If you live in an area where foliage changes with the seasons, you know how exciting and beautiful this time of year can be.
I love autumn and although the season hasn't quite hit its peak here in Bedford, New York, the changing leaves are providing lots of fall color. I've planted hundreds of trees at my farm, so it's a fantastic place to take in the season's changes and enjoy all it has to offer.
Enjoy these photos.
Here at my farm, one of the prettiest times of year to walk the four miles of carriage road around my home and through the woodland is now, when the foliage on so many trees and shrubs show off their fall colors. This is one of the most popular views – the road leading to my hayfields and the woodlands beyond.
In the Northeast, some trees change early, others late – usually from October to November.
Here’s a look up at a canopy of golden sugar maple leaves. Because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to gold and orange colors come out and give the leaves part of their fall splendor.
The trees around my hayfields display such wonderful shades of orange, yellow, amber, brown, and green. I love the layers of color created by the changing leaves. Although some autumn coloration occurs wherever deciduous trees are found, the most brightly colored foliage is seen in Canada, the northern United States, Scandinavia, northern and western Europe, the Caucasus region near the Black Sea, Russia, eastern Asia, Argentina, Chile, southern Brazil, Korea, Japan, and New Zealand’s South Island.
Autumn leaves have already filled this stream bed in the woods.
Here, the evergreen on the left will keep its green colors through the year, but soon the trees on the right will be bare.
These are Japanese Stewartia trees. Native to Japan, this tree is known not only for its brilliant shades of orange that emerge in fall, but also for its interesting exfoliating bark and delicate blooms. I love Stewartia trees – do you know why? Here’s a hint: it’s in the name.
These are the changing leaves of my Nyssa tree near my Winter House terrace. This beautiful Nyssa sylvatica, or black tupelo dark green leaves in summer, but in the fall its foliage turns yellow, orange, bright red, purple or scarlet – all colors that may appear on the same branch. It’s just starting to transform.
Ginkgo biloba, commonly known as ginkgo or gingko, and also known as the maidenhair tree, is the only living species in the division Ginkgophyta. It is found in fossils dating back 270-million years. Native to China, the ginkgo tree is widely cultivated, and was cultivated early in human history.
Here’s a close look at the leaves showing the changing colors from bright green to yellow.
At my farm I planted many different types of trees in hopes that they would shade, provide climate control, and change color at different times, in different ways. It’s so beautiful to see them change through the seasons.
The older, innermost needles of Eastern white pines often turn yellow all at once. The needles are usually a paler and more yellowish color than other pines, but still quite attractive this time of year.
These lindens are also just starting to turn. I love this linden tree allée so much, I decided to extend it all the way down to the chicken coops in 2017.
These are my blueberries. In summer they are filled with sweet, delicious fruits. And then in autumn, the leaves turn a variety of colors, including red, orange, yellow, and purple. The leaves often start out as a blend of colors and end up a deep red.
Viburnum leaves change colors in the fall, and may turn red, burgundy, and yellow, depending on the species.
Here’s a view of the autumn woodland landscape. I tour the entire property every day I am home.
While it varies from tree to tree, once leaves start changing color and falling, it typically takes a few weeks for most of them to drop off completely. As temperatures drop, trees produce a separation layer at the stem of the leaf, causing it to detach.
My outdoor grounds crew is already very busy blowing all the leaves.
This sugar maple is planted in my tree peony bed. Maples and sugar maples are usually the first trees to change color in the fall, typically turning orange, yellow, and red.
At the edge of the back field is the giant sycamore tree – the symbol of my farm. The foliage of American sycamore trees is a crown of large leaves. In autumn, they turn shades of yellow and brown. I hope you can enjoy some of the season’s colors where you are.
One of our favorite fall activities here at my Bedford, New York farm is picking the season's pumpkins.
Pumpkins grow on vines, which means they take up a lot of space. I always plant my pumpkin patch in a roomy area that can accommodate a large crop of big, colorful specimens. This year, I decided to grow my pumpkins and winter squash along the perimeter of my vegetable garden. My gardeners and I plant lots and lots of pumpkin seeds - many from our favorite seed companies, and some from interesting and tasty fruits I’ve enjoyed in years past. I've been checking the crop every week to see what's growing under the giant leaves. And yesterday, they were ready to harvest.
Enjoy these photos.
Most pumpkin varieties take between 90 and 120 days to grow. It’s always exciting to see how many colorful pumpkins we’ll get each year.
In front of my hornbeam hedge along one side of my vegetable garden I planted all pumpkins. Along the east side of the garden, I planted squash and gourds. Pumpkins and winter squash are both edible fruits from the Cucurbita species. Pumpkins are a type of winter squash that are generally round with thick skin and sweet meat.
Pumpkin plants grow on long vines, which can easily reach 20 to 30 feet long in the course of a growing season. The pumpkins are ready to harvest when the foliage on the vines begins to wither and turn brown. Pumpkin and winter squash leaves can look very similar – large, lobed leaves that grow on hollow stems. They are roundish in shape, and often have serrated edges.
Some of the pumpkins are covered with leaves until the moment they’re picked. It’s a surprise to see what they look like – the wartier the better. This type of pumpkin is called a knucklehead, and as the name suggests, is reminiscent of the knuckles on one’s hand.
These pumpkins are about eight to 10 pounds each. The name pumpkin comes from the Greek word ‘pepon’ which means large melon. The pumpkin is a cucurbit, a member of the Curcurbitaceae family, which also includes squash, cucumbers, watermelon and cantaloupes.
When picking, it is important not to injure the rind as decay and fungi will attack through the wounds.
