Autumn Splendor
I love autumn. After slogging through the hot, steamy days of summer, the cool crisp days of autumn are such a welcome relief for me.
And the autumn light -- oo lala! On many fall days our Carolina skies are a crystalline, saturated, happy blue. Against that happy blue float the striking amber, copper, and russet tones of autumn leaves, -- magnificent!
Each fall day nature offers us new, wondrous color compositions. Here are a few of the marvelous color vignettes I saw this autumn.
Featured above is a branch from one of our Crape Myrtles. (The blue-gray wall does help set off the deep red leaves of the branch.)
Below is the Crape Myrtle that branch came from.
I love the countless shapes and colors of gourds.
Below is a detail of our red sugar maple leaves against a sparkling blue Carolina sky.
Driving through the Hope Valley neighborhood in Durham in October, I discovered this amazing color composition. Do you suppose the residents chose their mailbox hues to match the fall colors of their maple leaves?
Upper left to bottom right: Fall asters at Duke Gardens, Durham, NC. I took the other five shots on our property: The cheery golden blooms of Ajania pacifica, known as Gold and Silver chrysanthemum, the coppery tones of a fabulous native shrub, Fothergilla 'Mount Airy', rain-soaked bluestone patio with fallen leaves, autumnal gourds, autumn mushrooms. Photos by Barbara Clare
Finally, a taste of the tropics at our home in November: Musa basjoo, hardy banana. It's always fun to have surprises in your garden...
