Autumn Splendor

Photo by Barbara Clare

I love autumn. After slogging through the hot, steamy days of summer, the cool crisp days of autumn are such a welcome relief for me.

And the autumn light -- oo lala! On many fall days our Carolina skies are a crystalline, saturated, happy blue. Against that happy blue float the striking amber, copper, and russet tones of autumn leaves, -- magnificent!

Each fall day nature offers us new, wondrous color compositions. Here are a few of the marvelous color vignettes I saw this autumn.

Featured above is a branch from one of our Crape Myrtles. (The blue-gray wall does help set off the deep red leaves of the branch.)

Below is the Crape Myrtle that branch came from.

Photo by Barbara Clare

I love the countless shapes and colors of gourds.

Photo by Barbara Clare

Below is a detail of our red sugar maple leaves against a sparkling blue Carolina sky.

Photo by Barbara Clare

Driving through the Hope Valley neighborhood in Durham in October, I discovered this amazing color composition. Do you suppose the residents chose their mailbox hues to match the fall colors of their maple leaves?

Photo by Barbara Clare

Upper left to bottom right: Fall asters at Duke Gardens, Durham, NC. I took the other five shots on our property: The cheery golden blooms of Ajania pacifica, known as Gold and Silver chrysanthemum, the coppery tones of a fabulous native shrub, Fothergilla 'Mount Airy', rain-soaked bluestone patio with fallen leaves, autumnal gourds, autumn mushrooms. Photos by Barbara Clare

Finally, a taste of the tropics at our home in November: Musa basjoo, hardy banana. It's always fun to have surprises in your garden...

Photo by Barbara Clare

Photo by Barbara Clare