To the great tree-loving fraternity we belong. We love trees with universal and unfeigned love, and all things that do grow under them or around them — the whole leaf and root tribe. ~Henry Ward Beecher
When I last left my silver maple tree, it was just beginning to change color. And within a couple of weeks it made a dramatic shift and has since lost its leaves. It remains barren now, though not devoid of life.
I am linking in with Lucy@Loose and Leafy for her Tree Following meme that happens around the 7th of every month as I chronicle what has been happening to my beloved silver maple tree in my garden this past October. And I am joining in early with Pam@Digging for her Foliage Follow Up on the 16th.
I am also linking in with Judith@Lavender Cottage who hosts Mosaic Monday.
There are two silver maples in my back gardens. The one I am following in the center, and the other shorter maple tree behind the gazebo. Each one changes color in the opposite direction. My maple changes color more from the bottom to the top, and the one near the gazebo changes color from the top to the bottom. I love nature and her fickle ways.
Here’s a bit of a close up in early October of my silver maple. Leaves just turning yellow with bottom leaves having a tinge of reddish-orange.
The leaves appear darker orange in the early morning light. I love the tricks of color the dawn plays on the leaves.
As we approached later October the winds were howling and the leaves were being stripped. You can see many of them on the ground joining the ash leaves already there. My silver maple is more orange-colored, and just behind the gazebo you can see the more golden leaves of the other silver maple. So different in the colors. Mine never looks so golden.
Here is my silver maple a bit closer in view. The leaves are still multi colored with hues of yellow, gold and orange dominating.
I wanted to include some close-ups of the leaves throughout October. Starting left to right, you can see the progression from green, yellow and orange to more red and orange in the center picture. Then the leaves become orange, copper and brown as October ends. The red buds appearing (looking like red berries) are the flower buds that develop now once the leaves fall. The flower buds stay locked in their tight red cases all winter making for a colorful backdrop to the snowy landscape.
So that is the update of my silver maple in October. It will not change much in appearance except for the snow that will cover it from time to time in winter. I’ll add those captures in my end of the month reviews of my garden.
In celebration of Trees, I have republished my tree poem on my new blog, Living From Happiness. I hope you will pop over to read it.
So are you following a tree? What does your tree look like now?
There are rich counsels in the trees. ~Herbert P. Horne
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In A Vase On Monday
The weather is still cooperating as the killing frost has held off into early November now. So there is some fine foliage and flowers I did not cut back in the garden so I could create a few more vases.
As I do every Monday (or before Monday sometimes), I wander the garden looking for what plants might make for a lovely vase to bring indoors. Cathy@Rambling in the Garden hosts this wonderful meme, In a Vase on Monday. I am also linking in with Today’s Flowers hosted by Denise@An English Girl Rambles.
I found these marigolds in one of my grow bags blooming beautifully under a row cover. So I added some foliage from my oak leaf hydrangea, some sage leaves, dried sedum flowerheads and 2 maroon knautia blossoms I found hiding in the garden. I like the autumn look of this vase.
In contrast, I still had fairy roses blooming like crazy and I couldn’t leave them just sitting in the garden for the frost to get them. So I picked a big bunch and made a huge vase with them.
And even with all the roses picked there were still enough to fill a couple more vases. If the frost holds off I may have another flower vase for next week too.
To the vase, I added the purple hyssop still barely blooming or just ending, and some lavender still sending up flowers. I had a few more Japanese anemone and coreopsis to sprinkle throughout the roses. The roses will bring me some cheer as our weather is turning colder now to daytime highs in the low 40s with rain and snow.
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Next up on the blog:
Wednesday I will have the last wrap up of my veg garden. And next Monday I will have a new series for the winter months profiling some of my favorite annual flowers.
I am also joining in I Heart Macro with Laura@Shine The Divine that happens every Saturday.
All original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Gardens Eye View, 2010-2014. Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only.
