Autumn colour

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David Bracey

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Re: Autumn colour
« Reply #15 on: October 04, 2011, 04:18:07 PM »
Good point JTh .  Are there other species which grow at say sea level and some which grow at altitude ie Holomondas which we could compare.  What about in Israel Oron and Mike in Crete? I will ask Professsor Olate in Chile !
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 I have gardened in sub-tropical Florida, maritime UK, continental Europe and the Mediterranean basin, France. Of the 4 I have found that the most difficult climate for gardening is the latter.

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MikeHardman

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Re: Autumn colour
« Reply #16 on: October 04, 2011, 11:03:31 PM »
I'm at 100m (in Cyprus), but up in the Troodos there are some other opportunities for colour. I wonder about the cherries around Prodromos (1,400m) - thinking, despite it not being a fruit cherry, of Prunus sargentii's rich autumn colours. Also up there: Quercus alnifolia, which colours yellow in autumn. Maybe trunks of Arbutus. And the more ornamental Vitis, eg. Vitis coignetiae.

Update: These days, Prunus sargentii should be referred to as Cerasus sachalinensis [thanks Alisdair].
« Last Edit: October 05, 2011, 08:23:00 AM by MikeHardman »
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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John J

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Re: Autumn colour
« Reply #17 on: October 05, 2011, 04:24:32 PM »
I know the Melia azedarach has recently featured in another thread here but I took this photo this evening as the setting sun shone on the berries. A slightly different take on the autumn colours maybe but when the leaves won't provide it you have to get it where you can.
« Last Edit: October 05, 2011, 05:52:20 PM by Alisdair »
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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JTh

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Re: Autumn colour
« Reply #18 on: October 05, 2011, 05:23:39 PM »
I have actually only seen proper autumn colours once in Greece, in mid-October, it was near the road to Arnea (probably around 500-600 m altitude) in the Holomondas, and it seems as if only the maples (Acer platanoides, I believe) showed these colours.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

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MikeHardman

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Re: Autumn colour
« Reply #19 on: October 05, 2011, 09:00:13 PM »
Aah - Maples (and Dipteronia) - one of my favourite groups of trees.
While at Liverpool Uni. I collected a few hundred seeds from under a paperbark maple in Calderstones Park, aware of the low fertility (at least in the UK). I sowed 'em all and had about five germinate. The years took their toll, and I was down to one when I moved to Cyprus in 2009, reluctantly giving that one away (in a big pot) to a recently-discovered bonsai enthusiast. For a few years, I had had a miniature display of the deep red autumn foliage I had loved when seen in mature paperbarks.
Amur maple is another one I grew for its rich autumn colours; and I managed to root it from cuttings.
For a long-ago birthday, my ex gave me an Acer palmatum dissectum, which I dutifully tended, and which looked wonderful when its red leaves were wet with dew and backlit by the low morning sun.
Here in Cyprus, however, the native maples are in the autumn-yellow part of the spectrum.

But even with mainly yellows, you can make more of them by working with contrasts and with complements.
That's hinted at in this photo, which I took by Evretou reservoir in western Cyprus on 6jan2011. The yellow is provided by tamarisk, contrasted with green in the foreground, and complemented with the silvery twiggery beyond.


(from my Facebook pages)
« Last Edit: October 05, 2011, 09:02:12 PM by MikeHardman »
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

David Bracey

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Re: Autumn colour
« Reply #20 on: October 11, 2011, 08:38:46 PM »
Eduarto Olate in Chile replied: " Yes we have some species with nice fall foliage related all of them in the genus Nothofagus (N. obliqua, N. alpina, N. dombeyii and N. alessandrii and N. macrocarpa). Only N. macrocarpa is in the Mediterranean area of Chile. The other species are from our Cold Temperate climate in southern Chile (Lat. 35 to 50ยบ South)."
MGS member.

 I have gardened in sub-tropical Florida, maritime UK, continental Europe and the Mediterranean basin, France. Of the 4 I have found that the most difficult climate for gardening is the latter.

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MikeHardman

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Re: Autumn colour
« Reply #21 on: October 11, 2011, 08:50:05 PM »
David/Eduarto - Nothofagus macrocarpa: wow - I see what you mean!
http://floradechile.cl/dicotyle/species/fnomacro.htm

I think I noticed a Nothofagus in the  Eleouthkia botanical park near Mandria, Cyprus. It surprised me at the time - just seeing this genus here.
« Last Edit: October 11, 2011, 08:53:15 PM by MikeHardman »
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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MikeHardman

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Re: Autumn colour
« Reply #22 on: October 15, 2011, 09:35:47 PM »
Some Melia azederach are trying to put on a show now; these were in Steni today
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

ezeiza

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Re: Autumn colour
« Reply #23 on: October 16, 2011, 01:42:17 AM »
What a difference from one watering regime to another as here in the pampas of Argentina it is one of the best dense shade trees. The very dark leafless trees with masses of beige berries all over winter are very attractive as well. It has a an acid yellow autumn color that adds to it.

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Fleur Pavlidis

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Re: Autumn colour
« Reply #24 on: October 16, 2011, 03:14:06 PM »
Koelreuteria paniculata: seed pods terracotta and leaves turning orange.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2012, 08:31:17 AM by Fleur Pavlidis »
MGS member, Greece. I garden in Attica, Greece and Mt Goulinas (450m) Central Greece

ezeiza

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Re: Autumn colour
« Reply #25 on: October 16, 2011, 04:16:46 PM »
Kolreuteria is stunning with their terracotta-salmon capsules

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John

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Re: Autumn colour
« Reply #26 on: October 16, 2011, 07:28:32 PM »
Unlike Melia this tree is good in London though not very common and it makes quite a large tree.
John
Horticulturist, photographer, author, garden designer and plant breeder; MGS member and RHS committee member. I garden at home in SW London and also at work in South London.

David Bracey

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Re: Autumn colour
« Reply #27 on: October 20, 2011, 08:37:46 PM »
Pistacia terebinthus and P lentiscus, Cotinus coggygria and the climber Parthenogensis all have strong autumn colours and are worth growing.
MGS member.

 I have gardened in sub-tropical Florida, maritime UK, continental Europe and the Mediterranean basin, France. Of the 4 I have found that the most difficult climate for gardening is the latter.

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MikeHardman

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Re: Autumn colour
« Reply #28 on: October 20, 2011, 10:06:42 PM »
David - I think you still have aphids on your brain!
Methinks you mean Parthenocissus.
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

Hilary

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Re: Autumn colour
« Reply #29 on: October 21, 2011, 06:09:33 AM »
Snapped a couple of days ago in Corinth
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Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care