It's fall, and if you live in an area where foliage changes with the seasons, you know how exciting and beautiful this time of year can be.
Here at my farm, the season hasn't quite hit its peak just yet, but the changing leaves are providing lots of color - vibrant hues of crimson, orange, and gold. And they get more striking every day. I've planted thousands of trees over the years. It's a fantastic place to take in the autumn transformations.
Enjoy these photos.
There’s definitely a chill in the air this morning – temperatures are only expected to be in the mid-40s. These tall sugar maples above my tree peonies are some of the first to change color in autumn. Some trees change early, others late – usually from October to November in the Northeast.
In fall, 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 autumn splendor.
And do you know why autumn colors vary? The range of colors is influenced by several factors, including the type of tree, environmental conditions, and the timing of the leaf drop. Weather also plays a part – cooler nights and sunny days are ideal for the brightest reds and oranges.
This is a young Japanese Stewartia just behind my gym building. 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’ve planted many Stewartia trees. They are among my favorites – do you know why? Here’s a hint: it’s in the name.
I call this my Stewartia garden. It’s planted with several Stewartia trees. This garden has also been going through a different transformation. It was once home to all shade loving plants, but since the removal of some very tall trees a few years back, it is now an area that needs more sun-loving specimens.
Nearby, this viburnum is also showing off its fall color. These have changed to almost a purple-red. Other varieties show orange-red, red, and even yellow.
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. The colchicum at my farm are blooming now.
Some of the berries persist into early fall, such as these kousa dogwood fruits, which are edible. The soft pulp is sweet with a similar flavor to a ripe persimmon but it also has hard seeds inside.
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.
This is one end of my Japanese maple woodland. As the colder weather progresses, the Japanese maples will become even brighter red.
This time of year, more specifically, September and October, I also see Osage Oranges on the trees. The Osage orange, Maclura pomifera, is actually not an orange at all, and is more commonly known as a hedge-apple, horse-apple, or mock-orange. Each one is about four to five inches in diameter and filled with a dense cluster of hundreds of smaller fruits
Persian parrotia or Persian ironwood is a small upright tree or large, rounded, multi-stemmed shrub. It is related to witch-hazel. The oblong green leaves turn various shades of red, orange and yellow in the fall, often lasting into the winter months.
Here are some that have completely turned a fiery red.
Just outside my large Equipment Barn in my pinetum is this American larch, Larix laricina. This tree is commonly called tamarack, eastern larch, American larch, or hackmatack.
Here are its bright yellow branches right now. This deciduous conifer will drop all these showy needles just as winter approaches.
Here’s a view of the carriage road to the woodlands. This view is one of the most popular here at the farm – in all seasons.
And here is one of the large sycamores. In the fall, sycamore trees exhibit a more subtle transformation, changing from bright green to muted yellow-brown, but still quite eye-catching. The mighty sycamore is the symbol of my farm.
In this area, the peak of the season is expected in mid-November, when the this year’s autumn color is at its best.
And look what else is starting to bloom here at the farm. This is just one of hundreds of saffron flowers planted by my friend and colleague, Hannah Milman. Planting is done in July, August and September. Harvesting comes at the end of October to mid-November, roughly eight weeks after planting. Fall is a beautiful season. I hope you can see some of its changes where you live.
As cooler weather sets in, my outdoor grounds crew rushes to complete the long list of fall tasks around my farm.
One of the main projects is to gather and prepare all the tropical plants for winter storage, including all the specimens planted in decorative pots. Plants are removed from their vessels, trimmed where necessary, and then repotted in plastic containers before they are put away in one of six greenhouses here on the property. It's quite an undertaking, but it's the best way to ensure my plants are ready for the cold months ahead.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
It is so beautiful this time of year when all the deciduous trees show their stunning autumn colors before dropping their leaves. Here at my farm, fall chores are now in full swing.
Leaves can change their color from as early as mid-September all the way through mid-November. This is the carriage road leading to my woodland.
And these are the great pin oaks, Quercus palustris, that line both sides of my carriage road just outside my pool. Some of the leaves have fallen, but these trees will show off a vibrant display of deep reds and oranges before they go completely bare.
Off to the side of the pin oaks, I’ve started the arduous task of gathering my warm weather plants for winter storage. Many of these actually came from my home in Maine, where they are displayed for the summer months.
I have lots of tropical plants – agaves, Bismarkias, and other palms. They are grouped together, groomed, and repotted if necessary.
These are two of my staghorn ferns. I love displaying them under my pavilion during summer. The staghorn fern is an unusual and attractive epiphyte that thrives in the tropics. Over the years I have collected quite a few of these magnificent specimens.
Here, Ryan grooms each one before it is carried into the greenhouse. Ryan removes any dead or damaged fronds. Doing this will encourage the plant to produce new growth and maintain overall health.
Ryan also assesses its shape and makes his cuts accordingly. Trimming a staghorn fern can be done any time of year, but I like to groom all my tropical plants before they are stored for the season.
