Fall Through the Lens

One reason I enjoy photography is its ability to encapsulate a picture. Photography forces me to see what I am looking at and to put boundaries on the view. Otherwise the periphery runs on forever, often taking away from the immediate outlook. It is fun to focus on an image through the lens. Japanese maples are a reliable source of color from October through November.Here are some recent shorts taken late in the afternoon when low autumn light ignited the foliage. A lot of color comes from Japanese maples, dogwoods, hickory and oak trees, as well as various shrubs. Evergreens set off the explosion of color. Enjoy!Autumn creates a tapestry of colors in my garden.

The colors across the front garden in November are wonderful.

Sango kaku, also called Coral Bark maple is particularly lovely in fall when the orange-red leaves become flushed with pink and the coral stems become prominent. The colorful stems are also beautiful in the winter landscape. The name "Sango kaku" means coral tower.

I recently moved the concrete bench to a new location in the woodland garden. The shrub next to it is a Carolina allspice.The yellow leaves in these two shots belong to a hickory tree.

Juniper 'Saybrook Gold' frames the view toward the woodlands from our drive.This is a view of dogwoods edging the lower front lawn.A fallen oak leaf on left and Chinese Pistache leaves on the right.

Oakleaf hydrangeas are noted for their fall colors.

A section of a glass wind chime glimmers against fall foliage.

A hosta is lovely even as it goes into dormancy.

This old brown birdhouse awaits its new tenants next spring.

The dried seed heads of a Limelight hydrangea will remain through most of the winter.

This colorful Japanese maple is in front of our dining room window.

The strong limbs of an oak tree rise behind a Japanese maple.

By the time I had wandered around and taken all of the above photos, plus many more I am not showing you, it was late in the day and I was quite chilly! One last image caught my attention. I looked up to see smoke coming from the chimney.

Time to go inside and enjoy the warm fire!

Late Afternoon in the Woodland Garden

It is mid August, and I like to stroll through my woodland garden in late afternoon as the heat of the day subsides. Already I can feel hints of autumn in a cool breeze. Dusk has not yet begun to steal the light away, and the scene is breathtaking. I did not create my woodland garden with the transforming magic of late afternoon light in mind, but one could think so, if I were that talented a gardener. I am simply blessed.

Golden sun rays radiate through the entry to the woodland garden, illuminating the moss path and gilding the plantings:

I walk through the woodland garden slowly, dreamily admiring the light in the trees:

I gaze at the glittering leaves of 'Waterfall' Japanese maple:

Here is the view across the main planting bed in the woodland garden:

Near the Japanese maple is 'Lady in Red' hydrangea, named for its striking red stems:

There are not many flowers in the woodland garden in August. An exception is this hosta 'Royal Standard' bloom:

A few more lovely woodland plants catch my attention:Clockwise from top left: Abelia blooms; Variegated Japanese Pittosporum with Wood Aster in background; Japanese Painted Fern; Hepatica nobilis.I see a spider web, and I am reminded it will soon be "spider season", when female spiders build webs in a frenzy, preparing to catch food to sustain themselves while they mate and lay eggs. (The male spiders are so focused on the female spiders that they don't feed and die soon after their own role in reproduction is done.)

The late afternoon light glows through the fronds of a Birds Nest Fern. This is a tropical fern in a pot that I bring in for winter, but it flourishes outside through the summer in the woodland garden:

I find a small downy hawk feather caught in a branch.Then nearby I see a larger hawk feather on the ground. What story does this tell? Normal shedding, or something tragic?A nice breeze blows through the wind chimes.I close my eyes and listen to the music. 

The magic light that turns the woodland garden into a dreamland does not last long, and dusk creeps in. The mosquitos are biting. Time to go inside!