He who plants a tree
Plants a hope.
~Lucy Larcom, “Plant a Tree”
My little American Linden tree continues to grow a bit each year. This year, I did not see the flowers or fruit I have seen in past years, but it did have to endure a very cold and windy winter so I am grateful it is still alive. I decided to do a wrap up post as the leaves are gone, and we are literally wrapping the tree up to protect it from critters…..deer and rabbits love the young bark.
Since I did an extensive post on this tree already, some lovely fall pictures will tell its story from September to November.
Tree following is the product of Lucy at her Loose and Leafy blog. The native tree I have been watching was planted to replace a mighty white ash that was felled.
In early September, the American Linden leaves just began to lighten their green color as seen here, and in the picture at the top of the post. As you can see, it is a favorite spot for spiders to build their webs.
Here’s a closer view of the web from mid-tree (leaves) to the ground.
And an even closer look!
You can see the leaves are used as a support by the spider for its web….the edges starting to turn a reddish-brown as we got closer to October.
As October began, the leaves were more yellow.
A close up view, and you can see a leaf cutter bee was using some of the leaves in their nest. Or perhaps a caterpillar of the Lepidoptera family (Red and White Admirals, Fritillary, Swallowtails, Skippers to name a few) had a snack before they cocooned. This tree is a larval host to many butterflies and moths.
Mid to late October the leaves were quickly shifting from yellow to brown. Because the Linden is so young, the leaves do not have a long display before they wither and drop.
When I went over to the lake across the street in early November, the American Lindens were still a lovely yellow and just beginning to brown. This is what my tree will look like in maybe 10 years. And you can see the fruit was dried and setting seed. This is the fruit my tree did not produce this year.
This is what my tree’s leaves looked like as November started. The storms ripped these leaves from the tiny branches.
And left these bare branches. It is early to see my Linden bare compared to the lake Lindens. But it is all set for winter, and has already set its buds for next spring. I love the positive attitude of this tree. It is ready and raring to go come spring. I hope it has an easier winter this year.
Are you following a tree this year? What is your favorite tree in late autumn?
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In A Vase On Monday
For November, I had some Tagetes flowers left in containers. I grew these from seed. They still looked wonderful due to our warm spell. Added to these flowers, were some grape leaves and Meadowsweet or Filipendula ulmaria seed heads I found while cleaning up the garden.
I cut some elderberries to add more autumn color, as well as the gorgeous foliage of Hardy Hibiscus or Hibiscus moscheutos to give support and color around the base of the arrangement. I like the Thanksgiving holiday look of this vase.
I am joining in with a few memes this week as I prepare this vase: Cathy@Rambling in the Garden for her wonderful meme, In a Vase on Monday, Today’s Flowers hosted by Denise@An English Girl Rambles and Judith@Lavender Cottage who hosts Mosaic Monday.
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Next up on the blog:
Thursday, I will have an excerpt linking to a surprise post on my other blog, Living from Happiness. And Monday, I will have another Stuck Foot post.
I am linking in with Michelle for her Nature Notes meme at her blog Rambling Woods. It is a great way to see what is happening in nature around the world every week.
I am also joining in I Heart Macro with Laura@Shine The Divine that happens every Saturday.
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The colours work well together. Isn’t lovely to have this bonus of flowers so late in the year?
Awww, My daughters middle name is Noelle. I love that name. (obviously). And I love bonus flowers. My sister just got married and my mom bought 20 hibiscus trees and bushes to decorate and when it was time to clean up, they all came to my house. The “bonus flowers” indoors is a big boon for me, but my husband has had it with the shedding leaves. You win some, you loose some.
The tree that I’ve been following is my neighbors, it was a gorgeous maple tree struck by lightening. He did everything in his power to save it, but it was so damaged that it was going to come down no matter what. Sad! But we feel so blessed, because he gave us the tree and we are using the wood in our woodturning stove. And good news!! He’s going to pay the big bucks and have the tree replaced. This is big because our neighbors are super sketchy.
Laura that is a special tree for all it continues to give!
It is wonderful Noelle to have this lovely fall and flowers.
I love Linden trees. Littleleaf Lindens are such a great neighborhood tree, great shape and size.
I would love to see more Lindens in my neighborhood Janet.
I can see only a touch of autumn in your vase, Donna! So nice to still have flowers in the garden at this time of the year, isn’t it?
