrubbery...yellow leaves! We expect cold rainy weather...so may be it's peaked!

    How is PA?

    Gail

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  33. skeeter,

    I thought the same thing! Would I lose my G rating and go to pg if we talked nude trees dancing in the wind;-) We have to have fun with winter coming! Do you think it will ever get here?

    gail

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  34. James,

    You sweet talker you! If you get a chance go here!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlhQ_axQYTE

    Gail

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  35. Diane .. can you come over and play with my shrubbery ? LOL
    I love a vase shape .. it is always so graceful looking and she is certainly a beauty !
    Love all the views .. you seem so nicely isolated from the busy world .. that is alittle piece of heaven to have ! : )

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  36. Yellow is probably my favorite of the fall colors, the trees seem to glow from within. I love your tree. :)

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  37. Your yard is so very lovely. And the tribute is wonderful. I have two memorial gardens in my side yard for loved ones lost. I thoroughly enjoy visiting their memories there. Such a dainty soft gold she is.
    Brenda

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  38. Thank you for the introduction to darling Diane! She's just one of many lovelies in your garden. She's obviously the life of the party right now, though.

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  39. Warm breezes today so not looking like winter in GA right now... lol

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  40. I know of a nice gentleman named Arnold Promise who would compliment Diane in the garden nicely.

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  41. She sure does make a gracious form. Very spectacular leaf color.

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  42. You have some very nice understory trees. The colours, shapes and placement all make them fit so nicely into your beds.
    I saw some Heuchera 'Autumn Bride' earlier in the fall at a nursery, and now seeing yours, I wish that I had picked some up.

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  43. Diane is a lovely lady, indeed! I can't wait to see her orange blooms this winter. I love the broader views of your front yard, too, Gail. Your garden is so bright with all the yellows and gold right now. Hope you didn't mind me copying your ideas of gold today, but they are just gorgeous this year.

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  44. Rose,

    She is looking particularly lovely right now. She is covered in buds so I think the orange flowers will be plentiful! I can't recall when last year she bloomed so we will all be surprised together! Rose...I don't mind at all that you would post on gold! It's a big part of fall and belongs to everyone! I did like your post and Vp's!

    Gail

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  45. norther shade,

    Thank you, I love the understory trees and they look especially good right now! I haven't a bad thing to say about Autumn Bride! Takes heat and humidity beautifully....is semi-evergreen here, as are most of the heucheras. She flowers in the fall and the bees and othe pollinators adore them. Next spring!

    Gail

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  46. Growingthumbs,

    That is an excellent description of Diane...gracious form! May I use it?

    Gail

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  47. Les,

    They would make a nice showing in the garden! Do you have Arnold in your garden? I am so tempted, Les, to make an on line purchase;-)

    Gail

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  48. skeeter,

    We are getting cooler, wet weather but still no frosts in the forecast. I did notice that the weather channel now says we are in the Very High Need To Rain Zone!

    Gail

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  49. Cindy,

    Hi! She is quite the party girl...attention seeking, too!

    Gail

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  50. Brenda,

    Thank you! Getting the Witch Hazel for my mom was perfect, I am touched that you read the other post! Thank you so much...Gail

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  51. Gail this is funny but I linked this post and the one under it all into one. Anyway, I said I liked your Diane. She stands out in a quiet kind of way.

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  52. joy,

    She would love to hand out with Diablo Ninebark! Don't you think they would look great together!
    Some day I will post my google earth photos...our neighborhood is an older suburbs with large tree covered lots! We let the shrubbery grow up and enclose the yard for privacy, planted for a woodland look and built a front porch! So Clay and limestone is in the midst of the 'burbs!

    Gail

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  53. Diane is quite lovely. Hmmm. I need to check which zone she is happy in - I'd love more fall color. We are still quite green!

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  54. Gail,

    I don't grow that one!

    The deer would love for me to add a specialty to their menu.

    They've been tasting the usual non-touchables such as monarda, lantana and salvia nemorosa...not typical...over populated and they are desperate already for food. This doesn't usually happen until February.

    Cameron

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  55. Hey Pam,

    9b...is the warmest zone! I think you could grow her.
    Isn't the fall color great. I am hoping her flower show is good this year. She would light up a shadier spot...

    Gail

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  56. Cameron,

    That is bad news! They will be moving in next...especially with the lovely smorgasbord and salad bar you offer! But if they ever have enough water and food in the woodlands...you can try Diane!

    Gail

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  57. Gail, thank you for the introduction. Diane is indeed a beautiful lady. I enjoyed all of the different poses and backgrounds. I'm looking ofrward to seeing her bloom. A blooming tree in winter! What will they think of next?!

