Fall Color: What Remains

We're almost into November, the month of subtle grays in the landscape, but there is still color after a mild October. The spirea alongside my front steps is full of blooms.

The lavatera in the vegetable garden survived the frosts of mid September and has been flowering cheerily since. These flowers are such late season gifts.

A few flaming leaves hang on to the blueberry bush.

Although most of the shrubs and trees are now bare of leaves, some remain, such as the rich red ovals of the Bridal Wreath spirea.

In the woods and on the tree covered hillsides the reds are gone; what remains is golden yellow. The beech leaves stand out amid the gray in their gold-moving-toward-warm-brown hue.

Of course there are still the dark greens of evergreen conifers, colors that will last through the winter, looking beautiful in contrast with snow. Right now there is the contrast with occasional splashes of warm yellow, from birches....

....or from a favorite tree, the tamarack. Tamaracks are unusual in that they are deciduous conifers; they turn a deep gold in the fall, then lose their needles. In this landscape view, the pointed spires of tamaracks are in the middle ground; in the distance the rounded yellows are birches.

I love seeing these trees in my lower field; there is something completely magical about a tree with needles and cones turning yellow.

It is nature surprising us, as it does again and again. Each season, and each transition between them, has its wonders and delights.