We have had lots of wind over the last couple of months; much more than normal. That pattern seems to be quietening now that we’re closer to winter, but we’re still experiencing the occasional windy day.
We had another one recently and it cleared away some cloud that had been lingering; you can see the streaky sky in the picture above.
The clear air also gave us a pink toned evening before it became dark and the wind died off.
Happy Sunday.
A cornucopia of seemingly endless leaves …
… everywhere …
… singly …
… and in drifts …
… piles and heaps …
… or just as a few here …
… or there.
They can’t be stopped or slowed, as inexorable …
… as breathing.
Happy Saturday.
Imponente, di notte.
This terrific collection of pictures come from Luisella at Tra Italia e Finlandia. Please click the link above to see the entire set.
So, the flower pickings have dwindled a lot, but I did find some for today’s post.
The always-lovely chrysanthemums are starting to fade now, but they have been very cheery through the wind and rain that we’ve often experienced this autumn.
I also found some asters in a protected spot; they’re looking quite perky considering that it’s almost mid-November!
A few pretty dianthus are still blooming among the falling leaves, too.
And lastly, a couple of anemones provided a sweet memory of summer.
Happy Friday; I hope your weekend blooms beautifully. 🌼
Lace leaf, weeping or red dragon maples (acer palmatum dissectum) are native to Korea, China, Japan, Mongolia and southeast Russia; however, they are now grown all over the world and prized for their lovely shape, delicate lacy or feathery leaves and beautiful colours.
They only grow to about 2-3 metres (6-9 ft) or less (the ones pictured are only about half that height), so they really are more shrub-like than tree-like. They take on a dome shape when they reach full maturity which makes them appear to be “weeping.”
In autumn they turn the most glorious crimson red which will gradually fade into pink or rusty red before they drop their leaves in December.
The colour is so intense that they almost seem to glow, especially when the sun shines on them.
Red is my favourite colour, so I find myself particularly drawn to them.
After their dormant winter period, they re-emerge in late March or April with brownish-red leaves that eventually turn quite red before morphing into green for summer.
Lace leaf maples are not only beautiful, they are also quite compact and will work well in small gardens. They’re winter tolerant to zones 5a and 5b.
For most of the year they add so much visual interest and stunning colour to a garden. Isn’t nature grand?
Happy Thursday.
A scarlet-red lace leaf maple …
… an evening glow through leaves …
… sun-tinted lazy clouds …
… and a multitude of colourful foliage that’s lending beauty to our roads and sidewalks and footpaths …
… but that will soon be all gone until next year.
Beautiful November sightings.
In Canada, today is Remembrance Day. The tradition is to wear a poppy pin in recognition of our war dead and to stop at 11:00 a.m. to reflect upon their sacrifices, often through a non-denominational and non-religious service at the community war memorial.
The poppy symbol found its origin in a poem – In Flanders Fields – written by John McCrae, a Canadian doctor who died during World War I. His memorial poem reflects on the huge numbers of dead and on the poppies that grew where they were buried.
Since WW I, the poppy has become a symbol of remembrance not just for Canada, but for the war dead of a number of countries, including the UK.
Usually, a projection of falling poppies representing our fallen soldiers is displayed on the Parliament buildings in Ottawa. Except for the striking of the clock, it’s a silent, solemn memorial with each falling poppy representing a Canadian soldier who has died in battle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYYEWbiXDuM
I hope that some day, we will have peace, and we will learn how not to add any more falling, blood-red flowers.
I’m betting that you’re definitely not, but here are some autumnal oranges that might provide you with a little flare to help you get through that nasty first day of the working week.
A beautiful big leaf maple (acer macrophyllum) glows with coppery colour …
… while the Japanese maple (acer palmatum) with its delicate leaves displays a delicate terra cotta hue to match.
A larger photo of the Japanese maple shows that some of its leaves are red or reddish; that’s because its leaves turn that colour first before gradually fading to orange.
And here are three Japanese maples showing a gorgeous – and reflective – reddish-orange.
Even though it’s Monday and can’t be avoided, I hope you have a good one.
Cheers.
Barberry can show an interesting autumn colour palette. Some shrubs turn a uniformly scarlet red while others develop multi-hued leaves.
I love the mixture of red, pink, yellow and green shown here but barberry can also be quite purplish as you can see from the featured photo.
I always wish that autumn could last a bit longer so that we could really take in the colours but of course we humans in that case probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much!
I find these red-speckled autumn barberry leaves lovely. They’re decaying, but they’re displaying so much beauty, too.
A faded ginkgo biloba leaf is caught in the barberry shrub, making for a lovely colour counterpoint.
Happy Sunday.
We’ve had a lot of rain – and wind, especially – lately, so it was fantastic when the wind started to die off and the skies began to clear.
Our autumn weather has been definitely interesting; most of September was hot and windy with daily temperatures around 35 or so (95F) but then it suddenly turned and became rainy and windy!
Although we’ve had the odd day or two of good weather, the wind and rain have really dominated … did I mention the wind? 😉
However, we are supposed to be entering a stretch of sunny, windless days with temperatures around 13 or 14 (55-57F); very comfortable for November!
I was very happy to go out for my ramble to see the sky clearing … and joy of joys! No wind!
Happy weekend.
In the Net! - Pictures and Stories of Life 