Fall Color with Staying Power

We had some rain storms and high winds blow through our area over the last week or so and the weather knocked out some of our fall color. Our weeping cherry, which sported a lovely palette of fall colors, lost all its leaves.

We have four notable examples in our yard that are still providing rich colors to our fall landscape: Common Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), Dwarf Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii), Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)  and Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica).

This native, ilex verticillata, which Anne planted along with its pollinator for birds, combines yellowish foliage with bright red berries and looks great against a green backdrop.

Common Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)

Even when it finally loses its leaves, the berries linger until hungry birds finish them off.

This dwarf variety of Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii) displays a stunningly vibrant leaf color. It's also called Dwarf Witchalder.

Dwarf Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii)

Japanese Maples are ubiquitous but it’s easy to understand why. That deep, rich red is a fabulous fall highlight.

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

Parrotia persica is less well-known but one of our new favorites. It provides a mellow yellow that contrasts well with darker tones.

Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica)

- WR

The Scoop on the “Poop Loop”

We recently had the pleasure of hearing Todd Harrington speak in the Brubeck Room at the Wilton Library. If you’re interested in organic land care, he should be high on your list. Harrington helped write the Northeast Organic Farming Association’s “Standards for Organic Land Care” and has been in the business since 1987. He’s a pioneer in the field.

Todd Harrington speaking at the Wilton Library.

Harrington’s lecture was necessarily technical at times but was full of insider tips and outlined a number of good reasons for adopting an organic approach. It’s obviously healthier but, according to Harrington, can be cheaper in the long run. He points out that chemicals supply a quick fix that ultimately results in addicted plants and poor soil. “The solution is science,” he says.


Unfortunately, transitioning from a chemically dependent landscape may take some time. The interrelationships between soil chemistry, soil morphology, living organisms, and what he calls the "Poop Loop" are complex. That’s part of the journey.

Going organic, especially as far as lawns are concerned, means forgetting about immediacy and rethinking expectations. The results, however, can be personally rewarding as well as being kinder to the environment. If you can't put in a lot of time, effort or money -- and aren’t aiming for a perfect lawn -- you can even opt for a low-maintenance “freedom lawn.”

These days, Harrington is a consultant and president/owner of Harrington’s Organic Land Care. Anne and I hope to visit him in Bloomfield soon. His facilities include a lab that offers biological and chemical soil testing. “If you’re not testing, you’re guessing,” he says. Harrington’s also makes their own compost, compost tea and compost extract and sells a number of other organic products.

For more information, visit www.harringtonsorganic.com

NOFA’s “Standards for Organic Land Care” is available online as a PDF at www.organiclandcare.net/sites/default/files/upload/NOFA_Standards_4th_ed_2009.pdf


WR