Once Ryan is done trimming, Pete and Phurba gingerly remove the fern from its hook if it is hanging. They do this with a long steel rod that can carry the heavy weight of the plant.
Then they walk it across the carriage road to the hoop house – never do they even have to touch the fragile staghorn.
The staghorn ferns are rehung on the strong frame of the hoop house. Staghorn ferns are called Platyceriums. They are Old World tropicals native to Africa, northern Australia, and Southeast Asia.
Here’s Fernando cleaning the outside of all the hoop houses.
Here’s Alex working on a ponytail palm, Beaucarnea recurvata, that needs repotting.
He trims any necessary dead leaves and then gives the root ball some beneficial scarifying cuts.
Then it is repotted and fed. Now it’s ready to be stored. Once inside any greenhouse, potted plants or trees are arranged with enough space in between them, so they don’t touch. Keeping them separated prevents any diseases that could possibly spread during storage time.
Agaves are also moved into plastic pots. Some of the lower leaves are also trimmed if necessary. When working with agaves, always be careful of the sharp tips of their leaves.
Tree ferns that are too tall for the hoop houses are stored in my vegetable greenhouse. Here they will get lots of light and still be completely protected from any winds.
This is one of my Australian Brush Cherry trees, Eugenia myrtifolia, also now known as Syzygium paniculatum. The Brush Cherry is an evergreen tree or shrub with shiny dark green leaves native to Australia and New Zealand. I usually display these topiaries in the courtyard behind my Winter House kitchen during summer. It is manually moved inside another hoop house.
Meanwhile, all the hoses around the farm are gathered, drained, recoiled, tied, and then stored away for the season. This too is a big task – I have hundreds of hoses, sprinklers and watering wands around the farm.
I have a long custom made yew table under my pavilion built from a giant yew tree that was at my former home in East Hampton. It is made of three separate tables and must be moved also. Pete and Alex take it to a glass enclosure off my Equipment Barn.
And slowly, the pool is also emptied – plants are removed from the decorative planters and furniture and umbrellas are taken indoors.
Here’s Adan beginning the weeks-long chore of blowing leaves. Leaf blowers are noisy, but they are the most effective for gathering leaves into large piles before they are discarded. There’s a lot to do. What’s on your fall list?
If you’re looking for interesting, easy-to-care-for trees, but don't have a lot of space, consider one of the many unique and attractive tree types with narrow upright habits.
I'm in the process of planting a living maze in a pasture just outside my Winter House. Much of the three-acre area is now complete and all the plants are growing excellently. Some of the latest plants include Parkland Pillar Birch, Betula platyphylla 'Jetpark,' and Green Wall Spire Crabapple, Malus x astringens 'Jefwall' - both from First Editions Shrubs and Trees.
Here are some photos.
I’ve been working hard on my living maze since I started planting it in the spring of 2022. I carefully plan and design every puzzling path and row of plants. And then I print a detailed schematic for my gardeners to follow. I am very proud of how it is growing so far. And yes, like a true maze there is only one right way from the entrance to the goal location. These Parkland Pillar Birch trees are next to be planted. They are thoughtfully placed in a row that has already been stripped and measured.
The Parkland Pillar Birch has dense dark green foliage that turns a beautiful golden yellow in fall. It’s known for its narrow, upright habit and interesting white colored bark.
My crew works hard while there is still time to plant in the gardens. Here is Chhiring digging one of the holes.
When the soil is very dry, I instruct my team to fill the hole with water first before planting.
Each hole is sprinkled with a generous amount of fertilizer. I use Miracle-Gro Organic All Purpose Plant Food.
Chhiring uses a hard rake to carefully scratch the root ball and stimulate growth. Essentially, small portions of the root ball are cut to loosen the roots and encourage new development.
Chhiring places the tree in the hole and makes sure it is planted at the right height. The top of the root ball should be level with the top of the hole when in place.
Then he backfills the hole, tamping down as he goes.
Here they are now – already beginning to show off their autumn color.
I also planted these Green Wall Spire Crabapple trees. These will grow to about 20 feet tall and five feet wide.
Green Wall Spire Crabapples prefer full sun and are drought tolerant.
The foliage is glossy and green in summer, bronze in fall, and in spring, this tree is covered in white flowers.
These crabapples typically produce fruit in late summer to early fall. The red berries attract many birds.
Each hole is dug precisely with enough room for the plant’s root ball. The rule of thumb when planting is to dig the hole two times as wide as the rootball and no deeper than the bottom of the rootball, similar to how it is in its pot.
Once again, Chhiring fills the hole with water.
And then the root ball is scarified. I teach all my outdoor grounds crew members how to scarify.
I always say, “if you eat, so should the plants.” Chhiring sprinkles more Miracle-Gro Organic All-Purpose Plant Food into the hole.
And backfills again – remember, only plant up to the flare, where the tree meets the root system.
I can’t believe how the maze is looking – it’s almost done, and all the trees and shrubs and other plants are all thriving.
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