Hello GPODers!
Although we see a variety of gardens here at GPOD, I know that most members of this community are silent participants who choose not to share their gardens or experiences. That’s totally fine! There is never a need or expectation to contribute. But it’s always exciting to hear that a long-time GPODer has finally decided to post pictures of their garden. This was certainly the case for Cleo Rollerson, a master gardener from Bellevue, Washington.
I have been reading GPOD since I started fine gardening. I have gardened for 10 years as part of the Northwest Perennial Alliance Open Gardens program and regularly give talks on colorful gardening year-round. I am a King County Master Gardener and have volunteered in multiple roles at Bellevue Botanical Gardens.
My fall garden reflects the recent movement toward more naturalistic gardens that support pollinators and garden creatures. There are late blooming flowers, turning leaves, seeds, dead stems, and leaves that have fallen to the ground. Leave as much as possible until spring cleaning. The photo was taken in late October when we toured the backyard around the water area.
My vibrant and colorful garden is designed to have something blooming all year round. I have about 750 varieties in my garden in Bellevue, Washington. I love plants that self-seed and thin them out to create pleasing compositions. Quirky garden art is scattered throughout. I’ve been gardening here for 35 years and I make changes every year.
As a setting, this is my backyard, hidden behind the winter snow and where summer flowers were in full bloom a few years ago.
This is the view in late October from the deck and living room windows overlooking this corner of the garden. Red-leafed plants (front left to top right): Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’, zones 5-9), young paperbark maple (Acer griseum, zones 4-8), young bush-file viburnum (Viburnum plicatum) tomentosum ‘Mariesii), zones 5 to 8), and spring spiketail (Stachyurus praecox, zones 6 to 8).
Focus on the metal jumping salmon waterfall. The grasses are: Variegated purple moorgrass (Molinia caerulea ‘Variegata’, zones 5-9).
This flower bed is along the back fence. The asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome’, zones 5-8) have just finished blooming. I like to use variegated October sageboldii (Sedum sieboldii ‘Mediovariegatum’, zones 3-9) at the edges of containers. I still enjoy the Abelia grandiflora (Zones 5-9) that I planted in 1989.
Continuing along the back fence: fall-colored Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Curly Tops’ (Zones 4-8), blue-gray Spanish mackerel ‘Curly Tops’ (Chamaecyparis pisifera, Zones 4-8), and narrow-leaved English. Holly (Ilex aquifolium) ‘Myrtifolia’, zones 7 to 9), young paperbark maple (Acer griseum), young double file viburnum (Viburnum plicatum tomentosum ‘Mariesii’), cod tree (Fatsia japonica, zones 8 to 11), and Mt. Ash (Sorbus tianschanica ‘Red) ‘Cascade’, zones 3-9).
Autumn perennials and small flowering shrubs around the pond rocks in the newly renovated flower beds: Butterscotch bluestar (Amsonia Hubrichtii ‘Butterscotch’, zones 4-9), ‘Dark Beauty’ Scotch heather (Calluna vulgaris ‘Dark Beauty’, zones 4-8), ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ coneflower (Echinacea ‘Cheyenne Spirit’, zones 4-9), and Sedum Autumn Joy (Hylotelephium ‘Herbstfreude’, zones 3-11).
Beneath the mountain ash (Sorbus tianschanica ‘Red Cascade’): Witch alder (Fothergilla gardenii ‘Blue Mist’, zones 5 to 9) starting to turn red in front of rhododendron ‘Cunningham’s White’ (Rhododendron x ‘Cunningham’s White’, zone ) 5-8), next to the blue false indigo (Baptisia australis, zones 3-9), with the red-leaved rose (Rosa glauca, zones 2-8) and its red rose hips overhead.
It shows how I layer plants that provide year-round interest along the path from the water’s edge to the front garden. Multiple varieties of Scotch heather, purple barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Rose Glow’, zones 4-8), hydrangeas in my collection, front right Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ (zones 4-8), and various ground cover.
‘Gateway’ Joe Pyweed (Eutrochium purpureum subsp. maculatum ‘Gateway’, Zones 5-11) stalks peek out in full bloom toad (Tricyrtis formosana, Zones 6-9).
Scarlet drooping laurel (Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Zeblid’, zones 5 to 8), bright red in fall.
Winter backyards are still showing off their color and winter charm, providing a resting place for garden creatures and pollinators to wait out the cold, wet winter.
Cleo, thank you for viewing over 500 photos of your garden and sharing this wonderful collection of autumn landscapes. We sincerely hope this is not the only time we get to see your sensational designs.
If you’re like Cleo and have wanted to submit a photo to GPOD for years, consider sharing your photo this fall. We hope more GPOD readers will become contributors, whether it’s looking back at past periods of growth or digging deeper into current growth. Follow the steps below to post or send us a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad
Do you have a garden you would like to share?
Do you have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a collection of particular plants you love, or any amazing gardens you’ve had the chance to visit.
To submit, please send 5-10 photos to: (email protected) It also includes information about the plants in the photo and the location where the photo was taken. We’d love to hear about where you live, your gardening history, any successes you’re proud of, what you’ve learned from failures, your hopes for the future, your favorite plants, and any funny stories that happen in your garden.
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