Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Last of the Fall Gold


Last Friday we had our first official snowfall (more than three weeks later than average); a mere “trace”, but a measurable one. Today we will set a record high temperature---into the upper 70’s---for this date.

Our growing cycle for this year seems to have been set last spring when I noted (here) how late the woody plants were coming into leaf and bloom. All of the seasons since then have followed in synch and arrived/extended a bit off the norm. That’s OK. Sometimes it takes the “not-normal” to open our eyes to the world around us.

What have you been seeing lately?

Monday, November 03, 2008

Interesting Phenomenon

This past weekend my shrubs were at the peak of their fall color show. The compact burning bush (Euonymus alatus 'Compactus'), with its florescent, hot pink foliage, is especially stunning this year.
However, when viewed from behind (the scene from my office window), you can see that the foliage on the interior of the plant has gone completely white. I don’t remember seeing this happen before. The leaves seem to be fading from the darker, interior areas of the plant out to the edges of the branches.
Has our unseasonably warm weather this autumn allowed the colored foliage to fade without falling? Given enough time, could this plant be completely covered in white foliage?