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| I sometimes think that the closer a man-made structure gets back to the earth, the more beautiful it becomes... the Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Pendula' (Weeping Alaska Cypress) next to the wood pile strikes me as a bit of artistic genius |
This has been such an amazing fall and I feel like we've taken full advantage of it over the course of the past month. We experienced the exceptionalism of this year's autum in the north woods a month ago, our own gardens have been a parade of color for weeks, and this week I traveled south to find even more beauty in some amazing gardens as well as the wooded landscapes in that part of our state.
Through the gardening season I attempt to share my photos as close to real time as possible but that becomes more difficult this time of year. Such a busy time, cleaning up the gardens, planting newly acquired trees and shrubs, mulching, pruning, wrapping... the list goes on and on. Every moment in the gardens is precious time... I inhale the beauty and absorb with all the senses, for soon enough it will be winter once again. Winter of course, is not without its charms, but there is nothing like fall... no other season does it for me in the way that autumn draws me in and overwhelms me with its delights.
This explains the unusual title of this post. Just as a baby is swaddled or surrounded in a way that creates a sense of security, so too the autumn affects me... I feel enclosed in a warmth of brilliant colors... secure in the place I stand, never wanting the moment to end, but end it must. The natural cycle is bittersweet in that respect for there will almost certainly come a period of grayness before the time of falling snow. My friend Frog Pond describes the amazing beauty of the autumn as God's way of preparing us for the long and cold winter. Even rainy days, such as we've finally been experiencing, hold a special place in my heart in the fall... each drop is a life preserving gift that prepare the plants of the earth for the difficulties they must soon endure, until they and we come out from the harshness of winter into the rebirth of spring. I could not imagine living in a climate without seasons, for the thrill of spring and autumn overwhelms me as my mind, body, and soul are flush with the adrenaline of beauty I have no ability to fully understand, only to appreciate in such a way that words cannot explain. Each time I enter another autumn, I give thanks that the Lord has seen fit for me to be a part of this perfect plan.
Join me now as I share some of what I've been experiencing here at Oak Lawn, at my friend Frog Pond's woodland gardens, and at other gardens I've been visiting.
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| Swaddled in the warmth of burr oak, scarlet oak, magnolia, and mums here at Oak Lawn |
At Frog Pond's gardens, the presence of this mighty Picea abies is unchanging except
in winter when its branches bow even lower under the weight of fresh fallen snow
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| Caught in the autumn rains with no desire to run for cover, surrounded by the burnt umber of dried grasses in a garden associated with a conifer nursery in southern Wisconsin |
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| A few days ago here at Oak Lawn, the Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea) was the local prima donna, with understudies of magnolias turning from hues of yellows and chartreuse, to browns |
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| Meanwhile, back at Frog Pond's garden, a Cornus florida of hardy Michigan stock displays its color while an Alaskan cypress accompanies it under the giant arms of ancient oaks |
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| In yet another private garden with acres to beautifully display its plants, an old juniper is heavy with fruit |
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| These wonderful specimens aren't labeled, but this conifer which is obviously a pine of some sort is beautifully relational to the rocks at its feet |
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| Here at Oak Lawn, the latest of the mums are in full bloom |
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| At Frog Pond's this week, nothing comes close to the amazing color of Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki' |
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| Here in my own gardens, Osakazuki is considerably smaller than the tree in frog Pond's garden. I do greatly look forward to its becoming much larger since it is capable of growing to 20-25 feet. It is a ways from its full red color at this point. Hopefully the foliage won't be damaged by three nights of 28 degrees arriving over the weekend. The conifer in the forefront of this photo is the low spreading Picea pungens 'Deitz Prostrate', a softer blue than 'Procumbens' |
This is post #4 of a series based on autumn here is Wisconsin. Next time I'll share many more photos of the gardens here and these gardens I've been visiting...
Have a great week! Larry
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