Friday, October 29, 2010

Sedum 'Autumn Joy' - All Season Performer

Sedum 'Autumn Joy' isn't the most spectacular perennial around, 
but it's got a lot going for it.
It looks great all season, and asks so little in return.
In the fall, when most other perennials have petered out,
Autumn Joy Sedum is just coming into its glory.

Grasses, which are also in their prime in the fall,
are enhanced by the
rusty red of Autumn Joy Sedum.
Lamb's Ears (Stachys byzantina) and Hosta round out the composition.




Although Sedum 'Autumn Joy' waits until fall for its color, its
flowers form throughout the summer and provide striking textural interest -
here they front Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).


The round white summer flowers of Autumn Joy Sedum act as a
bright white exclamation point
in the midst of blue Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia to the rear),
blue Catnip (Nepeta racemosa 'Walker's Low' in the front),
with pink roses and Hydrangea on the left.


As summer progresses, the puffball flowers
slowly turn pink.



The deep fall flowers complement
pale blue Russian Sage flowers (Perovskia atriplicifolia in the background) and
Blue False Indigo foliage (Baptisia australis in the left foreground).
 
 
Autumn Joy Sedum
brings out the red in branches of
Variegated Tatarian Dogwood (Cornus alba 'Elegantissima'). 
Cornus Alba 'Bailhalo' Ivory Halo is a smaller Tatarian Dogwood for smaller spaces.


Chrysanthemums and the
crimson fall leaves of Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides)
complement Sedum 'Autumn Joy'.
 


Gray, fuzzy Lamb's Ears (Stachys byzantina) layer welll with Sedum 'Autumn Joy'



A colorful fall show of
Crimson Pygmy Barberry (Berberis thunbergii 'Crimson Pygmy'),
Sedum 'Autumn Joy',
Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis) and
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida).
 
 

11 comments:

Karen said...

Chris, what a wonderful blog you have! I just went back and read all of your posts and they are very informative and I've learned a great deal. Love the vast sweeps of color and texture. Karen

Chris said...

Carol-
Thank you for visiting and for your encouraging words. I enjoy your blog, too!

Carolyn ♥ said...

Showy Sedum is a plant I've admired in others gardens for a very long time. It's really about time that I planted some of my own. I grow the very same plumbago amd mum that you picture here so well. This is a beautiful post!

Chris said...

Karen -
Whoops! I apologize for calling you Carol - just ask my kids and they'll tell you I'm always mixing their names up, too!

Meredehuit-
I'm glad your enjoyed the post! The Plumbago and mums are one of the few photos of my own garden in the blog.

Carol said...

I love sedums too Chris and they are always lovely in the landscape and gardens. I just picked some yesterday for fall bouquets to go to a fund raiser. That is a pretty good life span of beauty. Lovely post . . . your photos are just beautiful! BTW my name is Carol! ;>))

Toni said...

That shot of the Miscanthus grasses, barberry, sedum, and dogwood is spectacular!!! The rest of the shots aren't too shabby either! Beautiful. So that's what Russian Sage looks like when it hasn't been beaten down by 100 degrees for 60 days! I'm also amazed at the first shot of hostas in what appears to be full sun. That would never happen in my neck of the woods. The grass is always greener on the other side of the country, I guess, right? Enjoyed your post! Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures :-) Toni

Chris said...

Carol-
Thanks for making a comment - that means I was just early. ;) Seriously, I appreciate your stopping by and am glad you like Sedum, too.
Toni-
I like to save the best for last! We here in zone 6 often wish we could grow plants that thrive in your climate, as well ;) The gardens in your blog always look great! Glad you enjoyed the post.

Plant Chaser said...

You have a beautiful garden. So much color! I will expand on what Toni said and say that the grass is always greener on the other side of the world. No way will I be able to have a garden like that in the tropics. Which is why I so enjoy visiting other gardens via their owner's blogs. Thank you for sharing yours.

Chris said...

Plant-
Thank you for visiting! I also love seeing other styles and types of gardens from different parts of the world. I do want to clarify that only a very few of the pictures on my blog are from my garden. I photograph good examples of garden design and plant combimations for my own inspiration and to share with others.

00264167 said...

Hello, i really like the miscanthus in the last picture, the small rounded one, do you have any idea what cultivar it is?

I'm guessing it might be yaku jima, little kitten or adagio but if you know for certain then that would be useful as i have just the spot in the garden for one like that.

Chris said...

I don't know the miscanthus cultivar. Sorry that I can help you with that.

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