AUTUMN GLORY

In California, the first true sign of fall are the Santa Ana winds. This morning we had a rush a wind. Very brief and very strong, almost like a dust devil, and then it was calm. I was sitting at my desk when it started raining down leaves that had fallen on our roof from our Chinese elm tree. I started laughing because it truly was a curtain of leaves coming down. This is a good thing. They blew off my roof and landed in garden by my patio. It will be excellent mulch for the coming months.

Prior to this event, it had been foggy in the mornings and sometimes all day for most of October. That is really unusual for fall. Fall is actually the time you can rely on it being sunny and warm, if not outright hot. Like a lot of southern Californians, I don’t like the fog. Its gloomy, I try telling myself that it is good for the plants. Its keeping the ground damp and the plants moist, but that doesn’t change my feeling about the lack of sunshine.

Driving around town I already see some trees changing color, especially the maples. The sycamores turn a bronze golden color (below). Soon the gingko trees will turn really bright yellow. I love that aspect of fall. The light shifts and becomes softer shades of pink and purple and soft gold. By November the Crepe Myrtle trees will be deep red. It is our little window of New England color.

I took a trip to the high desert town of Tehachapi and found a few more fall colors even though the temperatures were quite warm for late October. This tree, which I believe is a type of non-fruiting pear, was truly in its autumn glory of yellows and oranges.

Upon coming home, I noticed my Tiger Stripe Fig tree leaves were also turning a beautiful yellow. We continue to get figs, and I think they will last well into November this year. I love to see the persimmon trees around town. The persimmons are drooping their bright orange fruits heavy on the branch while the leaves are falling off.

Soon we will turn back the time to standard time and lose the last of the early evening daylight. We are heading to the darkest time of the year. Enjoy the light and the fall colors.