We are just about at peak Autumn color here in zone 6B New Jersey and a cold front is making its way in over the next day or so. We are anticipating having our initial frost and with that, you can feel what has been perfect weather since Fall began, starting to slip away. Not to mention the barely holding on annuals.
Having said that, I need to now make sure I can check off every item on my Fall to-do list. Here goes:
Pumpkin picking in the mud with a painfully rough ride in the back of a soon to be broken down tractor - check
Apple
Drink copious amounts of pumpkin beer (Dogfish Head Punkin is by far the winner) - check
Shovel candy corns into my mouth on an hourly basis - check
Visit The Garden at Federal Twist at its autumn peak - check
Clean out the garage, specifically, rid it of the thousands of deadly spiders - check
Yes I know, technically we aren't even half way through the Fall, but let's not kid ourselves. Winter starts on November 1st (at least in my neck of the woods) and runs through March 1st. End of story.
So as we mourn the passing of the season, here is another look at some wonderfully delicious autumn color:
The aptly named Red Maple 'October Glory' is putting on her show with new colors emerging daily:
Viburnum 'Shoshoni' is like all purpley and whatever:
Viburnum 'Aurora' is a little behind some of the other viburnums but that's OK:
Fothergilla 'Mt. Airy', while still in its infant stages in my yard, is still displaying that frickin kick buttocks orange color:
As if we needed another reason to praise Panicum 'Northwind'. The Fall color is a sweet yellow/gold as we transition to Winter:
Even the brownish/wheatish/beigeish color of Panicum 'Rotstrahlbusch' ain't so bad:
Ciao y'all.
I'm off to fill my growler at Triumph Brewing Company with their stellar Pumpkin Ale.
John
