Sunday, October 28, 2012

October Colors...

The birch and  maple trees are now bare of their brilliant autumn cloaks but the oak trees are in their full glory. My favorite autumn colors are the rust, deep burgundy and oranges the oak leaves turn in the fall and they make a beautiful backdrop for all the lovely birds that visit my gardens here in the fall. 






Tufted Titmouse


American Goldfinch


Pine Siskin


American Goldfinch


 Some gorgeous color right now from my dwarf Fothergilla, what a beauty!


American Goldfinch in the wild crabapple tree


There are still some flowers on the Persicaria 'Golden Arrow'


The Hydrangea petiolaris  still has a few leaves left


Black-capped Chickadee in the Hydrangea petiolaris


Pine Siskin


Salvia 'Mystic Spires' with a Painted Lady Butterfly



We are expecting a large wind storm in the next couple days and that will be the end of the foliage season for 2012, so now I'm looking forward to my indoor gardening and bird photography until spring rolls around again.
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13 comments:

  1. GardenbugOctober 28, 2012 at 2:05 PM

    You have certainly found the tail end of the autumn beauty! Time to light a fire and enjoy the indoors. Stay safe!

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    1. Deanne FortnamOctober 29, 2012 at 5:41 AM

      Thanks Marie, LOL no fire indoors here as we don't have a fire place or wood stove. I'd have had to lose one of my big windows in the dining room and I decided on the view instead of a cozy fire

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  2. Leslie's GardenOctober 28, 2012 at 3:42 PM

    Deanne, you have some beautiful Autumn color in your area, I know you hate to see it all blown away! Deanne, I hope you will show us a little of your set up for your plants that you winter over. Please tell us how you care for them during the winter. I have several that I want to bring in but don't really know how to keep them. How to you keep all your coleus?

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    1. Deanne FortnamOctober 29, 2012 at 5:49 AM

      Thanks Leslie, the wintering over process depends on whether the plants will go dormant like Brugmansia or need to stay in the green like coleus or abutilon. With coleus I don't save the plants but take cuttings. I grow them on under lights during the winter. The lights are on 14 hours a day. Minimal feeding water as necessary.

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  3. SueOctober 28, 2012 at 3:48 PM

    Yes! I've been waiting for the point when the birds and the blog meet! Keep 'em coming!

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    1. Deanne FortnamOctober 29, 2012 at 5:49 AM

      Thanks Sue, Yes, I'm morphing into my bird photographer hat for the winter months

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  4. sharonOctober 28, 2012 at 9:01 PM

    I am blown away again! WOW the color and those birds to see then up close!! the painted butterfly was perfection..I feel like i can reach out and pet those lovely birds! Loved the last siskin

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    1. Deanne FortnamOctober 29, 2012 at 5:50 AM

      Many thanks Sharon, I garden in the summers and do bird photography in the winters. Just love all my garden birds.

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  5. outlawgardenerOctober 30, 2012 at 4:42 AM

    Wow, wow, wow! I'm always impressed by your pictures but your insect and now bird pictures are AMAZING! How do you get such great shots of living things? I try but they usually fly away when I start shouting directions at them. Move a little to the left Ms. Woodpcker! Hey, you humming bird, I said THIS flower, not that one! If you damned blue jays won't look at the camera, I'm going to forget the whole thing! Hey butterfly, don't make me put down this camera and come over there! What's your secret? (Besides immense talent which is quite obvious!) Good luck with Stormzilla, Frankenstorm, The big one coming soon. Hope you have no damage!

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    1. Deanne FortnamOctober 30, 2012 at 5:13 AM

      Hey, thanks so much! So happy you like my pictures. I'm just crazy about taking pictures. No secrets about taking bird pictures, it just takes a LOT of patience and a good long lens. I use a Canon 500 F/4 for my bird photography. LOL about giving them directions! Doesn't work that way. I normally position myself in a location where I hope the birds will land and wait.

      Thanks also about commiserating about the storm. We are very lucky, all is well here. We had some ferocious winds and rain but only minor damage. We'd spent the weekend taking in all items that might become projectiles and battening things down.

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  6. MichelleOctober 30, 2012 at 8:28 PM

    Lovely fall foliage and the birds are amazing. I really enjoy your bird pictures.

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  7. DeniseNovember 3, 2012 at 5:10 PM

    So good to find your incredible bird photography here. Something to look forward to this winter!

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  8. antigonum cajanNovember 11, 2012 at 9:29 AM

    Unique, impressive postQ! I am alto into vines, ten percent of the collection...Here 3 links if interested.
    http://www.guiaverde.com/blog/destacadas/jardin-tropical-en-puerto-rico

    http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7741396/5_gardening_blogs_you_should_read.html?cat=32

    http://www.flickr.com//photos/verdeazul1/show/

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