Visitors flock to Greenbank’s Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens each spring to see rhododendrons in lavish bloom. Many people think of Meerkerk as only a seasonal destination but the gardens provide surprises all year long.

Rhododendrons may be the stars of spring but in fall, rhodies stand as subtle backdrops to the splendor of deciduous trees.

At the 53-acre gardens, fall paints Meerkerk with a mosaic of color.

Maples flare against evergreens silvered with mist. A Liquidamber tree beams with honeyed-orange. Third-year leaves on rhodies hang like Halloween ornaments in shades of yellow, orange and red.

Meerkerk’s rhodies dazzle in spring but people should tour the gardens each season to appreciate the gardens’ layers of color, texture and fragrance.

“People who visit only in spring miss a lot,” horticulturist Oriana Simmons-Otness said, twisting a scarlet maple leaf in her fingers.

People miss the aroma of vanilla and blueberries drifting from fallen katsura leaves. People miss the fuchsia-, cinnamon- and lemon-colored rhodie leaf stems and flower buds. People miss curling, fringed barks and paths layered with fallen leaves.

“Fall shows a tapestry of color. Each week reveals a new thread,” Kristi O’Donnell, the gardens’ director, said.

Simmons-Otness said she loves the aubergine leaves on the mountain ash and Japanese maples.

“It’s a great time to see what accents rhodies and get garden ideas,” she added.

At Meerkerk, fall’s kaleidoscope surprises visitors as it previews winter’s season of bark and buds that herald spring.

Purchase a bit of Meerkerk magic

Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens’ autumn sale Saturday, Oct. 16, features every size of rhododendron from starter plants to fully budded landscape specimens. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., seasoned gardeners will dispense advice on proper rhodie care. Meerkerk is in Greenbank. Turn east on Resort Road off Highway 525.