This year's autumnal hue-fest continues at my Bedford, New York farm.
It's the shorter days and cooler air temperatures that trigger trees to change their leaf color from green to red, yellow, brown, and gold. It's this weather that also activates the hormones within the plants to begin the abscission process, the weakening of the connection between the leaves and branches that make them drop to the ground. Here are more of the late autumn colors around my farm.
Enjoy these photos, and remember Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend, so turn your clocks back one hour tomorrow, Sunday, November 3, 2024.
Here at my farm, the peak of fall, when leaves have changed color and are most vibrant, is nearing its end, but look at the gorgeous show. This view looks down between two of my fenced paddocks.
The yellow leaves of the climbing hydrangea stand out on this sugar maple planted behind my garden of tree peonies.
And here, the late afternoon sun shines through the leaves of the American Beech. American beech is native to the eastern United States and Canada. It is a deciduous tree, meaning soon it will lose all these leaves and remain bare for the cold season.
These lindens look more spectacular every year. Lindens, Tilia, are medium to large shade trees that are easy to maintain and beautiful in any landscape. They turn pale green to pale yellow in autumn.
These lindens can be seen from so many areas of the farm. They are near the dark green eastern white pines.
This allée extends from my long pergola down to my chicken coops.
It is the varied colors of the changing leaves that add so much interest. Fall hues include yellow, gold, brown, russet, crimson, and scarlet red.
Soon, all my Japanese maples will also become brighter. The chlorophyll in the leaves breaks down, revealing the red pigment and creating the vibrant red color we see after the first frost – just wait.
In my Summer House garden, the giant female Ginkgo is holding onto her leaves – for now. “The Great Ginkgo Leaf Drop” will happen in a couple weeks. Ginkgos lose all their leaves at the same time because of the way their petioles, known as stems, work. As the weather gets colder, the petioles get what’s called scars to protect the tree from disease after the leaves fall. For most trees, that happens on a leaf-by-leaf basis. But in the case of the ginkgo, all the scars form mysteriously on the same day.
This Ginkgo in my herbaceous peony garden is still changing colors from green to brilliant yellow.
More color is seen along the carriage road in my upper hayfield at this stand of red maples, Acer rubrum. Red maple is one of the most colorful in autumn and one of the earliest trees to show its color changes – shades of yellow, orange, and red, sometimes on the same tree.
Not far is my old sycamore tree, the symbol of my farm. It has already lost most of its leaves for the season.
Dawn redwoods, Metasequoia, have feathery, fine-textured needles that are opposite each other and approximately a half-inch long. Don’t confuse them with the bald cypress needles, which grow alternately. In autumn, these dawn redwood needles are different shades of golden-brown.
The tree on the right grows pawpaws. I have a grove of these pawpaw trees behind my greenhouse. Asimina triloba, the American pawpaw, is a small deciduous tree native to the eastern United States and Canada. The taste of a pawpaw fruit is a mix of mango-banana-citrus all in one. It’s a big favorite for some here at the farm.
The Parrotia persica, also known as the Persian ironwood, is a deciduous tree that is known for its spectacular fall foliage. Here is a Parrotia persica hedge on the left. This time of year, it shows off a variety of colors, including yellow, orange, red, and purple.
When the leaves of larch turn color, the greenish-yellow transform to golden yellow – a beautiful contrast with surrounding evergreens in my pinetum.
Across from my winding pergola is a row of towering bald cypress, Taxodium distichum – a deciduous conifer. These trees are also changing colors.
In summer the leaves are green and turn russet brown in fall. Like trees with leaves, bald cypress trees drop their needles in the fall leaving the tree – well, bald.
Here is yesterday’s view of them from the other side of the pergola.
Do you recognize these plants? This is the foliage of Syneilesis, commonly called the shredded umbrella plant because of the narrow, dissected leaves that cascade downward like an umbrella.
And here a view of one of my majestic pin oaks. The pin oak allée is the first allée guests see when entering my farm. These trees are tall and impressive. Pin oaks, Quercus palustris, are popular landscape trees because they are fast-growing and easy to maintain.
One of the pin oak tree’s most distinguishable traits is its habit – the lower branches hang down, while the middle branches reach out horizontally and the upper branches grow upright.
It is now November, but in my flower garden, one beautiful rose still remains.