Beautiful autumn colour in your garden. It’s been mild so far here too.. I’m torn between wanting it to stay mild, which usually means wet, or enjoying the crispness that colder weather brings.
I understand being torn. I would like it to snow enough to keep the garden covered and protected and then cold enough to just keep the snow frozen. But then no more snow….is there a perfect season?
Perhaps it does get too cold for our liking in Winter Donna, but isn’t it great to live where we have the four seasons. Autumn seems to be giving you a good show, terrific tree and still some blooms to enjoy.
I agree Alistair. I moved back here because I love the 4 seasons. I just wish winter wasn’t the longest season. Autumn has made up for the not so great spring and summer we had.
Alais the trees here are barren and grey now. I have been so busy that fall slipped right past me it seems. It is nice that your silver maple has red flower buds are winter. I have a regular maple. Each fall it turns the most lovely shade of yellow. My Fairy roses are done. So sad! Soon snow will be on its way.
Snow is forecast for many days toward the week’s end, and I will miss the roses still blooming. Sad indeed.
The lovely colours of your trees and bouquets make one so happy on a grey November day! Thanks & Have a nice week, Donna!
Thank you Sara…so glad you enjoyed them too!
Your vases are so colorful. Glad you’re still finding plenty of flowers in your garden. I really like those French Marigolds.
French marigolds are my favorite so I was so happy when I found them still blooming. Glad you enjoyed the vases Susie!
There used to be a lot of silver maples in the town I grew up in and my favourite street was Silver Maple Lane in an older part of town.
You’re still able to make pretty bouquets from the garden, what will you do in winter?
I like the collage templates this week, thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday Donna.
I love that you had a Silver Maple Lane Judith. As far as the vases go, I love a challenge. So I have left some seedheads, and berries, rose hips (if the birds don’t devour them), and I have boxwood. So I will make as many foliage vases as I can for a while. Also my cattails are still fine and may be able to be used again soon. Holding my breath with them. And I might find a few flowers at our Trader Joe’s that just opened up for business. They have inexpensive bouquets, I can arrange with a bit of garden foliage.
I expect that in January and February, I may not be able to keep going…but I have been surprised so far. It has been a wonderful endeavor that I know as profoundly affected my gardening and creativity. Even affecting my creativity with the mosaics.
Your meme has also really challenged me to keep creating fun collages weekly. Wouldn’t want to give that up either!!
Ooooo, I’m especially happy to look at these photos you have placed in this post. I can’t seem to get enough of your backyard views. Beautiful and very elegant silver maples! Thank you.
I am so happy you really enjoyed the maples in autumn Susie…it was nice to remember their autumn leaves as they are bare now…although I love seeing their strong branches holding so many visitors all winter.
Donna so lucky to have those mature trees! They are beautiful! Very interesting the difference between the two in color and how the leaves turn. Do you think it has to do with personality or a difference in soil composition or something? I like to think personality!
I go with personality is the reason they change colors in opposite directions Kathy. We bought the property because of the mature trees, and I hope we can keep them alive for many years to come.
Beautiful tree and fall color. I especially love the close-up heart vignettes!
Thanks Tina. I was very pleased with that collage too!
Very pretty collages!
Thanks so much Sue!
Lovely.
So glad you enjoyed the post Pat!
I’m so pleased you still have flowers Donna, and rather lovely ones too! Both vases are lovely the roses look like spring rather than autumn which is something to smile about.
I smile every time I pass those roses Christina. Autumn certainly has been wonderful for vases.
Another delightful post Donna. I can always be guaranteed a smile when I leave your blog and I am so excited that you linked with Today’s Flowers. Thank you my friend!
I will link every week I can Denise. It pleases me that you enjoy yourself so much each time you visit!
The wide view of your garden focusing on the maple is wonderful, Donna! Although I don’t envy your winter temperatures, I do wish we got just a little more fall color here. I’m glad that your garden is still surprising you with flowers too. Bringing the outdoors in adds an element of cheer when the days grow gloomy, doesn’t it?
