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

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Amsonia After The Fall

It's the end of October and the Amsonias are winding down.
 Amsonia hubrichtii
Gone are the wispy clouds of gold
A'Seaford Skies' (A. hubrectii x A. tabernaemontana)
Gone are the amber leaves with hints of burgundy.

 A. tabernaemontana cross
Gone are the rich autumn colors.

In their place are beige curls. Wonderful beige curls that are too easily over looked in a garden filled with ex-asters, the last 'Lovely Fairy' rose and trees still holding onto their golden leaves.

Do yourself a favor, head out into your garden and take a close look at the fading Amsonias, you might be surprised to find~
Golden curls.


Ribbons curls.
Curlicues.


Camouflage curls.


More curls than you can possibly imagine!
They make this gardener smile and I'm pretty sure they'll make you smile, too.

xxoogail


Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

23 comments:

  1. I will have to go check mine. It is in a spot where I have to walk over to see it. Can't see it from the patio or my regular rounds. Mine was bright yellow the other day. Have a scary, I mean nice day.

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  2. I love your curls, dear Gail, and the images are sublime!
    xoxoxo
    Frances

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  3. I love them. I need to check mine. Thanks for the reminder. Who doesn't want curls?~~Dee

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  4. Beautiful images, Gail! I'm so excited that my Amsonia hubrichtii is turning a lovely golden shade this year, but I haven't noticed any curls--I'll have to check mine more closely.

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  5. Such nice curls! I love the camouflage curls!

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  6. As the garden winds down, it's easier to notice the more subtle details and quiet beauty.

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  7. I need more reminders like this of the beauty of foliage as it dies back. I have one tiny clump of Amsonia hubrichtii, it's still golden. But there is plenty of other stuff out there that I need to see the beauty in as it browns and curls up. It's too easy to assume "oh, it's dead, cut it back ASAP so I don't have to look at it or pretend I don't see it." I actually need to look even more closely at it.

    These pictures are wonderful.

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  8. I am still awaiting my Amsonia to change, but there are some first signs.

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  9. Amsonia is one of my favorite perennials in the fall. Such beautiful color...

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  10. Despite the incipient death,they are still very beautiful with your shots. The scenes are even more lens-friendly because of those wonderful colored background, so lovely.

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  12. Beautiful even in death... perfect for Halloween. The Amsonias are still at their peak or just turning. No killing frost yet but perhaps Thursday night.

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  13. I had to run out into the wet night to look at mine. Straight as a die, although they are starting to yellow a bit at the tips. Now you have me curious. Is it a Tennessee curl?

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  14. We're not quite at the beige stage yet Gail, but the world is definitely looking bronze today as I look out the window. Thanks for your comment over at mine - I've just twigged that I could have done my Ivy post as one for Wildflower Wednesday last week!
    xxx

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  15. Very nice post. I've always been disappointed in the fall color of my Amsonia, not sure if it's an issue of climate, soil, or what. This year my big one has more color than I can remember - it's still a rich yellow, the curling hasn't started.

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  16. Hi Gail, This is Christy from Christy's Wildlife Cottage Garden (I guest blogged on Tina Ramsey's blog yesterday, 10-31.) Love the pix of the "curlycues". I'll need to check my Amsonia for them. You asked me how I keep the squirrels aways from my feeders. Well, we seem to be extremely lucky because we don't have problems with critters. I've had 1 squirrel at the sunflower feeder, but I figure he/she needs to eat too. Actually, I haven't seen him in quite a while. Although our back yard is fenced, the front isn't and I've never had deer or rabbit problems either. However, the fact that we have 6 dogs might have something to do with it. :-)

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  17. I love these. I wonder if we have amsonia in the UK or know it by another name as it doesn't ring any bells with me. Off to have a look!

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  18. I was out looking at mine today too. Love the golden yellows. I didn't know you had Seaford Skies!!! It is from Pam Harper's garden in Seaford...just a mile down the road from my old house. I, of course, had to have one in my new garden. I think I have five Amsonias...now two of them are Seaford Skies.

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  20. Love the curling leaves of this plant as fall takes hold...mine are never so lovely.

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  21. I don't have Amsonias in my garden, but now I wish I did! They're beautiful in all the stages!

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  22. Quite elegant, I love them.

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  23. I have a lot of the smaller 'Blue Ice' amsonias. The leaves aren't as curly but they have great fall color. Love the appreciation for how curly as those leaves are!

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