Christmastime Autumn leaves for Foliage Follow Up

December 16, 2011


Although Christmas is only a week away, fall color is just now peaking in Austin. Buttery yellow cedar elms, rusty red oaks, and, in my garden, a red-orange Japanese maple brighten the neighborhood along with colored Christmas lights. Yeah, it’s a little disconcerting, but officially it is still autumn.


So, what foliage is inspiring you today? Join me in posting about your lovely leaves of December for Foliage Follow-Up, a way to remind ourselves of the importance of foliage in the garden. Just leave a comment here with a link to your foliage post, and please include a link to Digging in your post. If you can’t post so soon after Bloom Day, no worries. Just leave your link when you get to it.

All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

22 responses to “Christmastime Autumn leaves for Foliage Follow Up”

  1. Jenny says:

    The colors really are amazing this year. I was just thinking yesterday that I don’t ever remember such incredible rusts, reds and oranges. You have some real beauties in your garden.

  2. Gail says:

    Pam, Japanese Maples are beautiful. Now I miss Autumn! Here’s my contribution! http://www.clayandlimestone.com/2011/12/its-mid-december-and-you-know-what-that.html

  3. They really look wonderful for a Christmas landscape. We haven’t had a significant snowfall yet so I am posting some Dec. greenery! http://eachlittleworld.typepad.com/each_little_world/2011/12/foliage-follow-up-12162011.html

  4. Great color Pam! Here’s my Foliage Follow Up contribution: http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2011/12/plant-table-pretty.html (hope that turns into a clickable link!)

  5. Shirley says:

    The Japanese Maple is beautiful, great color.

    Here’s my rainy day tour for Foliage Follow Up.

    http://rockoakdeer.blogspot.com/2011/12/foliage-follow-up-december-2011.html

  6. Denise says:

    The leaves, the mellow brick of your home, the green gate, it all looks perfect!
    I hope you’re getting some fall/winter rains. We had a doozy yesterday afternoon.
    http://agrowingobsession.com/?p=25183

  7. Tina says:

    Oh, I want a Japanese Maple soooo badly! But where to plant it?? I’m thinking about growing one in a container (not my best venue for plants). Your pics are lovely though(as are the leaves). My contribution to Foliage Follow-Up is as follows: http://mygardenersays.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/foliage-follow-up-december-2011-chartreuse-collage-art/

  8. No leaves left here in Portland….but still lots of foliage! Here’s my post: http://dangergarden.blogspot.com/2011/12/foliage-follow-up-december-2011.html

    Thanks for hosting!

  9. Your maple is just lovely. Funny how differently our climates treat our same-zone gardens between Austin and Portland: we have very little fall color left here. But I have lots of fallen leaves I should follow up on!
    Here’s my Foliage Follow-Up post: http://mulchmaid.blogspot.com/2011/12/foliage-follow-up-december-2011.html
    Thank you for hosting, Pam.

  10. My Canadian Prunus nigra is getting old enough to be a deep dark brooding presence in the garden. Few more years and I’ll have what I want from it.

  11. Hi Pam – Your Japanese Maple is beautiful – stunning colour! Definately on my Christmas wish list is a Japanese Maple!
    My Foliage Follow-up post is up: http://www.thegardeningblog.co.za/gardening/foliage-follow-up-in-december/ – Thanks for hosting 🙂

  12. Hey Pam,
    Thanks for hosting the Foliage Follow-up 🙂 Here’s my post: http://signaturegardens.blogspot.com/2011/12/appreciating-foliage-anticipating.html

    It was a relief to see some color on the maples this year considering the summer we had. Just wish the color would last a little longer — it’s too pretty!!

  13. David says:

    Hi Pam,
    Beautiful set of photos there! That’s a wonderful Japanese maple you have. Our Crepe Myrtles are putting on a spectacular show this year, but I’m letting foliage from my bromeliad collection take center stage this time. Thanks so much for hosting foliage follow-up. Where would we be without leaves? Merry Christmas. 🙂 David/ Tropical Texana/ Houston
    http://tropicaltexana.blogspot.com/2011/12/bromeliads-stand-in-as-flowers-in-shady.html
    P.S. I’m out of school these next two weeks so I hope to do some catching up on your blog posts. Yea!

  14. Ally says:

    A post oak can’t compare to a Japanese maple when it comes to fall color, but even the post oaks seem to be showing off this year. Here’s a link to my post oak foliage follow-up: http://gardenally.blogspot.com/2011/12/rock-bye-trees.html

  15. Lucy Abbott says:

    Hi Pam, here in Houston, Texas we have had a lovely week with many trees just now starting to turn colors. I think this is the best changing of the leaves I can ever remember here in the Gulf Coast. Thanks for hosting this Foliage Follow-Up. Here is the link to what is going on in my garden: http://www.lucysinthegarden.com/2011/12/foliage-follow-up.html

    Lucy, I love how the rusty orange bald cypress complements the color of your terracotta garage. Thanks for joining in for Foliage Follow-Up! (I was not able to leave a comment on your blog without an account of some kind, unfortunately. If you care to enable the Name/URL option in your comment field, other folks like me will be able to leave comments too.) Your stock-tank pond also is fantastic. —Pam

  16. Beautiful color for Christmas!
    Our Autumn color peaks in October and is gone by Thanksgiving, although now and then a bit of color hangs on longer.
    Merry Christmas!
    Lea
    Northern Mississippi

  17. What a beautiful mix of colours! Acers really do autumn in style.

    I’ve managed for a change to get a post up for foliage followup though it’s a bit late! But here is what December looks like in my Scottish garden and I was quite shocked to see a few leaves still hanging in the garden.

    http://www.leavesnbloom.com/2011/12/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-december-2011.html

    Rosie, I love all the spent seedheads in your garden and the pretty way you showcase them in your photos. Very inspiring for December! (I was not able to leave a comment on your blog without an account, unfortunately, so I’m leaving it here.) Thanks for joining in for Foliage Follow-Up! —Pam

  18. Frances says:

    Your maple tree is fabulous, Pam, and so welcome to see the brilliance of fall still hanging around. We had a black gum when we lived in Texas that had flaming foliage like that. Speaking of foliage, my post about it is up:
    Foliage Follow Up,December 2011.

  19. Scott Weber says:

    Beautiful…so jealous of your lingering fall color!

  20. David says:

    Hi Pam,
    I made you(as well as all my gardening friends) a YUCCA CLAUS. Stop by and have a laugh. Merry Christmas, garden friend.
    David/ :-0 ho ho ho

  21. Sara Malone says:

    Great colors, great posts, and a wonderful idea. Who says that gardens have to languish in winter?!

    Definitely not in mild Central Texas, Sara. Thanks for stopping by. —Pam