Searching for Fall Color

Early Autumn in the Japanese Garden

It's officially Fall. My calendar announced the autumnal equinox almost three weeks ago. So where are the vivid, neon-bright leaves that make this season visually unique? Well, it appears the local trees didn't get the memo. Was it the long summer of hot weather? Can we blame the lack of rain in September? Our recent leaf-peeping walk took us through mostly green foliage, unlike previous outings at nearly the same date. No problem, we're not easily discouraged and will continue to enjoy our walks with or without Fall color. Maybe this week we'll be lucky, or over the weekend, or next week... Drastic action would be to drive to a higher elevation and search for swaths of red-orange vine maples or golden larches.

Our walk took us inside Seattle's Japanese Garden, a fenced 3.5 acre hidden gem tucked inside the much larger 230 acre Washington Park Arboretum and Botanic Garden. A visit here never disappoints, no matter what the season. 

"Following a winding path around a central pond, stroll gardens invite visitors to journey through the varied landscapes of Japan - mountains, forests, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, islands and the sea. Along the journey, varied landscapes are hidden and then revealed."

Special viewing treats on this visit were...

...sunbathing turtles, perched on pond rocks to soak up warmth from the noontime sun,

...one lone heron, who occasionally speared a small fish in between long minutes of patient immobility,

...masses of colorful koi who swarmed to the bridge whenever a visitor paused, ever hopeful that fishfood would sprinkle the water, 

...and the abundant canopy of green leaves which hold out promise of Fall color yet to develop.

The annual Maple Viewing Festival runs October 5 through October 15 in 2017. But don't wait for a special event to plan your visit, enjoy this treasure throughout the year. We intend to.

Seasonal Transition

It's officially Autumn. Weeks past the autumnal equinox, the hours of daylight have grown noticeably shorter. Evenings are cool enough to trigger the off switch on chlorophyll production in deciduous leaves and fall colors blaze in full neon glory throughout the region. Drifts of dry, faded leaves from our vine maple litter the yard, blown into corners by swirling winds. 

But Mother Nature seems confused by our recent stretch of unseasonably warm weather, triggering flower bud formation on magnolia trees, blossoms on rhododendron bushes and fruit on our Asian pear trees. It's October, so what's up with the new pears developing on trees that have already produced a bountiful crop? 

I'd settle for an extended period of mild Indian summer weather, but forecasters predict a return to cool, wet and windy any day now. It's Seattle, so changeable weather is no surprise. Keep the rain gear handy, but head outside with a camera and enjoy the change of seasons.
  

Seattle Japanese Garden in Fall

Photo: Cloud Reflections in the Koi Pond at the Japanese Garden (photo by RL))

Exuberant Fall color grabbed my attention, drew my eye and the lens of the camera immediately at the entrance to the Japanese Garden located in the Washington Park Arboretum. The sky may have been overcast today but the landscaped 3.5 acres were a riot of color as vivid golden-orange leaves of lace-leaf maples contrasted with the bright yellow display of ginkos and the deeper crimson hues of several other species. 

The garden's technicolor display may have peaked a week ago or more. Several early-turning trees were already bare while others held leaves with fading hues, no longer brilliant, their edges going brown and crisp. Without a distracting cloak of neon-colored leaves, branch structure is highlighted, then smaller details clamor for attention.

I love walking through this tidy little garden in any season, any weather. Form, pattern and texture have a constant presence to share with anyone who takes the time to pause and observe. But today, it was all about dramatic punches of color highlighted against a background of evergreen trees and mosses, color so vivid it was as though a spotlight shined here and there and there...

Seattle holds many wonderful parks (link), but the Japanese Garden and Kubota Garden are high on my list of favorites. Set aside some time to explore a few, and remember to take your camera.

Who Stole the Pretty Leaves?

Last week's sunshine lit up the landscape, spotlighting the neon reds, oranges, yellows and golds of Fall colors in the neighborhood. This seasonal display drew my eye up to stunning tall trees and down to tiny deciduous shrubs. Jack Frost? Nature's Paintbrush? There was color everywhere, right here in the Evergreen State. 


And suddenly, it ended. The view changed, along with the weather forecasts.   

Last week...

...this week.

Asian pear trees changing color...

... and dropping leaves.

Leaves on the ground, snow in the mountains; winter is almost here. I'm not complaining, oh no. Last year on this date (link) we had snow on the ground here at home. I vote to keep any snow up in the mountains until 2012.

An Autumn Walk in Kubota Garden

The view through the entrance gates barely hints at the varied and beautiful landscape inside this park, a neighborhood treasure tucked away in South Seattle. An historic landmark, this mature twenty-acre garden blends Japanese garden concepts with native Northwest plants. Join Hilary and me on our stroll through the garden, decorated in its full Fall foliage.

Fall Foliage

It's that time of year when the camera travels with me in the car, all of the time, even when I don't plan to use it. You never know when something will catch the eye, a visual or action that is unexpected, somehow wonderful. Autumn's colorful leaves aren't exactly unexpected, but the slanting rays of sunlight can turn each tree into a neon display of reds, oranges and pinks. 


It's a good thing that I am compulsively early for appointments, tending to arrive with tons of time to spare. This day, enroute to a lunch date in Madison Park with friend Mimmi S., I repeatedly pulled into parking lots along the lake shore to admire the fall color and take a few photos. The waterfront drive from Seward Park, my neighborhood, to Madison Park is one long series of parks and greenspaces. That scenic stretch is a visual delight any time of the year, but it seemed doubly so after my recent weeks in Southern California. Here's a sampling of the foliage shots from my stops. (... and yes, I was on time for my lunch date.)
  

This beauty is a showstopper.

Rollerblade enthusiasts chose a scenic route.

Even the stems lose chlorophyl and turn red.

Hot pink leaves decorated Madison Park street trees.

Nature provided this color, not Photoshop.

It's November, but this little strawberry plant is still productive and optimistic.

Pyracantha berries are ready to decorate Thanksgiving displays.