Garden Photo of the Day

Happy Thanksgiving! 2013

This wild turkey gobbler struts while displaying his beautiful feather plumage to several hens. Photo/Illustration: All photos courtesy of Irvin & Pauline Faria

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I have to take this opportunity to say how incredibly thankful I am for each and every one of YOU. I have such a blast editing this blog, and almost every day one of you sends me an email with photos and stories that make me gasp out loud in amazement at what you’ve created and nurtured over the years. You are all such a talented, caring, encouraging, kind bunch, and I thank you for it.

Wild turkey hens incubate ~11 eggs for 28 days. Generally only 2 or 3 babies (poults) survive the hunt of coyote, fox, and raccoon. These two poults will live with their mother for a year and visit our garden almost daily.

Speaking of thankfulness, I’m especially thankful today for Irvin and Pauline Faria in Carmichael, California, who sent in the perfect post for Turkey Day. 

‘Orangeola’ Japanese maple, known for its brilliant color, is the focal plant in our front garden. River birch in the background and a large Acer palmatum in the upper right add contrasting interest.

Irvin says, “From Pauline’s Garden we want to express sincere appreciation to you Michelle for your excellence as our GPOD mentor and to those of you who have shared your beautiful gardens. We are deeply thankful for the bountiful inspiration gained from your garden paradises. So often we utter the comment, “can we have a garden just like that?” Like many of you, in our natural setting, we turn to our garden for solitude, nature and enjoyment. The garden continues to provide the various joys of discovery, of peace and in particular how we fit into the natural world and its inhabitants.

With multiple trunks and cascading branches this ‘Sherwood Flame’ Japanese maple is always beautiful with its deep purple-red foliage. The blue angel sign on the tree trunk reads, “Leave room in your garden for the angles to dance”.

“Today our woodland garden areas under a canopy of oak trees flow into each other as designed to do. Imbued with a love of nature we have attempted to remain sensitive to its needs. Plants and trees have been selected for their intense season-long color and natural appearance in the landscape.

An ‘Omato’ Japanese maple is paired with Loropetalum chinense bushes.

“Warm daylight hours and chilly nights have begun to create the much-anticipated autumn visual reward. Throughout the garden dogwoods and Japanese maples provide a kaleidoscope of autumn hues. With these photos we want to share some fall color and nature’s beauty as expressed in the wild turkey. In that regard, as the wild turkey depicts the season of fall celebration with our holiday of Thanksgiving we send our best wishes to all for a happy and wonderful Thanksgiving.”

We have named this Maple Lane for its multiple Japanese maples along the path which include: ‘Okushimo’, ‘Vitifolium’, ‘Okagami’, ‘Kinran’, ‘Moonfire’, ‘Sherwood Flame’, ‘Sekimori’, ‘Murasaki Kiyohime’, and ‘Aoyagi’.

Well said, Irvin, well said. Have a wonderful day, everyone!

This Western redbud (Cercis) is adorned with clusters of pointed, flat, very thin pods containing ~7 hard bean-like seeds.
‘Corbin’ Japanese maple cultivar showing its delicate yellow-green foliage. Leatherleaf ferns (Rumohra adrantifolmis) serve as companion plants as well as a cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) in the background.
This ‘October Glory’ maple produces intense red foliage in the fall. However, in California its color begins to show in November rather than October.
In the foreground is a ‘Crimson Queen’ Japanese maple shrouding above a garden lantern. To the rear a dogwood displays its stunning deep red foliage. In the far right background the yellow cascading limbs and foliage of a ‘Kinran’ Japanese maple can be seen.

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Comments

  1. user-1020932 11/28/2013

    i wondered what would be the post for T'giving or if you would take a day off! what a nice surprise to see Pauline and Irvin's garden, one of my favorites, and their words are a perfect, comforting and reflective way to start this day. i'm a newcomer here but it has been fun and i have met some great people and serious gardeners and i'm fortunate enough to have met some gpod'ers and to correspond with a few. it's all good and michelle, you have the patience of Job to publish this blog each and everyday . Trashywoman i'm especially glad to know you're out there!!!! i'm hoping everybody has the best Thanksgiving ever . Pauline and Irvin, i feel as if i have been to your garden by seeing your photographs but if i'm ever in Carmichael i REALLY want to take a walk through the plantings, i'll even pull weeds / that should be an easy job for me as i've never seen any weeds in your photos, enjoy the day and make it a great one

  2. wGardens 11/28/2013

    Absolutely wonderful post today, so fitting for the day! I just love the foliage of the Japanese Maples and all their neighbors' glory! Great photos of the turkeys, too!
    Best Wishes to everyone for a Happy Thanksgiving shared with family and/or friends!