It certainly is Anca…they fade more and more each day, but I am still grateful for those that endure.
And thank you for all your support over the two years Donna as I know you have posted almost from the start – it has been a pleasure to share the journey! Your vase suggests the fading glory of the season and you have chosen some great material which works really well. Thanks for sharing today.
It has been my pleasure Cathy…I have thoroughly enjoyed myself.
I love the leaves and cobwebs, pretty sunlight too. Your vases are always a treat. Thanks for sharing Donna 🙂 Have a great week!
The webs are so delightful in fall!
I love those seed heads, Donna. The whole vase looks very autumnal. We’re still sadly lacking in fall color in my area.
Hoping fall visits you soon Kris!
As flowers become more scarce, we will have to draw ever more on our imaginations to fill our vases…as you have done so successfully.
Indeed ricki….and that can be more creative and fulfilling. My biggest issue is that foliage is going quickly in my garden too.
Hello, this tree is new to me. I am not familiar with the American Linden. It is a pretty tree with lovely leaves. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your day!
I am glad I could share it with you Eileen.
I like Linden trees too, and we have a large one in the garden. Glad you are protecting ot from the deer for winter. It has been extremely mild here as well, but the last annuals have now gone. Your marigolds held up well! I love the seedheads of the Meadowsweet in your vase today. They add to the festive look. 🙂
Glad to hear your weather is mild too Cathy…the meadowsweet is a lovely seedhead in color and texture….and yes those marigolds are a worthwhile flower to grow from seed.
I always learn so much from your posts Donna. I don’t know much about Linden trees, in fact almost nothing….so I loved learning about this handsome and useful tree. Your arrangement is very pretty with your golds and reds. I went out to the mailbox at 7am this morning and it felt like a snow storm of gold! Leaves falling all around me. It was one of those treasured moments with the sky still peachy and blue.
Oh your morning sounds lovely with the golden shower of leaves.
You’ve reminded me why I should remember to plant marigolds next year. They are cheerful in your autumnal vase Donna.
Exactly Susie…beautiful flower from summer through fall with so many uses…and so easy to grow from seed too!
Love that Linden … A tree I’m not familiar with … A terrific show fir you ( and us) and such a good host to all those ” baby bugs.”
I agree Sallie…a wonderful host tree!
What a beautiful autumnal vase Donna – perfect for Thanksgiving! I am so pleased that you are still enjoying warm temperatures – with the winters you have I am sure you want the good weather to last as long as possible!
Absolutely Julie…we had a bit of cold weather over the weekend but another warm week ahead!
Gorgeous autumnal colours Donna. I pulled my marigolds out a few weeks ago which was a shame because, like you, we’ve had such mild weather they would have continued flowering.
Oh that is too bad Sarah….glad you are having the mild weather.
Linden trees are beautiful 🙂 I live next to a forest, so…
Which is my favourite tree? A majestic old oak perhaps? I am also very fond of pine trees. Of course I love my little collection of Japanse maples…
It is hard to choose a favorite tree…I love them all!
That’s a great spiderweb photo Donna. I enjoyed the progress of your linden tree with some lovely mosaic images. We are still enjoying above average temperatures for November but getting lots of frost in the mornings from the cold nights. It was really nice to spend some time outside today just walking around and seeing how all the plants and shrubs are getting ready for winter.
That is what I love about the extended fall weather Linda…we can be outside more!
Love the Linden photos, especially with its added decoration of the spider web.
It was such a delightful surprise for me and the tree Tina!
Your linden tree will be beautiful, Donna, I hadn’t seen them until we moved to Denver, where they were immense with dangling flowers. I’ve heard they can be used for tea. I think maybe I’ve seen one here. My favorites in my yard are probably my weeping maples for beauty, and my Liberty apple for fruit. I’m amazed you still have marigolds, they look pretty with the red grape and meadowsweet seed heads, very autumnal.
Thanks Hannah….I am looking forward to visiting the Lindens across the lake in spring to see the flower display next year…I’ll have to check out the tea.
How nice that you still have marigolds – I love their pungent scent. Love the red hibiscus leaves, too!
I hope your linden has a good winter (us, too)!
I am crossing my fingers for a mild winter eliza (for a change). I especially love the scent of marigolds…brings back sweet childhood memories.
Oh Donna, i love the way you superimpose a close-up or the big shot within a picture. It makes the shot more informative, highlighting what you intend to tell us.