It sure does as you know with your foggy days Kris. I am so pleased my fall garden brought you such pleasure.
It occurs to me that the image of the back garden, the trees look ever so masterful to me. I don’t think I’ve ever described trees as masterful before but it’s the feeling I get from them.
Gorgeous images Donna. I’ve not taken part in Following a tree meme, purely because at the start of the year, I had no trees. In my latest blog, I’ve just planted two more, so hopefully I’ll find time to join next year.
That second photo of your garden from above is magnificent!!!! I love the way your beds and trees look in the fall….such a gorgeous scene friend!! Wishing you a lovely autumn week ahead! Nicole xo
Thanks Nicole…I am pleased with how beautiful my garden looks in fall especially this year. Have a lovely week!
I came to see the vase and stopped to savour the maple! How interesting to be able to compare two of exactly the same species. The colours are lovely and gentle. Ours are lingering too, because we’ve had no frost yet. As to the vases, sweet little marigolds, lovely to see the little ‘fairies’ – but the real stars (for me anyway) were those lovely oak-leaved hydrangea leaves. Have an excellent week!
That hydrangea is a standout this year Cathy…actually all the hydrangeas are starring now with their autumn colors….so glad you were able to see both the vases and maples.
Your vases are gorgeous Donna – you still have so much colour in your garden! I particularly like the use of the hydrangea leaf. The maples are lovely too. Ours are looking rather bare now, but the ground beneath them is golden and glows so nicely.
If it weren’t for my shrubs changing color now, I would have no color Cathy. I am so pleased with how much color just keeps coming this fall in flower and foliage.
Hi Donna! We have so many trees in our yard that we love it’s tough to pick a fav. I’m sorry to say that like yours October winds have stripped our trees of most of these leaves and alas, when my husband gets home from work we will be a hardcore raking family. But I refuse to chuck them, we will be laying them in our raised beds, maybe even protecting that garlic a bit. And hopefully some will break down in the pathways. But waste not is always my motto =) Always sad to see the beautiful leaves go away. Till next year then.
Like you Laura we don’t rake leaves. Many fall in beds where they stay. Others are mowed and put on our veg beds….I agree nothing should be wasted in nature.
Lovely colours on both leaves and flowers. I’m so tired of the gray and wet weather that I look forward to the colder weather and the sunshine that we’ve been promised towards the end of the week.
Our nice weather is going soon and we will be stuck with white, brown and gray…I am happy I could bring you some color Gunilla!
So pretty, the maples in fall. We are so fortunate in NY to have them to make our Autumn so colorful. This year, it did seem like the reds and golds were brighter. The weather must have suited them perfectly. Nice flowers too, here I have iris among others in bloom.
I wish my iris would rebloom Donna, but you are just a bit warmer there lucky you!!
Your Maple looks so beautiful and I love your autumn garden.
How lovely to be able to find enough lovely flowers in November to fill your pretty vases. They look gorgeous. The Fairy rose is a delight.
Thanks Chloris. I will see my fairies gone soon, but they have been so bountiful as has the autumn garden this year.
Trying to catch up with all the vase posts, Donna! That oak leafed hydrangea foliage is indeed a real star with those 2 tone marigolds, but then again so is your big bunch of fairies! Even though you say there is increasingly less in the garden I know we found this made the challenge even more enjoyable last winter as we never knew what we were going to find from week to week – hopefully it will be the same this year 🙂 Thank you so much for your continued support – long may it continue!
I am still up for the challenge Cathy as I see several foliage options until the leaves fall. I hope the foliage can stand up to the coming freeze.
Hi Donna, I can understand why you love your Maple so much, it must be wonderful to be the custodian of such a magnificent tree. I can’t make out from your photo wether it is a multistem or what the other stems are?