And after all the leaves have changed and fallen, the trees remain bare. Essentially, they enter a dormant state, “going to sleep” for the winter. this is when they conserve energy by stopping active growth while roots remain active, absorbing water and nutrients from the soil, and preparing for new growth come spring.
A garden at my Bedford, New York farm goes through another transformation.
Every year, I always add a few interesting and rare trees to the gardens. The space behind my Tenant House is already filled with shade-loving plants and a variety of Japanese maples, but there were a couple of bare spots that needed filling. Four Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' trees from Select Horticulture, Inc. were the perfect specimens to plant in these areas. Yesterday's weather was warm and pleasant, so my outdoor grounds crew went to work to get them all in the ground.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Few trees are as stunning as the Japanese maple. With more than a thousand varieties and cultivars including hybrids, the iconic Japanese maple tree is among the most versatile small trees for use in the landscape. Japanese maples are native to areas of Japan, Korea, China, and Russia. In Japan, the maple is called the “autumn welcoming tree” and is planted in the western portion of gardens – the direction from which fall arrives there.
These Japanese maples, Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood,’ are from Select Horticulture, Inc, a nursery in nearby Pound Ridge, New York. When i saw them, I knew right away where I wanted to plant them.
The leaves consist of five or seven pointed, lobed, wine-red to burgundy leaves that hold their color in summer and turn vibrant crimson red in fall before dropping.
The crew carefully wheels the trees into the garden using a large hand truck that is able to carry the weight of these heavy specimens.
I indicated exactly where to place them. When selecting a location for a tree, be sure to consider the size when the tree is mature. And place it far enough from any structures, so the branches do not touch anything.
It will be nice to see these trees from the expansive windows of the Tenant House. Some of the small plants were removed from the beds during this process and will be transplanted after planting is completed.
Alex begins to dig the holes. He watches out for the surrounding plants and any bulbs that are in the ground. A crucial step in growing healthy trees is to plant them at the proper depth. Planting a tree too deep can kill it.
A good rule of thumb is to dig the hole as deep as the root ball.
It is very important to feed the plants and trees. Here, José sprinkles a generous amount of Miracle-Gro all purpose fertilizer into the hole.
Feeding plants and trees when they are newly transplanted helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.
The plastic wrap is removed from the root ball…
… and the burlap is also removed. The root ball should be completely bare of any wrapping before it is planted.
José then cuts off the bottom of the wire basket. Most trees will have this wire cage, so if one is not visible, be sure to feel for it – it may be covered by the roots. The crew also scarifies the root ball at this stage. Don’t be afraid to scarify – this stimulates root growth. Small portions of the roots are purposely cut to loosen them and create beneficial injuries. This helps the plant become established more quickly in its new environment.
Slowly the crew rotates the tree on its root ball closer to the hole. When moving heavy trees, never hold one by its branches, which could easily break. The crew uses heavy metal bars to maneuver the tree into place.
The root system is not known to be invasive so there are no worries for structural damages. The crew lowers the tree the rest of the way down into its new hole.
Then the crew looks at the tree from all sides to ensure its best side is facing the footpath. It is also a good time to check that it is completely straight.
Once positioning is perfect, backfilling begins until the hole is filled. And remember, don’t plant it too deeply – leave it “bare to the flare.” After putting a new tree into the ground, be sure to keep it slightly moist for the first year as it takes root.
José waters the tree thoroughly to remove any air pockets and to settle the soil.
This upright Japanese maple is a large deciduous tree that will grow 15 to 20 feet tall and wide when mature.
Here is another one of the group closer to my Tenant House where it will get full sun to part shade. Red and variegated leaves need relief from the hot afternoon sun but need the light to attain full color. This area is perfect for my new Japanese maples.
These trees will need little maintenance – just light grooming to remove dead or crisscrossing branches when it is dormant. This garden already looks so much better with the exquisite colors of these Japanese maples. Japanese maples typically grow about one-foot per year for the first 50-years, but they can live to be more than a hundred years old.
Here in the Northeast, the season's falling leaves are everywhere, especially at the local nurseries - mounds of beautiful foliage in yellow, gold, orange, burgundy, and crimson.
Located just off a scenic country road in the picturesque rural town of Pound Ridge, New York, is Select Horticulture, Inc., a nursery offering premium quality trees and shrubs including large sizes, unusual and rare specimens, with both stand-alone and mature espaliered options. Visiting local nurseries is a great way to learn about the plants and trees that thrive in one's area and to get expert advice on selecting and maintaining those specimens. I enjoy stopping in to see what plants they have for my ever-evolving farm.
