Welcome to November, a month to celebrate some of the best yellows of the growing season.
Just look up a colour chart and you will see the incredible range of colours that fall under the yellow banner from cool lemon and chartreuse, through the warmer shades of amber, gold, apricot and ochre.
Mother Nature paints the autumn landscape with every possible shade of yellow (along with brilliant red, orange and burgundy) that brighten even the gloomiest November day.
If you doubt the importance of yellow in the fall garden, just take yourself outside on a dull and dreary fall day and look for yellow leaves. A group of mature trees create a beautiful canopy of colour in our neighbourhood: deep green spruce along with golden yellow maple, birch and walnut trees.
Storm clouds and dark skies could not dull the golden yellow glow of the leaves — it was enough to make me pull on a jacket and head outside and brave the rain just to enjoy the colours. Glowing yellow leaves can lift your spirits and refresh your soul.
Trees with glowing yellow autumn foliage include: katsura (Cerciphyllum japonicum), larch (Larix), ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) and dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides). Native trees such as eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis), shagbark hickory (Carya ovate) and tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) also feature yellow leaves in the fall.
Please enjoy a brief armchair tour, featuring some of the prettiest golden foliage that caught my eye on a recent outing. I’ve included tips to help you introduce more autumn yellows into your home garden.
Theresa Forte is an award-winning garden columnist, photographer and speaker. You can reach her by calling 905-351-7540 or by email at fortegardens@gmail.com.
THERESA FORTE PHOTOS SPECIAL TO TORSTAR
An exuberant grouping of wildflowers includes violet asters with yellow centres, golden rudbeckia with chocolate brown centres and fluffy goldenrod, all poking through a meadow of grasses. If you stop and examine such a grouping for a moment or two, you will start to notice the finer details. Violet and yellow are opposites on the colour wheel (complementary colours) and this adds excitement to the grouping — the colours really pop.
Also, asters and goldenrod are magnets for pollinators — this group was buzzing with golden yellow bees. With a little planning, this combination of native perennials would be easy to replicate in a home garden.
Showy crabapple (Malus floribunda) with golden yellow leaves and matching clusters of fruit brighten the autumn garden. This lovely Japanese native features a broad, rounded canopy, with red, fragrant buds in the spring followed by pale pink blossoms that fade to white. Suitable for a smaller property, it reaches 4.5 metres tall and prefers a sunny site and well-drained soil. Position it so you can enjoy its transitions from your window.
Clumps of switch grass (Panicum) dressed in ribbons of yellow, wheat and amber are topped with misty seed heads that swirl in the slightest breeze. Look closely and you will see a whisper of green in the heart of the grouping, a reminder of this plants’ mellow summer colouring. For most of the summer, switch grass happily stays in the background acting as a solid backdrop for showy flowers like zinnias, dahlias and coneflowers. Come autumn, it steps into the spotlight. When planting switch grass in the home garden, consider its position carefully — it shows to best advantage when it is backlit by low early morning or evening sunlight.
Resplendent in their golden yellow fall attire, this community of maple trees is a true showstopper. November is one of the best months to enjoy a leisurely drive to take in the dramatic yellows, oranges and reds of the season. Better yet, park the car and enjoy a walk beneath the trees and immerse yourself in the rich scents of the autumn forest. A walk in the woods can be therapeutic and healing.