A fall visit to Toronto's Taylor Creek Park

Creating autumn memories along the Massey-Taylor Creek Trail

Autumn seemed to have come and gone so quickly this year. (Yes, I know that we're still in autumn until the winter solstice but leaves off of trees equals winter for me. The early snowfall and Christmas music I hear in stores now suggest that we're unofficially in winter mode.) 

On the last nice weekend, weather-wise, we had several weeks ago, my family and I took a leisurely walk along the Taylor Creek Trail. Taylor Creek is a tributary of one of the main rivers flowing through Toronto, the Don River. Running more or less adjacent to the Don is one of our city's major highways, the Don Valley Parkway (or "Parking Lot" during rush hour)  but a visitor to the Trail wouldn't have noticed the incessant traffic passing close by.

It's not surprising that the Trail is a favourite for families with baby strollers, dog walkers, bicyclists and more than a few photographers. While our visit was late in the season and the fall foliage was past its prime, colour-wise, I managed to snap a few pictures on that brisk but sunny afternoon to share with you.

Autumn foliage Taylor Creek Park 

Autumn foliage reflection Taylor Creek Park 

European Larch (Larix decidua) fall foliage 
Taylor Creek Park 

Fall foliage Taylor Creek Park 

White Birch (Betula papyrifera) at Taylor Creek Park

Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) fall foliage 
at Taylor Creek Park 

O'Connor Drive bridge over Taylor Creek Trail

Populus tremuloides (Trembling poplar) fall foliage
at Taylor Creek Park

Taylor Creek Park autumn foliage reflection 

Monkey #1 in the tree

Monkey #2 posing!

Me and the Mrs.

After about an hour and a half, the kids were moaning about being starved. (And, to be honest, I was feeling peckish too.) It was nice to be "unplugged" and away from our devices, even for too short a time.

Autumn foliage in Toronto: memories before the snow comes

2014 fall colours from Mount Pleasant Cemetery, the Toronto Botanical Garden and my backyard!

This week's snowfall and lower than average temperatures (below freezing) unofficially started winter, for me anyway.  So before we plunge into the throes of another Toronto winter, here are some pictures from sunnier and warmer times (about 30 days ago or so!)

Mount Pleasant Cemetery's 
 Remembrance Walk fall foliage

Mount Pleasant Cemetery is such a wonderful place to take a walk, bike ride, jog and, for an Arboriculture student like myself ten years ago, collect leaves for a Plant I.D. project. I took a few pictures on a quiet fall morning with a brilliant blue sky above me.

On another day, I enjoyed some late autumn brilliance at the Toronto Botanical Garden surrounded by the Japanese and Paperbark maples that seemed to glow.

Lastly, I preserved one memory from my own backyard for you.

Fall colours are so fleeting, dashed by November's wind and sleet.

Mount Pleasant Cemetery 
Sugar maple autumn foliage

Paperbark maple (Acer griseum) fall foliage 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden

Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) 
autumn foliage at a client's yard

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) 
autumn foliage at a client's yard

Autumn foliage of a young Sugar Maple at 
Toronto's Mount Pleasant Cemetery 

Viburnum carlesii "Diana" 
( "Diana" Koreanspice viburnum) 
 fall foliage at the Toronto Botanical Garden

Mount Pleasant Cemetery's 
 Forest of Remembrance autumn foliage 

Mount Pleasant Cemetery's  
Forest of Remembrance fall foliage

Acer griseum (Paperbark maple)
 fall foliage at the Toronto Botanical Garden 

Common witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) 
autumn foliage at Mount Pleasant Cemetery

Autumn foliage in my backyard

It's a bit of a jumble but if you start at the right side and move left, here are the shrubs:

a) dark purple leaves: "Popcorn" doublefile viburnum (Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum 'Popcorn')

b) yellow: a Katsuratree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) I grew from seed

c) light green: "Blue Muffin" arrowwood viburnum ( (Viburnum dentatum 'Blue Muffin')

d) dark green: another "Popcorn" doublefile viburnum that hasn't changed colour yet

e) orange/pink: "Seiryu" Japanese maple (Acer palmatum "Seiryu")

I have a few Japanese Forest Grass at the bottom of the bed.

Autumn is my favourite time in the backyard. The trees and shrubs provide the fireworks, brief as they are.


(Please disregard the landscaping fabric on the left path leading to the back. It will be covered with flagstone next year, budget-willing!)

Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) 
autumn foliage at Mount Pleasant Cemetery

Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) 
fall foliage at Mount Pleasant Cemetery

Falling for Japanese maples in the fall

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's Japanese maples

While there isn't a horticultural version of the Ten Commandments (that I'm aware of), more than a few gardeners every late autumn across Toronto feel pangs of envy and covetousness while peering at another's Japanese maple.

Well, I do.

(On a side note, I've heard reports of specimen Japanese maples stolen from front gardens (and a cemetery!) in our fair city. Obviously, a different Commandment is being broken here.)

You likely walk past more than a few small landscape trees  on your way to work or the store, not really giving much thought to the dark red (wine?) or green leaves. Then, starting in late October for us, it seems that these maples flip a switch and start glowing.

Acer palmatum "Mikawa Yatsubusa" 
Japanese maple autumn foliage 
at the Toronto Botanical Garden

It's mid November now and the Japanese maple show is starting to wind down a little but I was able to capture these photos over the past few weeks showing some unusual Acer palmatum cultivars showing their fall finery at the Toronto Botanical Garden.

I've had mixed success with Japanese maples in my backyard as I've lost two to verticillum wilt: a very nice and expensive "Seiryu" and a very nice and expensive "Osakazuki" (you see the pertinent adjectives?) Of course the Viburnum plicatum Japanese snowballs are growing madly so these spots have been filled nicely.

Acer palmatum "Coonara Pygmy"
 Japanese maple fall foliage
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 

Acer palmatum "Crimson Queen"
 Japanese maple fall foliage
 at the Toronto Botanical Garden

Acer palmatum var. dissectum "Waterfall"
 laceleaf Japanese maple autumn foliage

Acer palmatum "Kagiri Nishiki"
 Japanese maple fall foliage
at the Toronto Botanical Garden

Acer palmatum "Kamagata"
 Japanese maple fall foliage
 at the Toronto Botanical Garden

Acer palmatum "Kiyo-hime"
  Japanese maple fall foliage
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 

Acer palmatum "Kiyo-hime"
  Japanese maple fall foliage detail
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 

Acer palmatum "Linearlobum"
Japanese maple fall foliage
 at the Toronto Botanical Garden 

Acer palmatum "Mikawa Yatsubusa"
 Japanese maple autumn foliage
 at the Toronto Botanical Garden 

Acer palmatum "Mikawa Yatsubusa"
 Japanese maple fall foliage
at theToronto Botanical Garden

Acer palmatum "Osakazuki"
 Japanese maple fall foliage
 at the Toronto Botanical Garden

Acer palmatum "Trompenburg"
 Japanese maple fall foliage
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 

Acer palmatum var. dissectum "Green Hornet"
 Japanese maple fall foliage
at the Toronto Botanical Garden 

Acer palmatum var. dissectum "Waterfall"
 Japanese maple foliage 

Fall foliage of Acer palmatum 
"Linearlobum"Japanese maple
 at the Toronto Botanical Garden

Laceleaf Japanese maple
 (Acer palmatum var. dissectum "Waterfall")
 autumn foliage on display at a client's garden

Oh, by the way, my neighbours don't have a Japanese maple but rather a plastic lawn (artificial turf) installed. No coveting here...

North Broadview | Pape Village fall garden cleanup

A late fall garden cleanup in the North Broadview neighbourhood of Toronto

My fall garden cleanups usually involve raking leaves, deadheading perennials and pruning shrubs where appropriate but my latest visit to this North Broadview home involved weeding these three raised beds that were heavily infested with quack grass, lambs' quarters, plantain and even some bindweed!

Post-cleanup, I've suggested planting lower maintenance perennials like ornamental grasses and perhaps a Japanese maple to add some interest to these visible front beds.

Toronto garden cleanup before Broadview North
 by Paul Jung Gardening Services

Toronto garden cleanup after Broadview North
 by Paul Jung Gardening Services

Toronto garden cleanup Broadview North before
by Paul Jung Gardening Services

Toronto garden cleanup Broadview North after
by Paul Jung Gardening Services

Toronto garden cleanup before Broadview North
by Paul Jung Gardening Services

Toronto garden cleanup after  Broadview North
by Paul Jung Gardening Services

Toronto garden cleanup Pape Village before
by Paul Jung Gardening Services

Toronto garden cleanup Pape Village after
by Paul Jung Gardening Services

Pape Village Toronto garden cleanup before
by Paul Jung Gardening Services

Pape Village Toronto garden cleanup after
by Paul Jung Gardening Services

Toronto garden cleanup before Broadview North
by Paul Jung Gardening Services

Toronto garden cleanup after Broadview North
by Paul Jung Gardening Services