Enjoy these photos.
Just minutes from my farm in an area surrounded by the beautiful fall colored trees, is Select Horticulture, Inc. Whenever I have time, it’s fun to stop in and see what trees and shrubs are in stock – and there’s always something for everyone, even now as the cooler weather sets in.
Select Horticulture Inc. has locations in Lancaster, Massachusetts and here in Westchester, New York right off route 137. It is owned by Scott Richard and Jim Freeborn who are extremely knowledgeable and often at the nurseries ready to answer any questions.
Every row of trees and shrubs is always neat, tidy, and every item is properly identified.
The trees are always displayed with their best sides facing out for visitors to see. Many of the taller trees can be seen from the road. These are Carpinus betulus ‘Columnaris Nana’ – small trees with a tight layering dense habit. It is a slow-growing narrow form of European hornbeam. This tree may reach six to seven feet in height by only a few feet in width in 10 years.
In summer, it shows off green leaves that turn to a bright yellow gold in autumn.
This Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Tamukeyama’ can’t be missed with its bright red foliage. It is a dwarf Japanese maple lace leaf variety that grows in a mound form with cascading branches.
It features deeply cut and dissected purple red leaves that turn even brighter red through fall.
This is Ilex opaca ‘Miss Helen’ – an upright pyramidal evergreen that may reach up to 50-feet tall. When selecting any new planting for a garden always be sure to consider the plant’s preferred hardiness zone, its care requirements, and the specimen’s size at maturity.
It has thick, leathery, deep green leaves that mature to four inches long and have spiny marginal teeth.
And these are the branches of Picea orientalis ‘Nigra Compacta,’ commonly called oriental spruce – a medium to large, densely-branched, narrow-pyramidal tree. It is native to mountain areas from the Caucasus to Turkey. It has flattened, glossy, dark green needles that are shorter than the needles of other species of spruce.
It can grow from 50 to 70 feet tall.
Pinus mugo ‘Mughus’ is a slow-growing evergreen conifer shrub or tree with green foliage. It is native to southern Europe and is very resistant to cold and drought.
All the trees at Select Horticulture Inc. are meticulously wrapped and tied. Always look for well maintained root balls which are crucial for good transport, handling, and planting at its new location.
Select Horticulture Inc. also has a beautiful selection of boxwood. Buxus sempervirens is a rounded to broad-rounded shrub or small tree native to open woodlands and rocky hillsides in southern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. It typically matures in a shrubby form five to 15 feet tall, but may grow as a tree to as much as 20 to 30 feet tall.
Buxus semperviirens ‘Aureovariegata’ is a variegated boxwood with showy dark green leaves and margins that start out white turning cream and then yellow throughout the growing season. It has a mounding habit, dense and rounded, with a slow growth rate.
Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’ has green leaves with spots of creamy white, gray-green, and yellow-green.
Viburnum dentatum, commonly called arrowwood viburnum, is an upright, rounded, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub which typically matures up to 10 feet tall. Non-fragrant white flowers appear in late spring followed by blue-black, berry-like drupes in late summer to fall.
Recognize this tree? It’s Platanus acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’ Parasol, a London Plane Tree. I have many London Planes at my farm. It is a robust tree with three to five lobed leaves similar to the maple.
Ilex crenata ‘Excelsa Schwoebel’ is an upright evergreen in the Japanese holly family. Its slender, hardy form dense glossy medium green flat leaves makes it great for privacy hedging. But don’t eat the berries – they’re slightly toxic.
Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’ Cephalotaxus harringtonia, commonly called plum yew, is a dioecious coniferous evergreen that typically grows as a shrub up to 10 feet tall.
At Select Horticulture, there are lots of lush evergreen shrubs in all different sizes. It is nice to see such a well organized nursery. This one is called Taxus media ‘Hicksii’ – another excellent evergreen shrub for tall hedges or privacy screens. It is narrow when young and grows wider as it ages. It’s also known as the Hicks Yew. I have these in my living maze.
Taxus media ‘Hicksii’ has long, upright-growing branches with dense, glossy, green foliage.
And close to the parking area greeting visitors in this charming heart-shaped Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald Green’ Topiary. The next time you’re in Pound Ridge, New York, or Lancaster, Massachusetts, be sure to visit Select Horticulture Inc. You’re sure to find something. And yes, this trip was successful. Wait and see what I brought home…
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