Monday, October 8, 2012

A Thanksgiving Feast for the Eyes at Edwards Gardens

I swear that I did not doctor this opening shot in any way. 
The fall color at Edwards Gardens was just that outrageous!

This is a long weekend here in Canada. Chill temperatures and heavy grey clouds cast a melancholy gloom over the first two days of our Thanksgiving weekend. I refused however, to let the weather dampen my spirits. I had Saturday morning off from my usually scheduled accounting class and that meant I could go along with my hubby to the local Farmer's Market. We bought fresh vegetables, flowers and feasted on a giant bag of salty-sweet popped kettle-corn. Yum!

Yesterday, on the way back from the St. Lawrence flea market, we stopped in to see the fall colors at Edwards Gardens. The lack of sunlight means my pictures are a bit flat, but the garden itself was beautiful. Take a look:


My only complaint about Edwards Gardens at this time of year is the lack of proper I.D. tags. I have a few mysteries that I hope you can help me solve.

The yellowing leaves of Amsonia or Blue Star. 

The sinister-looking seedheads of echinacea.

Love the shape and the organization of the leaves on the branches of this shrub. 
Do you know what it is?

 Verbena bonariensis 'Lollipop'


Russian Sage

 

Gentian



Asters


Japanese Anemone

Rudbeckia seedheads



Fountain Grass

Chocolate Boneset, Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate'

Mystery shrub? You have to love a shrub that is willing to bloom this late in the season. 
Do you know its name?

 Another mystery. I was so impressed with these flowers that had to be at least 8 feet tall. 
Talk about skyscrapers! Do you know what they are?

Special Thanksgiving good wishes go out to all my Canadian friends!

51 comments:

  1. Beautiful, beautiful pics with gorgeous colors! Thanks for sharing, made me smile and long for warmer days again... :-)

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  2. Sounds like a fun day out! I must say that your pictures never look flat to me! They are STUNNING! Whenever I see your blog it pushes me an inch closer to taking a photography class!!! Thanks as always for sharing your beautiful shots...and I am at a loss for some of your mysteries! I especially want to know what the last flowers are!!??!!If

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    1. Thanks Nicole! I enjoyed my afternoon in the garden, but I would have so have liked to have a bit of sunshine to add that extra bit of interest and light play.

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  3. Absolutely gorgeous photos! I've seen similar flowers to your mystery ones growing wild here in Southeast Missouri, but have no idea what they are...in the daisy/black-eyed-Susan family I would guess...♥
    Hugs,
    Anne

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  4. What a beautiful fall garden! Thanks for letting us enjoy it with you.
    Bye,
    Marian

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  5. Lovely garden, and the photos are really good apart from the bad weather.

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    1. Thanks Karen. It was quite cold and getting colder. Fall has definitely arrived.

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  6. Gorgeous photos.the first and the Japanese Anemone are my favourites. Cloudy skies allow the colours and textures to show well.

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    1. The color the shrub in the first shot was really quite something to see. Japanese Anemones are one of the most classically beautiful late summer/fall flowers, aren't they?

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  7. So many lovely photos made me feel like I was wondering through the garden even though it is cold and wet here today yes it's raining outside and not a very nice day so a stroll through these photos made me feel good

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    1. I know you are not a gardener Jo-Anne and I am flattered and happy that you enjoy my pictures.

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  8. Happy Thanksgiving Jennifer! and thanks for the garden tour. Oh how I miss the plants I used to grow in Ontario... I'm in zone 3 now and it's a whole new ballgame lol

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  9. WOW! I was amazed by this garden it was so perfect for me. How I wish my garden will look like this.

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  10. what a wonderful post, certainly a feast for the eyes,

    i believe that the last plant is a Jerusalem Artichoke

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  11. Lovely pictures, you really captured those grasses nicely, especially the airy switchgrass seedheads, which is not easy to do.

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  12. Beautiful photos. That garden looks great. Sounds like you've had a nice Saturday.

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  13. OH my how very beautiful! I truly hope you are putting all your images into a book! Look at blurb.com! Don't mean to give you maybe yet another project but wow it would be spectacular!

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  14. Great photos, Jennifer!

    The red striped grass might be Panicum Ruby Ribbons or Panicum Shenadoah. I have both and the Ruby Ribbons has a more noticeable red striping. The pink clover shrub blooms late and this one resembles it. That last shot of the tall plant reminds me of my Helianthus Lemon Queen, but seems a little more orange than Lemon Queen, maybe a relative.

    Eileen

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    1. Thanks for the I.D.s Eileen. I think I have discovered that the last plant is a Jerusalem Artichoke.

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  15. Jennifer,you had a nice trip, shopping, picnic and wonderful autumn garden! I love the grass, their shape of fountain.

