The End of Fall

Fall clings to the landscape, though the leading edge of winter has arrived here in Helena. Icy winds have stripped most deciduous trees of their color, if not entirely of their leaves, and many plants are dormant, vital under the comfort of the soil but leaving brown carcasses of their former selves above.

I have watched the end come, watched the colors blaze and then fade. Changes have come quickly over the past two weeks.

Acer palmatum dissectum 'Seiryu' was the last Japanese maple to show its fall colors, and even now this tree is brilliant against the drab colors of its neighbors.

Other Japanese maple leaves are barely holding to their branches or are already fallen:

After several hard frosts, some knockout roses in the herb bed still bloom. Here is what they looked like only two weeks ago:

During the week of Thanksgiving the woodland garden was bordered in warm shades of gold and tan:

The Japanese maple 'Orido Nishiki" was a blaze of color over the blue bridge:

This week there were sharp shadows in the cold air of the woodlands. Colorful leaves still clung to 'Orido Nishiki', contrasting with the bright green of the moss path. I think after this weekend they will be gone.

Southern magnolia leaves stand out against the trunks and branches in the woodlands behind them. I will use leaves like these in some of my Christmas decorations:

The end of fall is not ugly. There is a stark beauty in naked limbs and dried seed heads, and there is still plenty of color in evergreen foliage and winter blooms and berries:1st row: Camellia 'Leslie Ann'; Nandina domestica. 2nd row: Decorative kale; Daphne odora 'Marginata'. 3rd row: Viburnum carlesii, fall foliage; Old azalea, unknown variety. 4th row: Rose hip, 'Penelope'; Skeletal remains of onion chives.

Winter may stamp out the last of fall tonight, as temperatures fall far below freezing. I won't be sad. I have a new coat, and I know this is true: We play with winter here. We build fires in our fireplaces and eat hot homemade soup. We celebrate Christmas and New Years and watch lots of football. We wonder if there may be snow. We curl up with our lovers, and if there is no lover there is always a good book or movie. We sometimes complain as much as Northerners, who know winter in its truest and harshest form, but in a couple of months we'll be talking about spring. And that is something to look forward to!

Persimmon: The Fruit of the Gods

I was obsessed after my first ever bite of persimmon. It happened yesterday morning. Before that first taste, I had no idea. They aren't commonly available in grocery stores here, and, though persimmon trees grow in the South, I've never known anyone who grew one. But all of that changed after I tasted a sample slice of Fuyu persimmon.

Fuyu persimmons are deliciously sweet. I've analyzed my taste buds and twisted my mind trying to describe the taste. A bit like cantaloupe, combined with peachy, pear flavors. Maybe pumpkin? Unique, for sure! I can understand why the ancient Greeks called persimmon "the fruit of the gods". I bought a basket of Fuyu persimmons, and within a couple of hours I had bought a tree, too!

I've learned there are two kinds of persimmons: astringent and non astringent. The astringent varieties have to be eaten when fully ripe, when the fruit is soft and the interior has a jelly-like consistency. The non astringent varieties, including Fuyu, can be eaten when the fruit has a firm texture as well as when it has softened. My Fuyus are still firm, like an apple. I will have to wait to see if I like them as much once they have softened.

Fuyus can keep at room temperature for several weeks when they are firm. Once they have softened, however, they need to be eaten within a few days. They are very high in Vitamins A and C and are a good source of potassium too.

Fuyu persimmons are beautiful and combined with greenery make great holiday decorations. They are shaped like tomatoes, but they also remind me of little pumpkins. Here's a photo of my basket of Fuyus (missing one I already ate!) and below is a slice showing the pretty interior pattern:The tree will hold its fruit in late autumn, after all its leaves are gone, and a tree laden with the orange globes is an amazing sight. I wonder if my tree someday will be as lovely as this tree in Nakagawa, Nanyo City, Japan:photo courtesy of WikimediaGrowing in popularity, persimmon trees are a low maintenance fruit tree. They need no spraying and little fertilizer, though they do like a fair amount of water. Fuyus will grow in zones 7-9, but different varieties may be found for zone 5, up to zone 10.

By the way, wildlife likes this fruit as much as humans. My tree is large enough to produce persimmons next year. The squirrels and other critters had better leave some for me, or else there will be a battle coming!