This is the garden at its most theatrical. High drama, indeed.
A light rain last night left a morning fog and full sun. The saturated foliage, wet now, almost ready for dissolution, caught the light, making the plants appear to glow against the vague, foggy background.
This is atmosphere made visible. One of those chance moments when the late autumn garden comes alive.
Yesterday we cleaned out the pond, lined the bottom to discourage plant growth and keep the water open, then refilled it, just in time to catch these reflections of the morning sun.
Below you see mostly plants at the top of the bank outside the house, with the lower garden dropping away into darkness …
… this closer view shows some of the intervening growth between the house and the woods on the opposite side of the garden. The new red mobile is just visible to the left.
And here is the sharp drop down to the area of the reflecting pool, newly made last winter and mostly in its first year of growth.
Looking from the north end of the narrow terrace outside the house …
… and a view of the terrace itself (almost 50 years old now) with Adirondack chairs for viewing the murder, mayhem and madness of the garden.
Your garden is a wonderland.
Thanks, Kathie.
Gorgeous, James!
Thank you, Adam. Good to hear from you.
That’s really beautiful, James. I wish my dead foliage could look like that. Good job with the pond–that must have been a lot of work (glossed over in your account ). But, I imagine that it will “read” much better afterwards.
Emily, well, I did gloss over the pond renovation. It took two people two days. Since I had shoulder surgery, I could only watch, but I lent them my pond waders. It’s great to have a long stretch of open water again. It’s given me a new vision of the area. Low plants only around the pond. Don’t let the water get lost in plants!
Just beautiful.
Paul, I appreciate your comment.
Exquisite! Bravo.
Thanks, Kerry. How’s Maine? Winter yet?
Now some of THOSE shots should have been in the NYTimes.
Thomas, how right you are. Have I already complained to you about my disappointment with the NYT photos?
Wonderful the way you caught the fog in the morning light.
Easy. All it takes is fog. Of course fog along with low sunlight makes magic.
Beautiful photos, James! Foggy mornings like that are my favorite times in a garden…everything is transformed…suddenly even the familiar is mysterious.
Yes, part of the move into the cold season. Ice will make winter worth it.
Too fleeting this time in your garden before the weather gets at it. It is drama all the same – I hope it holds on for some time. May you have many foggy mornings!
A few days makes a big difference, Rob. But it’s the best time of year in my garden — barring hurricanes and early snow.