Fall Color 2015

The trees this fall haven't been as bright as in past years. The road to the farm was less than spectacular.

In late October, the big crape myrtle by the deck  lacked its usual splendor.

The brightest color in the backyard was the burning bush by the road.

Across the road was a bit of yellow.

Under a stormy sky in late October, the trees barely show up.

November's sunshine revealed a bit more color.

The dark woods at the farm revealed something else.

~~~

Last April Day

"Nothing is so beautiful as spring."

This morning—the last morning of April—was a luminous green. A lot more flowers have bloomed since the last time I posted pictures. The redbuds have lost their blossoms and the dogwoods lost most of theirs. The trees, barely green a few weeks ago, have leaves in abundance. Here's what's green or blooming today:

Spring

BY GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring –         

   When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;         

   Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush         

Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring         

The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;

   The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush         

   The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush         

With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.         

What is all this juice and all this joy?         

   A strain of the earth’s sweet being in the beginning

In Eden garden. – Have, get, before it cloy,         

   Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,         

Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,         

   Most, O maid’s child, thy choice and worthy the winning. 

~

Mistletoe & Holly

Mistletoe and holly are traditional Christmas decorations, but their decorative uses predate Christmas by centuries. Mistletoe, used in rituals by both Druids and ancient Greeks, is a parasitic plant that grows high in trees, usually oaks. We have some growing on one of our farms. Do you see it?

Look closer.

Or even closer.

Usually  it grows high in the tree on the outer edges of a slender limb, so forget trying to climb the tree or using a ladder to get it.

If you cut down the tree—or even cut off the limb, there'll be no more mistletoe. American mistletoe is parasitic. Seeds dropped by birds take root in the tree itself and the mistletoe draws its nutrients from the tree.

So how do you harvest mistletoe? Carefully. The best way is with a rifle. If you're a good shot, you should be able to shoot off a big enough piece for decorative purposes but still leave some growing.

Since I have very little mistletoe, I don't think I'll be using it as a decoration this year. However, I do have a huge holly tree in my backyard. Here's a close look:

And a look from a bit farther back (that's the old gazebo behind it):

And, just to give you an idea how big the tree is, here's the house in the background:

Sometimes, Spotz the barncat likes to "levitate" in the holly. Do you see her? (These pictures of Spotz in the holly tree were taken last year):

How does she get to ends of the branches without falling off?

Here's her secret: A wild grapevine grows through the holly tree. Spotz climbs the grapevine and sits in the spot where the several vines form a place to sit. 

I wonder if I can persuade Spotz to climb for mistletoe?

~