September in the Northern Hemisphere

[Leena]

Gabriela, how bright autumn colors! I didn't know cinnamon fern grows wild over there, and such nice color, too.

One more aster from yesterday:). This is an unnamed Aster novi-belgii, with double/semidouble flowers. Vigorous and tall plant, and flowers nice every autumn. It probably does have a name, but I got it from a plant friend who had lost its label.

[cohan]

Aralia racemosa from Ontario wild seed... the plants ( I have two, these shots are just one) get larger each year, and in warmer years than this one,have managed to flower a bit earlier as they get bigger, but have still not managed to make seed before a good frost turns them to mush (one of my more sensitive perennials). This year, flowering was not early due to rather cool wet conditions, but the fall has been extended with no noticeable frost inside the acreage-- to get to Oct 02 like this is unusual! These shots are from Sept 22, but the plants are still standing, with a hint more colour.. I doubt they will actually get to ripen the berries, but if tonight's forecast 0 doesn't do anything (we've had lows that far or colder already), they may get another week at least...

[Gabriela]

Thanks Cohan and Leena, it is hard not to get excited by the autumn colors.

The semidouble aster has a very nice fluffiness to it Leena

Cohan: I can't afford Aralia racemosa in the garden, unfortunately, it needs too much space. Otherwise a very nice plant to have, in your climate it probably gets growing too late, thus the late flowering and fruiting. In this region the fruits should be mature soon, if not already.

[Leena]

I have also Aralia racemosa and it is a nice plant but needs room! Most years the berries have just barely enough time to ripen, this year they are still not ready and may not be at all because it is already October. This year has  been strange: late Colchicums have  flowered early (early ones in their normal time), but many late asters seem to be even later than normally.

[Robert]

Everyone –

Nice autumn colors!

Gabriela, I especially enjoyed the autumn scenes from your part Canada.

Cohan,

Our Quaking Aspens, Populus tremuloides, are turning color in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This photograph was taken on 30 September, 6,900 feet (2,103 meters) elevation.

[cohan]

Lena and Gabriela-- yes the Aralia is a handsome plant, and definitely would prefer a longer season than mine.  Had I known it needed more heat, I might have tried to arrange a bit of a heat sink for it-- I don't have enough big rocks to spare, but maybe a bit of a wall or a berm beside/behind it to hold heat.. If I garden here longer term, I may still attempt to add something.. but it is handsome as it is anyway, and a wide variety of tiny pollinators like the flowers!

[cohan]

Everyone –

Nice autumn colors
Cohan,
Our Quaking Aspens, Populus tremuloides, are turning color in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This photograph was taken on 30 September, 6,900 feet (2,103 meters) elevation.

nice view! This year  we've had a dry few weeks, combined with no really cold spells yet, so the poplars have coloured very deeply and lasting a bit longer than sometimes --often as soon as they reach full colour, we get  a windy day and it is done... still hanging on, though early turners are already bare..

Here are two views on the farm, Sept 26 and 28-- those views would already be quite different, as things have been moving very quickly! First shows Poplars (tremuloides and balsamifera), Spruce (glauca) Birch (papyrifera,likely pumila too with the low willows), various Willows, Tamarack, showing no signs of turning there, but I am seeing some now starting to colour, they are always the last... Second shows poplars, I think those are balsamifera, nearest, they are prob bare now as they drop faster than aspens, same assortment farther back, though no B papyrifera in that specific view ( the shots are only taken a few metres (and 2 days) apart, just looking more to one side..)