  3. Jamesjoseph 11/28/2013

    Ito enjoy reading your reading fine gardening. I always go to it first thing in the morning when I get up. I read every comment and learn alot from all the comments posted. I just started after I just started gardening since I retired and really enjoy it. I live outside in the summer and hope to add alot of plants this year since seeing what zone 6 will handle. Again thank everyone that comments. I also hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving.

  4. bee1nine 11/28/2013

    Grand and handsome image of this male turkey. Most perfect
    indeed for TODAY! Along with the vibrantly beautiful captured
    photos of your many Japanese Maple cultivars and more.
    LOVE IT!
    Thank you Irvin and Pauline for sharing your autumn beauty
    that surrounds you!

    A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!!!

  5. User avater
    meander_michaele 11/28/2013

    Wonderful sharings today...thanks so much to you, Michelle and Pauline and Irvin.
    Now, even though I totally know that is a glorious male turkey in the first photo... as an east TN gal, for some reason Dolly Parton came to mind...hmmm, I wonder why! A little joke to myself since I am dealing with an all time disaster of pie crust making for my signature apple pie. My husband, Darwin and Jeff have been putting up with my venting on the subject.
    Pauline and Irvin, your garden never fails to delight and amaze. I am enchanted with your wonderful selection of Japanese maples.

  6. pattyspencer 11/28/2013

    Perfect pictures for today!! Those Japanese Maples are stunning!!

    Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

  7. user-1020932 11/28/2013

    oh, Mike, i just saw the pie crust photo. RIP

  8. JonMoss 11/28/2013

    When I check out GPOD I feel I am part of a happy community. I look forward to the photos but like best the usually thoughtful comments. Today is Thanksgiving and I am grateful for all gardeners. They do the work that makes tomorrow beautiful. I wish you all every bounty.

  9. JonMoss 11/28/2013

    When I check out GPOD I feel I am part of a happy community. I look forward to the photos but like best the usually thoughtful comments. Today is Thanksgiving and I am grateful for all gardeners. We do the work that makes tomorrow beautiful. I wish you all every bounty.

  10. mainer59 11/28/2013

    Gorgeous fall foliage and sentiments expressed so thoughtfully, Irwin and Pauline. Here in inland Maine this time of the year is a transition to winter with not a leaf on a tree (except oaks) and snow may be here to stay at any moment. The wild turkeys congregate under the old apple trees in the field. We had 14 yesterday. The deer and coyotes eat the apples, too. Happy thanksgiving for all of you and all of nature.

  11. wildthyme 11/28/2013

    On this day of thanksgiving, I'm very grateful to all you GPODers for taking the time to share your gardens, and Michele, for all your hard work in bringing them to life for us. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

  12. paiya 11/28/2013

    Every morning starts for me with beautiful inspiring garden views - we give thanks to Michelle and all the gardeners who share their passion and efforts with us

  13. barb_j 11/28/2013

    Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am most thankful for Michelle posting every morning through thick and thin and Meander1's kind comments. I hardly read anyone else's.
    Also, I am going to have to get an orangeola maple now.

  14. greengenes 11/28/2013

    A perfect start for today! The turkey is such a beautiful bird! All those maples are so colorful.. I cant wait until mine get large! Its always a nice finish of color in the fall leaves... Thanks for sharing! We sure do have a lot to be thankful for!

  15. GrannyMay 11/28/2013

    Thank you Michelle for choosing the perfect Thanksgiving post! Thank you Pauline and Irvin for your beautiful fall garden photos and inspiring sentiments! Thank you all GPOD commenters and gardeners for sharing!

    Happy Thanksgiving all!

  16. tractor1 11/28/2013

    Such vibrant colors in the Faria's garden, and I especially love the peeling bark on that river birch.

    I have lots of wild turkeys here but they are usually too far away for me to get such a detailed photo, however I do have several tele shots of their flocks... they mostly live in my forest path and wildflower meadow.