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  58. excellent blog

    http://tinaramsey.blogspot.com/

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  59. Diane looks great from all angles! She really lights up her home.

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  60. Good morning Gail. I took a couple days off and am just catching up. Thank you for the introduction. She is lovely. The right plant for the perfect place. It doesn't always happen like that, but when it does it provides joy for many years.
    Marnie

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  61. Hi Marnie,

    So many times the right place is accidental! When Diane was planted several years ago, I never imagined she could be such a great focal point! She has since grown into the spot.

    I hope you had a good time away....welcome back.

    gail

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  62. cindy,

    She does, I was admiring her this morning! Still lovely as the color deepens.

    Gail

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  63. ashok,

    Thank you for visiting...and the very kind compliment!

    gail

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  64. beckie,

    Diane is one of the best fall trees I have! Glad you like her! I am excited to see her bloom this year, too! Even tho she's bloomed before! Blogging has uped my excitement level for gardening...exponenially!

    Gail

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  65. Hi to Gail and Diane!
    I loved the images...Diane is a beauty, and I loved the full story,too.
    You mantioned the bloom is fragrant, too!
    What a spendid setting, and I love the views of the porch.

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  66. Lovely! Oh, and I especially loved the leaf color on the Euonymous americanus!
    Marie

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  67. pretty girl that diane. it is a great focal point with those golden leaves. it seems you placed her so nicely to be able to see her from so many directions.

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  68. Gail,
    Diane is lovely! And after having read your previous post, it makes me wish we had a good spot for her too. I love the gradations of color in the leaves and she is truly spectacular in your garden. Again, I envy you all the expanses you have there! We do as much as we can on our 50' x 100' lot here in town, but there's never enough space for everything we'd like.

    We have snow (!) in the forecast tomorrow and it's past Indian Summer here (had to turn the heat on tonight) and we still have crocus and fritillarias to plant this weekend! I think it will be one of those split up and dig/plug real fast kind of days since highs are only forecast to be in the mid 30's!

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  69. IVG,

    Just two garden zones away and the differences are immense! Snow for you...our high is still in the 60's....but Saturday could see an overnight freeze!

    I really wish you could have a witch hazel...what about where you lost the big tree in the back;-) I am such a tree pusher!

    Good luck with the bulb planting frenzy! Once your snow and cold temps arrive will they stay?

    Gail

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  70. marmee,

    She is a lovely tree all golden and red still...some burnishing going on!
    I did place her there and we try to keep her shaped up! Have a good weekend, I am thinking about a trip to the Farmer's Market! Gas is cheaper now!

    Gail

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  71. Tile Lady,

    Isn't it an interesting color of the E americanus...when I first saw it I thought it ghostly...it becomes very white...then the wind blows the leaves away and you have the interesting green branches. Hope you are doing well? Have a good weekend!

    Gail

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  72. phillip B,

    The porch was the best investment we made for this climate...well, the mosquitoes are horrid! Glad you like Diane...she is a sweet beauty of a tree. Another tree that interests me is Cornus mas...very interesting yellow flowers in the spring. Take care...glad you stopped by!

    Gail

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  73. That is so awesome that you built the porch. What I just love about it is that is has such a vintage look about it. It has such a nostalgic air. It reminds me of the porches you see in old Lake Tahoe or in the atmospheric summer camps that are outside of Yosemite.
    It looks like the perfect place for iced tea and reading seed catalogs!(that is what we are doing in our very silly teahouse)
    :)
    Best regards,
    Philip

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  74. Thanks for the invite. Tea would be just fine. It would be a mesmerizing situation that I don't think anyone would tire of soon. Diane would be a treat in her finery.

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  75. This has been a great year for Witchazels. I liked the photo in your previous post of the flowers of the native Witchhazel, but I do prefer the autumn color of Diane. She makes a great contrast to the mostly gold foliage around her. She's definitely a keeper.

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  76. Phillip,

    The builder calls it a classic porch...it has cypress floors and fans with a skylight. We love it. We serve breakfast to our friends and have dinner parties out there! I am glad you like it!

    Gail

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  77. MMD,

    I think the colors of Diane are much showier then the native witch hazel. Their yellow is lovely, Hamamelis X intermedia is pretty stellar! I would love to try a few more but I don't have a spot that makes sense for one or two yet! Which one do you have in your garden?

    Gail

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  78. I love tales of Dianes in the garden! Your pictures are so lovely... definitely my favorite time of year.

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  79. Diane,

    Hello...Diane is a beauty isn't she! I will tell her tale again when she blooms!

    Gail

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