The golden leaf maples are flanked by white ash trees that are bare. I do feel lucky to have these trees in my garden.
Beautiful shots of the trees and I also love the floral shots.
Thanks so much Carver.
What lovely autumn scenes you have! I am so jealous but I’m glad you posted the colors to share!
I am so happy to have shared my colorful autumn garden with you Bettyl!
Beautiful…. We just had the arborist out to trim our silver maples. They are so prone to rot and look ok on the outside while rotting on the inside…
Yes these maples tend to have issues…yours are lucky you give them such loving care!
It is very interesting that your silver maple trees act so differently even though they are close to each other. I can imagine how beautiful the red buds will be with snow on them. You have to post a few pictures. Your arrangements are lovely. It’s a good idea to bring your flowers inside to enjoy before the frost takes them.
Christa, I will definitely post pictures of the maple throughout winter…they are just as beautiful in winter I think!
Maples colors in the Fall are so pretty. A very pretty flower mosaic – thanks for sharing.
Thanks Glenda…so glad you enjoyed the mosaic and maple!
Winds are howling tonight here. House is creaking.
I wonder if all the maple leaves will have fallen by morning.
(And I wonder how all the new plants I just added will fare… especially the 1-gallon plants with long upright stems…)
Yikes!! :O
I bet your new plantings will be OK…it is amazing how resilient they are and how much better they hold up to weather. 🙂
Such beautiful autumn colours in your garden Donna, and isn’t it amazing how much variation there can be from one year to the next, one tree of the same kind to the next. It helps keep the garden dynamic. And so many flowers still available to cut! Lovely.
My garden is a new adventure each fall Janet. I never know how it will look and each shrub changes its coloring depending on the conditions that year….makes for lovely differences.
How beautiful are the maples! Love them!
The autumn colors: red yellow brown are everywhere. Do you still have tagetes blooming in your garden? Very pretty!
Nadezda, I did have Tagetes growing until I found the last ones a bit protected and I put them in a vase before the cold got them finally.
Tagetes are very nice flowers, I especially like the simple forms. Lovely autumn vase 🙂
Thanks Annette….I love so many Tagetes.
Snow! It will be interesting to see your tree in snow. We rarely have snow here on the south coast of England. But I’m antisocial enough to wish for it. If we do have snow it is unlikely to come until late January / February.
That the colours of the two trees change in opposite directions is surprising.
Snow now and for 5-6 months is not what I like but I do like the snow. You will be surprised how beautiful the trees become with a coating of snow. I think they love it actually.
Wonderful shots from the garden and the trees.
Thanks so much Rajesh!!
Your Silver Maples are especially lovely in the fall, Donna. I appreciate Silver Maples because they grow fast and provide needed shade for wildlife. We had a row of them that we planted as small saplings at our old house. By the time we left there, they were tall, healthy backyard trees providing just enough shade to cool off the backyard (it was a huge backyard!). Yours seem perfect in your setting. Your flower arrangement is gorgeous, too–so many Roses!!
Thanks Beth…I hope my maples continue to grow bigger and bigger. With my ash trees in jeopardy of the emerald ash borer, the maples would be my only canopy. Glad you enjoyed the flowers in my vases!
beautiful autumn colours in your garden. Right now in my garden my apricot tree has green fruit on it which I hope in a couple of months will be ready to pick. Have a lovely week and thank you for stopping by my blog this week.
It was my pleasure to visit your blog Jill. I will keep good thoughts for your apricot. I love apricots as does my husband. Enjoy your week. getting very cold here now.
Donna your maple goes some lovely colours, it is interesting how different plants of the same species growing near each other can be quite different, I am beginning to think plants like animals all have their own character, the red flower buds look nice and I can imagine against a white background of snow with sun on them they would brighten any winter day, Frances
I agree Frances about plants having their own character….we just had 8 inches of snow and those lovely red buds look incredible.