Autumn Burns Me

Autumn Burns Me

Autumn 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

Viburnum Rules!!

Pictured here are Mike, one of our salespeople, and a gorgeous 'Mariesii', or Doublefile Viburnum. Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum 'Mariesii', to be exact. Gosh, those botanical names can be a drag...so we'll call it 'Mariesii' for short.

This particular type of Viburnum can reach 8-10' high and 10-12' wide. The leaves emerge early in April and its' white flowers come out in May. The bright red fruits come out in July and August, but are usually devoured by birds immediately. The Fall color, as you can see, is amazing!

The fall color comes out early and the leaves stay on the plant well into October, so it is a long-lasting focal point in the landscape. One of the best features of this plant, according to Mike, and myself, is the amazing horizontal branching. Viburnum is a native species here in Connecticut, so it is very winter hardy and does well in part shade. A must have in your yard!

Metasequoia Blues

We have mixed feelings here at Warner's this week. We've had 2 Metasequoia glyptostroboides, or Dawn Redwood, here for a few years and now they are gone, leaving a gaping hole in our tree yard! This week they sold to one lucky customer! We'd become quite attached to these beauties, that were well over 25'. This particular large-growing conifer can reach up to 110', with a width of a 30-40'. Their delicate finely textured needles which are medium-green, turn a beautiful orange to red-brown before dropping in late Fall. The shaggy bark with reddish highlights is quite attractive also. A nice specimen to have in the yard...if you have the room! We are, however, glad they went to a good home and are getting out of their containers!!

Cabbage Cure

If you're a cabbage aficianado and grow it for consumption, or, if you plan on growing decorative cabbage and kale this fall, here's a tip for you. To deter cabbage worms from eating the leaves, mix up a solution of 3 tsp cayenne pepper to 1 quart of water. Use a spray bottle and apply to leaves, stem and the ground directly surrounding each plant. This cure for the cabbage worm pest works for kale, brussel sprouts and kohlrabi also!

Purple Pods!!

Hyacinth Bean Vine or Lablab purpureus is

one of the coolest vines around.

These insanely deep purple pods come out on the plants around early September, as the plant blooms with a flower similar to a sweet pea. The racemes of small pink and white flowers stand out against vibrant green leaves with gorgeous purple veining and maroon stems.

The vines themselves can exceed 10' in height, in one season, so be sure if it is being used vertically, that it is well supported with a trellis, arbor, fence or wall.

Hyacinth Bean is a fun, easy to grow plant adaptable to most soils and if nothing else, an interesting conversation piece in your yard.

As an important side note...yes, the pod seeds are edible. However, due to the presence of cyanogenic glycoside, a toxic substance which can cause gastrointestinal issues, especially if ingested in larger amounts, the beans should be boiled thoroughly in water, which needs to be changed at least twice during the cooking process!

Containers Gone Wild!

Our gorgeous planters by the roadside are so full and bursting with color! We are proud of how they look and wanted to share this photo with you. Most of this material has been planted since May...so you can see it is possible to keep your containers going well into September, if you consistently water, feed and maintain your plants!!

American Toad

Bufo americanus, or American Toad, at the Nursery.