Autumn Burns MeAutumn burns me with
primaeval fire. Makes my skin
taut with expectation,
hurls me out of summer fatigue
on to a new Bridge of Sighs.
Somewhere I feel the heart
of the earth pumping, and down below
it bleeds in a million ripples.
I drop a sweet memory into
the flow and the cascading grips me with fascination.
Great trees in transit fall
are made naked in languor of shame
solitary like actors on a stage
like stars, orphans, celebrities,
politicians, uncomfortably mysteriously like you and me.
But I will not mourn the sadness.
I will go dead-leaf gathering
for the fire in a slice of sunlight
to fill my lungs with odours of decay
and my eyes with mellowed rainbow colours
I will go creeping down tasselled
latticed tree-avenues of light
and listen to squirrel tantrums
punctuate the orchestration of autumn silence
and hold in my hand the coiling stuff of nature
Then I will love
Yes love; extravagantly under
the flutter of dying leaves
and in a shadow of mist
in wonder; for autumn is wonder and wonder is hope.
-Lenrie Peters
A great native plant that is low-growing and fast spreading...has phenomenal fall color, as you can see pictured here! At a mature height of 1-2'H x 5-6' W, it is perfect for covering banks, slopes and poor soil areas. The yellow fragrant flowers which show up in April, are followed by red fruits. This is a super hardy selection for a hard to fill spot in your yard! Come by the nursery for other native plant selections that would help fill gaps in your yard. 
Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet' or Henry's Garnet Virginia Sweetspire has amazing Fall color and is a great Native substitute for Euonymus alatus 'Compactus' or Dwarf Burning Bush, which is considered to be potentially invasive. See it pictured here with its glorious red Fall coat on, and also contrasted with Chamaecyparis pisifera filifera 'Aurea' or Goldthread Chamaecyparis by its side.
Anyone who's into gardening has heard of the Endless Summer Hydrangea by now!! A blue mophead hydrangea that blooms on new and old growth, how excellent!! We now have experience with another introduction to the same collection of Endless Summer Hydrangeas...this one is called Endless Summer Twist-n-Shout or, botanically speaking, Hydrangea macrophylla 'Phim'. Now that we have taken care of our share of these wonderful Hydrangea for several months, we can vouge for their vigor.
