As with our blooms, the Central Texas foliage perks up with September rains, shorter days, and the suggestion of cooler temperature ahead. I join with Pam at Digging to celebrate the end of summer, new beginnings for autumn, and all things leafy.
The pond garden is a riot of fascinating foliage. Just take a look! 
Lots of foliage action in this shot! Clockwise from the bottom, the actual water plants include the lily pads of the two lilies I grow (Colorado and Claude Ikins), the Ruby Red Runner, and the showy leaves of the Pickerel Rush, Pontederia cordata. All three pond plants contribute to the biological filtration of my pond, though I also have a mechanical filter.
Continuing with the tour d’ foliage, the plants adjacent to the pond include tropical Yellow Bells, Tecoma stans, Soft-leaf Yucca, Yucca recurvifolia, Firecracker Plant, Russelia equisetiformis, Martha Gonzales Roses, Iris, Autumn Sage, Salvia greggii, and Mexican Feathergrass, Nassella tenuissima. All of these perennials sport differing widths, textures, and colors of leaves.
Ruby Red Runner dies back in the winter, but by late summer into fall it’s full-on lovely and spreading.
It’s seeded out in several places around the pond. This plant, usually used as a waterfall biological filter and prized for its attractive foliage, produces teensy puff-ball flowers,
…which go to seed, thus, the spread.
Another view of the plants near the pond…
Not much blooming in those photos, but a variety of leaf beauty.
I particularly like these water shots with the creeping roots of the Ruby Red Runner, spreading its spidery fingers toward the lily pads,
…as if the roots are creeping outward to grab the pads. Or maybe they’re just reaching out for a watery hug!
The soft, elegant foliage of Lindheimer’s Senna, Senna lindheimeriana,
lends structure to, but also softens the back of my garden. Combined with the bright green leaves of the Yellow Bells and spiky, but matching-in-color American Century Plant, Agave americana,
…the Senna fits well in this spot.
The morning after a recent rain, the foliage of the Purple Heart, Setcreasea pallida, retained droplets along its edges.
With “traditional” autumn coloring, (which doesn’t happen for Central Texas on a large-scale until late November/December), the plumes of the Maiden Grass, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Adagio’, beautifully complement the flowers of Turk’s Cap, Malvaviscus arboreus, and the orange blossoms of Flame Acanthus, Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii.
Here’s a closer look at the inflorescence of the Maiden Grass.
Along with the orange-y and autumn-y color theme, this new ceramic container is planted with the ‘Color Guard’ Yucca, Yucca filamentosa ‘Color Guard’, accompanied by Woolly Stemodia, Stemodia lanata.
The container sits amidst a nest of blooming and berrying Pigeonberry, Rivina humilis.
What interesting foliage is gracing your garden space now? Celebrate foliage in your gardens and learn about other foliage by visiting Digging for September Foliage Follow-up.
My Gardener Says... 
Well, wow. I’ve always wanted some sort of a water feature for my spaces and nothing I’ve seen here has done anything to dissuade me of the notion. Those underwater root shots are really interesting – they are so cool and inviting in their own way. Compliments again on the labeling function you use – it is incredibly helpful sorting out the less familiar plants types in your larger scale shots. I’ll be visiting this post again and again – those wider shots are like a primer on “how to successfully plant a diverse and lovely bed”.
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I resisted building a pond for a long time. I was intimidated by the learning curve and dreaded the work. It’s the single best gardening decision, apart from using natives and getting rid of my grass, that I ever made. While the initial work– deciding, designing, and building was work, the maintenance thereafter is not that much. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed having it. If there’s another garden in my future, the pond will be one of the first things to go in. Then, I’ll get rid of the grass. The labeling feature is nice. I bet you could configure something up, with a little work. You could add it, like adding a copyright–really, it’s the same thing.
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sigh. I just love your pond. So beautiful.
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Me too! Water features aren’t all that hard. There’s a bit of learning involved, a little perspiration and sore muscles. Afterwards, you get to enjoy!
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I love your pond garden, what a wonderful place for wildlife! The orange pot is a perfect accent to the plants, I like how it is nestled in the pigeon berry.
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Thanks, Laurin, I love my pond too! Serene and interesting, it’s a wonderful addition to my plot of the Earth. I like that orange pot as well. Weirdly, I never cared for orange until recent years–now, I have a fair amount of it around.
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I love the orange pot with the yellow yucca in it — a fun, colorful accent. You’re right about the enjoyment a pond brings. There’s nothing that compares with it. Your garden is looking full and lush — happy with the rain and slightly cooler weather.
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I like that orange pot too–bright and cheery and a nice addition to that little space.
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Gosh, where do I start?! You have such an amazing collection of great foliage plants. The Senna and the Ruby Red Runner roots are especially nifty!
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Thanks, Beth. I’m very fond of all of those plants and they’ve performed and produced well for that garden.
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Lots of lovely foliage and I love your pond, it is beautifully planted.
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Thank you. I’ve enjoyed the challenge and results this pond garden has given me.
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