The first snap of frost

Amethyst Snowberries make a stunning landscape addition for the fall.  I took handfulls of cuttings inside so that I could enjoy this amazing color all day and night.

Goldflame Spirea is a seriously hardworking plant!  The colors change throughout the season.  Spring starts as bright orange (fall color!), then it moves onto chartruese, followed by green, then onto a burnished red for the fall. 

Bunnytails!  I patiently wait for the bloom every year, which occurs in very late summer.  The graceful arch and delicate bloom make for a perfect clumping grass.  The wheat color is a great contrast to strong fall color.

The Blackeyed Susan stands strong against the cold snap.  I like the sharp contrast of the black seed head.   

Sword Ferns are abundant in the PNW and they make for great naturalized plantings.  I use them as a transition to the adjacent wetlands. I transplant all the little starts I find around the yard under the douglas firs at the edge of the wetland where they stand a good chance of surviving in the dry, acidic soil.