Thanks Andrea…I find mosaics are such a wonderful story telling device too.
In late autumn my favourite tree is the tamarack! But I also have a soft spot for lindens as I have one in my yard. 🙂
Oh lucky you to have a linden!
Oh, how I love trees Donna. I am glad your little Linden survived last winter. I don’t know what “they” are saying about this winter but I have a feeling it will be a little less punishing – at least I hope so! I can’t believe I didn’t lose any plants to last winter. I thought my Forsythia bit it but there are two tall stems still covered in leaves. I’ll have to give it a good haircut once again. I love those webs! It’s so comforting to know you’ve helped create a home for tiny creatures. Lately, I find myself looking at the patterns of webs – they are all slightly different depending upon the spider species I guess. I wonder if they are like snowflakes? I have spent a lot of time in my garden but I have a rainy day list going. I may get out there again today – I am in love all over again and honestly, ready for Spring (without a break)!
I am so happy to hear of your reignited love for your garden Kathy…and yes I hope we are gifted with a milder winter….I am still working in the garden this week as it was a bit rainy last week and I did not get it all done. So a few more days, and then hopefully I can take a long look at structure and start plans for next year…so many projects already swimming around in my head.
a very naturalistic vase with lovely colours. I have got Filipendula seedheads in my garden which I hadn’t thought of using in a vase – great idea!
Thanks Ann…yes it felt like I was dipping into an autumnal scene when i put the vase together.
Lindens line the sidewalk in one area where I walk and when they are in bloom, I could stand there and inhale the fragrance for a long time.
A lovely vase from garden and nature.
Sounds heavenly Judith…I plan to visit the lindens at the lake across the street next year to take in that bloom…that is until my little tree catches up.
What a great idea following a tree ~ the Linden is resilient, already setting its buds before winter. Love the flower arrangement ~ nice Fall colors.
Yes resilient is a perfect word for my little linden Loredana!
Donna, I’d love to know where you purchased the tree. I didn’t see a mention of it in your earlier post about the linden.
Thanks for asking Kathy. I had to order it online as I couldn’t find one locally. I do not remember exactly where I found it but likely at naturehills.com. At the time I bought it, I did not have a good listing of state native plant nurseries….now our local Wild Ones Chapter puts together a great resource of native plants and if they are available yearly from local nurseries. If you’d like, I can look it up in the native plant booklet to see if they are locally available.
I would love to know if it’s available locally, although I’m not sure local to you would be local to me! I am also on the hunt for native rhododendrons, if you know of good sources for those.
The linden I such a nice tree. I have a little leaf and it’s such a pleasant thing all year. My only problem is a seedling which I now have to figure out what to do with… it just passed six feet and I just can’t bring myself to cut it down.
Oh wow Frank…yes those tree seedlings get so big so quickly they can’t be moved sometimes…I have a few maple and ash like that.
Wonderful shots from the garden.
Oh you are so kind to say so Rajesh…thank you!
I’m not very tree-conscious, I’m more of a perennial and shrub person. However, I guess around here I would say the Red Maple. I’d go with Sugar Maple but you don’t see a lot of them here. I didn’t realize that American Linden was a host for so many butterflies – it is really an underutilized tree.
It is underutilized Jason….and you have chosen 2 fabulous trees…red maple is a wonderful native tree playing host to so many critters and of course sugar maples…well we all want some to tap so we can have our own syrup!
Sure pretty Fall color mosaics and Fall bouquet in the vase.
Thanks for stopping by.
Always a pleasure Glenda…so glad you enjoyed your visit!
I love this meme devoted to trees…I fell behind and never caught up. I don’t think we have any here in the woods, but I am going to look.. Lovely flowers Donna….Michelle
Let me know if you find any Lindens, Michelle…and you can catch up with your tree at anytime!
your tree has some lovely colour Donna and it is nice to know it will get better with maturity, I’ve read/heard that if a plant is stressed, as yours may have been last winter, then to conserve energy they do not flower or flower much less than normal, hopefully your little tree has put the energy it had this year into building up its’ root system,
since doing tree following I have noticed lots of trees and shrubs have the tiny buds of next years growth in autumn, quite amazing, moving on, Frances
Thanks Frances….I think you are correct about my little tree reserving energy….so I am hoping I see lots of flowers next year.
hero!!