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  16. Gorgeous photos! Fall has its own beauty, even the fading blooms, and you've captured it so well, Jennifer. I'm not much help on identifying your mystery plants, although I think Eileen ("Gatsby") is right about the Helianthus, and I thought, too, the blooming shrub might be clover bush or Lespedezera (not sure of the spelling there).

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  17. Beautiful fall / thanksgiving photos! Yes, the second to last one, the blooming large shrub, is lespedeza, or bush clover. What a great time of year this is!!

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    1. Thanks for confirming the I.D. on the mystery shrub Laurrie.

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  18. Lovely photos! The last one looks very much like a Jerusalem artichoke, or sunchoke, I started growing them this summer, mostly for the edible root.

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    1. Thanks Sarah, Thanks for the I.D. Interesting to hear that the root is edible. I definitely want to learn more about this plant.

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  19. Great photos and a reminder to go out and take pictures in my own garden! love the grasses especially.

    Happy Thanksgiving

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  20. You visited a beautiful autumn garden, the light is now so special and the fading blooms.......It's all so gloomy.

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  21. Hi Jennifer
    You did good: St. Lawrence Market, sweet salty popcorn and Edwards Gardens!! Good day!! Your pictures looked as great as ever - I think the low light actually produced deeper colours. As far as your mystery plants go - I can only hazard a guess that the last one is a type of Helenium - a very very TALL helenium??

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  22. The mystery shrub is lespedeza. I have one in my garden. They are super tough! I sent you some Garden Love on my blog. It goes with the Butterfly Garden post. :o)

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  23. Beautiful photographs, wonderful autumn colours. I am greeting

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  24. I agree with the others about the mystery shrub, Bush Clover, Lespedeza. As for the mysterious tall Sunflower, one of the Helianthus I imagine.
    Love your fall colors. Happy Belated Thanksgiving to you.

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  25. Gorgeous post. Absolutely love all the wonderful photos.

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  26. What a wonderful way to spend a holiday weekend! I can't remember the last time I was at Edwards Gardens, I should make a point next time I visit my parents.
    Absolutely beautiful pictures!!
    Debbie :)

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  27. What beautiful gardens - you have captured the feel of autumn beautifully.

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  28. Outrageous is an excellent way of summing it up. Beautiful shots. I love "watching" the seasons change. We don't get a lot of there here.....

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    1. I would certainly miss the change in seasons if I lived in a more moderate climate. Again, happy 2nd anniversary Kacky!

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  29. Jennifer, you make the most wonderful photographs, and it is always such a pleasure to visit you here.
    The verbena is just gorgeous!

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    1. Coming from such a talented photographer, your compliment means a great deal. Thanks Lisa!

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  30. Thank you so much for visiting me, dear, and for your sweet comments!
    Have a wonderful weekend!
    Hugs,
    Anne

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    1. I enjoyed my visit Anne. Have a great weekend too Anne!

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  31. I don't know why my heritage flowers look a bit pinker than they should, maybe it was the time of day i took the flowers, but i took a photo of the buds this morning and they look shell pink. The photo is on my post Clouds. Thanks for dropping by Jennifer and i would love to see some more photos of your beautiful dogs, if you can?.

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    1. Karen, As a matter of fact I have been planning a dog post. Your wish is my command.

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  32. Your photos are beautiful Jennifer. A wonderful garden; I love the use of grasses and the golden fall foliage and goldenrod with the purple fall asters.

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  33. Gorgeous display of all Fall's colours! I love your first shot, the orangey-red is so intense, contrast that with cool blue of the Russian sage and then the soft nude tones of the fountain grass, amazing :)

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  34. Jennifer girl !!
    I understand about that SHOCK of colour .. it is almost impossible but it is natural : ) .. This is a wonderful array of Autumn pictures girl !
    I love them all and wow on that huge flowing shrub ? I have no idea either what that is .. I will have to check back or reread these comments (this is first thing in the morning when my brain is in duh? mode .. haha)
    Accounting ? my DIL had an exam this week in it, she works in the financial department in the university Rock Hill .. she has so many things on the go it makes me dizzy! haha
    YES !! the salt trick .. husband drilled a lot of holes in the stup before he loaded it with salt .. I just hope none of it leaks out and kills the surrounding plants I have there .. hopefully I can get the rest of the stump out in the Spring to plant Golden Spirit there.
    Jennifer .. I hope you feel better VERY soon .. we both seem to be going through "stuff" at the same time ..cross our fingers eh ? : )
    Take care girl !
    Joy : )

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  35. Hey, Jennifer, you're right to explain you did not doctor that opening shot. It's a stunner. And the entire shoot is an enviable view of autumn. Enjoy!

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  36. Wow, absolutely gorgeous photos! ♥
    Thank you so much for sharing!

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