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Nov. 13th, 2012 03:33 pm
Farewell to autumn
Had I been in town this weekend, I would've devoted some time to preparing the garden for winter: harvesting verbena and salad greens, mulching rosemary and thyme, trimming back sorrel and clematis, etc. But I wasn't here to take advantage of the nice weather before it turned cold. Before I went to bed last night, there was snow on the ground. That doesn't necessarily mean it's time to give up--last year several plants survived dustings of snow into the end of December--but I suspect it was accompanied by a freeze as well.
In a way, going down to St Louis was like going back in time a couple of weeks. The foliage increased as we went south, reaching a tipping point around Springfield. In St Louis, most of the trees still held their leaves. Particularly lovely were the oaks (even the crappy pin oaks, which I think of as being a boring dull brown); we have so few around here that I forgot what nice background trees they are, providing a russet backdrop for the more vibrant maples, gums, ashes, etc. Chicago has a lot more yellow in its autumnal treescape--and not usually the bright yellow of a really gorgeous cottonwood either.
Given that, it's a real shame I wasn't able to fit in a stroll around my sister's neighbourhood. I don't think I ever noticed before how many firebushes grew there nor how large they were. Japanese maples were popular, too, and in more variety than I've seen where I live. At least we did take a spin around in the car more than once. No substitute for exploring on foot, of course, but a reminder how worth doing it is.
In a way, going down to St Louis was like going back in time a couple of weeks. The foliage increased as we went south, reaching a tipping point around Springfield. In St Louis, most of the trees still held their leaves. Particularly lovely were the oaks (even the crappy pin oaks, which I think of as being a boring dull brown); we have so few around here that I forgot what nice background trees they are, providing a russet backdrop for the more vibrant maples, gums, ashes, etc. Chicago has a lot more yellow in its autumnal treescape--and not usually the bright yellow of a really gorgeous cottonwood either.
Given that, it's a real shame I wasn't able to fit in a stroll around my sister's neighbourhood. I don't think I ever noticed before how many firebushes grew there nor how large they were. Japanese maples were popular, too, and in more variety than I've seen where I live. At least we did take a spin around in the car more than once. No substitute for exploring on foot, of course, but a reminder how worth doing it is.