Autumn's Parting Gift

Autumn gave us a parting gift after another inch or two of rain and temperatures that plummeted into the frigid range. Wearing my warmest coat, I walked outside and then stopped in my tracks when I saw a blanket of colorful Japanese maple leaves on the path in the front garden.

I would have noticed a few lovely fallen leaves, but this EXUBERANCE took my breath away. 

Forget for a moment that someone is going to have to rake not only the paths but also the shrubs. (That would be Lou. I think raking has become his favorite pastime, and I praise the great job he is doing.)

The sheer mass of red leaves makes me remember another path - one covered in cherry blossoms. I think of great swaths of daffodils, a desert carpeted in wildflowers, a trail edged with clouds of blue woodland phlox, an orchard of row upon row of olive trees: all sights that stay with me because of the magnitude of their elements. 

Nature reminds me that beautiful gardens are not timid. They don't have to be big, but they must have commitment. OK, a hundred garish gnomes are not for me, but surely they would make a child smile! And that is more than some gardens accomplish. 

Good Excuse For Raking

Last week I stood with the breeze on my face, feeling a hint of cold weather yet to come. Autumn is increasingly glorious, but I am seeing more leaves falling. Poor Lou. He is out there with the rake. Because my recovery from hip surgery is very slow, I can't help him, except to give him moral support and to remind him how much fun he is having. He came in yesterday to report he had all the leaves raked off the lawns and paths. I looked through the window at the leaves showering down behind him and laughed.

In fact, we have LOTS of trees, and raking is one chore that won't be finished till almost spring. So we (he) may as well enjoy it!

Being outside is good reward for raking or any other gardening activity these days. Just look at what is happening around our garden. All of the following photos were taken in the past week:

Here are closer views of some of the colorful foliage:
Clockwise from top left: Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku', also called coral bark maple; Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium'; red stems of coral bark maple; forsythia foliage.

Clockwise from top left: Acer japonicum 'Waterfall'; Acer palmatum dissectum 'Viridis'; Native Eastern Redbud, Cercis canadensis; Granddaddy longlegs watching me take photos; Acer japonicum 'Vitifolium'; Also Vitifolium, photo taken from same tree as previous.

Clockwise from top left: Native Hickory tree; Pinus strobus, Eastern white pine tree; Hosta 'Empress Wu'; Seed pods from Hosta 'Francis Williams'; Francis Williams; Fothergilla.

Below are some pumpkins and ghords in my front planter:

Finally, here are a few more images from around the garden, starting with a few of those leaves Lou has been raking! 

May you enjoy all that this season has to offer!