    Wishing a Wonderful Thanksgiving to All!

  17. Aarchman07030 11/28/2013

    Thanks to all you GPOD'ers for the time and efforts you put into your gardens and for the time and effort you put into sharing the results--as well as the lessons learned along the way--with the rest of us.

    I've yet to take any Master Gardener classes, but the notebook I've filled just reading the GPOD blog every day will surely put me at the head of the class when I start.

    Until then, the photos fill me with inspiration, and the captions and comments fill me with knowledge and--most importantly--never fail to start my day with a smile.

    And thanks, of course, to Michelle for making it all happen.

    Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

  18. GrammyGranddad 11/28/2013

    Aren't we gardeners lucky that with each plant we put in the ground we enrich not only our own lives but the lives of those that follow? That's something, I think, to be thankful for today.
    Irvin And Pauline, your garden is wonderful! Imagine how magnificent the display will be in a generation!

  19. ancientgardener 11/28/2013

    What a perfect Thanksgiving entry! That turkey is a handsome fellow - and your garden is glorious...one of the prettiest I have seen yet. And now back to the cooking. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!

    Michelle, thank you so much for giving us our daily treat and to all you fine gardeners who share. I am 85, but even at that age, I still scribble notes of plants I plan to track down for next spring as I am inspired by your beautiful gardens.

  20. User avater
    Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 11/28/2013

    Simply beautiful words and beautiful photos from an enchanting garden. Michelle, I just can't imagine how much time and energy it takes to keep this blog going! Have a wonderful thanksgiving everyone!

  21. annek 11/28/2013

    What a wonder-full message and photos to greet me this thanksgiving morn. Thank you, Irvin and Pauline, for your warm sentiments and cheery holiday photos. As always, your gardens are divine inspiration and the colors brilliant.

    Happy thanksgiving to all GPOD-ers and to Michelle, our fearless leader!

  22. sheila_schultz 11/28/2013

    Irvin and Pauline... your gardens are so magical, as are your words Irvin. Thank you for coming into our lives, you are GPOD's treasure.
    Michelle... your time and patience keeping this blog running for all of us is so appreciated. I bet you didn't realize the community you were building when you came up with the GPOD idea did you?
    My GPOD friends... thank you all for continuing to inspire me. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
    PS Michaele... may your next pie crust be perfect ;)

  23. Meelianthus 11/28/2013

    Thank you Irvin, Pauline and Michelle for this wonderful garden posting. BEAUTIFUL. The very fact that we have all tuned in today tells you Michelle how very special it is to all of us. Thank you for showing us all the beauty. Each and every gardener is helping make the world a better place. I have so enjoyed ALL of your gardens and comments.
    HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL.

  24. wittyone 11/28/2013

    Thanks to Irvin and Pauline for the beautiful photos. I have always thought California would be more or less seasonless and so am surprised at the nice color that you have in your trees there.

    The pic of the turkey is priceless----perfect for a November calendar page.

    I had never seen one with spread tail until last year. A hapless male running behind a group of about 8 girls frantically spreading and folding his tail in an attempt to get their attention. They were having none of that thank you very much!

    Meander 1: it's been my experience that those pie curusts that are hard to handle and roll out turn out to be the best most tender of the lot. The proof of the pudding is of course in the eating!

  25. tractor1 11/29/2013

    I hope all who celebrate enjoyed their Thanksgiving... I know we're all stuffed.

    Wild turkeys and deer get along well:

    An awful photo but with tele at great distance...

  26. Joyce70 11/29/2013

    I echo all the thank you's on this appropriate day. I don't always comment, but I so enjoy the pictures and ideas and inspirations during every season. You are so talented in editing and choosing. Joyce

  27. appaloosa 11/29/2013

    God has created many beautiful things in this world. I am so glad to view these flowers, trees, shrubs and animals. Thank you for sharing these encouraging pictures each day. Happy Thanksgiving.

  28. janetsfolly 11/29/2013

    It's been a long day but what a lovely surprise to end it! After seeing the perfect post from Pauline and Irvin and reading everyone's comments I am reminded how much I would miss this little group if Michelle threw in the towel! Thank you, one and all, for your contributions. Hope evyone had a wonderful day!

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