This is one of two very large deep orange pumpkins. Sadly, the other was already enjoyed by a visiting critter.
I always advise my crew to keep as much of the stem intact as possible. Leaving at least a couple of inches of stem will increase its keeping time.
Here’s the first of several loads. Elvira and Enma are so pleased with how many pumpkins we have this year. Before displaying, Enma rinses the pumpkins clean of any dirt.
Elvira places the pumpkins on the wall outside my home.
And then it’s back down to the garden to get more.
This load includes my squash. Always choose winter squash that is heavy for its size, rich and deep in color, when the skin is hard and difficult to puncture.
Red kuri squash is a thin skinned orange colored winter squash. Inside the hard outer skin there is a firm flesh with a very delicate and mellow chestnut-like flavor.
This long, cylindrical green squash goes by opo squash, calabash, Chinese long squash, lauki, and bottle gourd. Inside the white flesh is very similar to a summer squash but a little meatier. The seeds are edible when immature, but grow larger and harder as the squash matures.
This is a variegated dinosaur gourd with its lustrous dark green skin, markings, and distinct ridges that look almost reptilian.
And look at all the acorn squash. Acorn squash, also called pepper squash or Des Moines squash, is a winter squash with distinctive longitudinal ridges on its exterior and sweet, yellow-orange flesh inside. Although considered a winter squash, acorn squash belongs to the same species as all summer squashes.
Enma is holding a giant pink banana squash – it’s about two feet long!
I am always trying to grow different and unusual specimens along with the more traditional varieties. We grow some pumpkins and squash from heirloom seeds. Heirlooms are old-time varieties, open-pollinated instead of hybrid, and saved and handed down through multiple generations of families.
Here are pumpkins along the wall in front of my mature weeping katsura trees – I like to place them here every year.
On this wall, are the orange, pink and cream colored varieties.
And on the wall in front of my Winter House terrace are all green pumpkins – many of which would have turned orange if they were left on the vines. Pumpkins start out green because they contain chlorophyll, a green pigment needed for photosynthesis. As the nights get longer in fall, pumpkins stop producing chlorophyll and start to produce carotenoids, which cause the pumpkin to turn orange, red, or yellow.
I also placed some gourds and squash on the terrace tables.
And on the steps to my home. No other ‘decorating’ is required. Just lining them up makes a wonderful fall display.
Wherever you live, I hope you’re able to enjoy the beautiful blooms of those fall perennials called Colchicum.
Colchicum produces such cheerful colors when most other plants have faded. Over the seasons, I've planted a number of colchicum corms around my farm - near my front gate, along the edge of my Stewartia garden, under my tall, handsome bald cypress trees, and outside my Winter House. The blossoms are gorgeous with large, elongated petals of fuchsia and soft lilac, some even a crisp white. I am so happy these plants are flourishing.
Enjoy these photos.
Guests that come around this time of year often ask, “what are those flowers that look like crocus?” The common name for Colchicum is autumn crocus, but they are not true autumn crocus because there are many species of true crocus which are autumn blooming. Also, Colchicum flowers have six stamens while crocuses have only three.
Colchicum is a member of the botanical family Colchicaceae and is native to West Asia, Europe, parts of the Mediterranean coast, down the East African coast to South Africa and the Western Cape.
Most Colchicum plants produce their flowers without any foliage – this is why these flowers also go by the common name “naked ladies” or “naked boys”.
Colchicums require little effort to grow. And when the weather is mild, colchicum’s flowers begin to unfurl.
The scientific name comes from Colchis, a region on the coast of the Black Sea. The name Colchicum alludes to the poisonous qualities of the species. The plant contains an alkaloid known as colchicine, which is found in all parts, but mostly in the seeds.
Because Colchicums are toxic, they provide a natural way to repel animals such as deer, mice, squirrels, and moles.
Once open, Colchicums produce goblet-like blooms in shades of pink, violet, or white. They are large striking flower heads, with white at the base leading to pale pink at the apex.
Some of the varieties we’ve planted at the farm include ‘Lilac Wonder’, ‘Waterlily’, ‘Dick Trotter’, Colchicum byzantinum, and Colchicum bornmuelleri. This one is “Waterlily” – a double petaled cultivar in soft pink.
‘Waterlily’ is a hybrid resulting from a cross of Colchicum autumnale ‘Alboplenum’ and Colchicum speciosum ‘Album’. Each flower resembles the form of a water lily, hence the cultivar name.
Colchicums are quite delicate but spread nicely in the autumn garden. Colchicum is a good pollen source for bees in fall when little else is available for them.
This variety is called Colchicum ‘Byzantinum.’ It is an early fall-blooming Colchicum which bears up to 20 small, funnel-shaped, soft lilac flowers that are four to six inches long.
Recently, I was gifted some colchicum plants from my friend and plantsman, Dan Hinkley.
Colchicum should be planted about six to 10 inches apart. They will look plentiful once established.
Colchicum is best grown in a sheltered spot that enjoys afternoon sun because this encourages a good succession of wide-open flowers.
These colchicums will be nice additions to the garden. By next season, they should also multiply.
Here is an interesting variety called Colchicum ‘Harlekijn’ and shows amethyst violet with ivory white tops and an ivory white base, and green center.
This white variety is growing outside my Basket House.
Colchicum typically blooms from September to November. Here are some just beginning to open.
Avoid windy sites, as these plants tend to get floppy.
But like other bulbs, when they are done blooming, they need to be left until they dry out in order to supply nutrients to the bulb. And then come next fall, they will bloom beautifully once again.
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