Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)
I am joining Christina at Creating my own garden of the Hesperides for Garden Bloggers Foliage Day (GBFD, today. After such a hot, dry summer I have not enjoyed much time in the garden lately. I usually am sad to say good-bye to summer, but Fall begins here tomorrow and I find myself relieved.
The dogwood has limped through these hot days. It gets too much sun in its 14-year temporary (let’s just put it here for now) location. A nearby juniper that used to provide it shade had to come down several years ago, leaving the dogwood quite exposed until the replacement tree can grow large enough to become its protector. Yesterday I noticed the dogwood is starting to form fruit. When I took these pictures, I believe I heard a deep, tired sigh.
Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)
After displaying its beautiful flowers in mid-July this Iris domestica (Blackberry Lily) put itself to work on the task of increasing the show for next year. This is the first year I have grown Blackberry Lily and it is easy to understand why it got its name. Big green pods formed by mid-August and now a month later, these richly black seeds have emerged.
Iris domestica (Blackberry Lily)
Iris domestica (Blackberry Lily)
Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry) is native to Southeastern United States. This is a deciduous shrub with loose, open branching. The magenta berries are less visible than in other Callicarpa species, but the cardinals, finches and other birds in the garden find them easily.
Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry)
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine) blooms its heart out in early spring. After being cut back to the ground it drapes itself again in soft, fresh green leaves, making an attractive ground cover.
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Thanks to Christina for hosting. Be sure to visit her to see her featured foliage and find links to other foliage highlights of other GBFD bloggers.
pbmGarden 
The Callecarpa berries are gorgeous I can’t think of another berry with such an attractive colour. The Iris is intriguing too, the seeds really do look like blackberries; will you collect them and plant into pots or trays or leave them to scatter where they will. Thanks for joining GBFD again this month, the foliage in your garden is looker fresher than it did in mid summer.
I think I’ll scatter some of the Blackberry Lily seeds to another part of the garden. I’ve read conflicting information about how well they’ll do ranging from not surviving the winter to becoming almost invasive. Hoping for something in-between! The foliage is actually looking pretty bad–it’s been so hot and dry this summer. About three weeks ago we had rain three different times during the week that restored the grass. Since then no more rain.
All it takes is a trace of rain and the garden and I begin to perk up and see a reason for living. Looks like you are having a berry good season.
The last two summers we had fairly even and generous rainfall and my mood about the garden was much more upbeat. The rain is restorative indeed.
Your berries are really stunning! I have only one Aquilegia canadensis, I hope it eventually forms ground cover like yours!
Thanks Pauline. Hope your Aquilegia spreads itself about some. Mine ventures far and wide.
One of the gardens I work in has 3 Callicarpas, but I haven’t noticed any bird activity, it obviously happens when I am not there, as the berries do not last long. We have endless rain here currently and we are all wishing that Summer could have been warmer and dryer, the opposite to you. I am glad though that you have some cooler weather now, endless heat must of been really hard to deal with in a garden. Do your birds eat the Blackberry Iris seeds too, they are quite startling.
Our birds eat the Callicarpas in secret also Julie, but I read cardinal, finches, mockingbirds and woodpeckers enjoy them. Not sure whether the birds like the Blackberry Lily seeds. It’s my first year growing it so I’ll have to get back to you on that question.
Too bad we can’t set up weather exchanges to share hot, cold and wet weather where needed!
I love the description with the Cornus letting out a big sigh after a hot summer. I have placed one where it gets a bit too much afternoon sun, so I might have to move it next winter!
I love those Callicarpas – stunning fruit!
Thanks Matt. If your corpus is not yet too large I would recommend moving it. Mine is very stressed from the sun. Isn’t that magenta berry a show-off?
Thanks – it’s not even as tall as my knee (yet) so it will definitely be getting a new home in 6 months’ time!
I am a huge American beautyberry fan, the photo is great. The whole album is a lot of fall fun.
I have to admit I prefer the non-native but am hoping this one is benefitting the pollinators and birds.
Love the Callicarpas! Mine are limping along in their second year. I feel like there are always some plants who just get left in the wrong spot, but seem to survive well enough despite its unhappiness. I have a lot of sighing plants 🙂
Hope your Callicarpa gets a move-on for you. This one languished beneath a tall juniper until the juniper died. I’d forgotten all about the Callicarpa by then, but it was ready to take advantage of the opportunity.
Autumn in your garden is lovely…everything shifting. i have never seen the berries of the Blackberry Lily, and will have to look to see if I have any this year.
Thanks Donna. Although autumn is officially here the trees have not changed much at all. Finally getting rain today!