The Last Remnants

Winter came early this year, long before it usually does. Plus what autumn we did have was much colder and earlier than usual. In early November, I still had a few cold hardy garden highlights to show off. By mid November it was winter, with snow and ice.

It doesn't really surprise me when perennials or shrubs still show off a few flowers late in the season.

Even roses aren't really a shock to me in November. I've had roses in early December before, just not this year. This year the roses were gone by mid November. Boohoo!

But every time that annuals survive such hard frosts, it's amazing to me, even if they're cold hardy annuals.

Our home was only built 15 years ago, so we don't have any tall trees. Not to mention, we didn't really plant any large tree varieties. Therefore autumn foliage is at a premium on our property. But I do have a little.

Still, the best foliage view is looking down the street. Most of this color comes from the much maligned Bradford pears planted as street trees.

I even had a butterfly at the start of the month. If there's a late butterfly, you know it's going to be a painted lady.

And then it was over. First there was an ice storm, then snow later in the day. After that, winter stayed. Autumn may have been short and sweet this year, but it was truly gorgeous while it was here.

Autumn in Ohio

It's obvious from my blog that I enjoy taking pictures. It's probably also apparent that my favorite subjects are gardens and sunsets. But one of favorites only comes along once a year, and that's autumn. I wait all year to capture all my favorite locations in the Columbus area. This year, the color show was late to arrive. I was getting impatient! Finally, towards the end of October, the leaves began to turn. I was so excited to get out there and get the shots. The weather had other ideas. Right when the colors were peaking, it began to rain. It rained and rained, endless gloom that threatened to mute the gorgeous scenes. I had no choice but to go out into the gloom to grab some of my favorite views. I would have rather had blue sky backgrounds, but it wasn't to be.

All those dark skies made my photos a little blurry and hazy. You see, I'm having trouble with my camera, and soon it will need an upgrade. Still, the colors were vivid and I didn't much mind the rain.

First stop was Franklin Park Conservatory. Every year, they outdo themselves with their autumn displays. This year, they installed a new children's garden, and even in the rain, it was awesome. I hope to show it to my grandchildren some day when they visit.

My next stop was Inniswood Metro Gardens. It had been several years since I had visited here, not sure why. I won't go that long next time, it was fabulous! It didn't actually rain this time, but it was frigid, with gray skies. While I would have liked to have blue skies behind the photos, the lack of sun made the colors even more vivid. I was really stunned at their use of textures. Their landscape designers are genius.

For a more casual, and Mother Nature themed view, I next visited Chestnut Ridge, a perennial personal favorite. Yes, it was raining, and yes, the photos are lacking in clarity. But it didn't stop me from enjoying the view.

Last stop was Dawe's Arboretum, which has a driving trail. Good thing, because it was raining in earnest that day. And was it ever chilly! This time, my camera truly struggled with the low light and raindrop blur often showed up on my shots. But the colors were through the roof fantastic. Again, the designers were excellent, finding specimens that absolutely glow. I especially enjoyed the orange tree just below, and it was as orange as a pumpkin. I circled around several times trying to catch it through my window to keep from getting even more wet.

The day after I went to Dawe's, I took a quick trip to Florida to visit family. It was a heart warming visit, but there were no fall colors involved. However, it was not raining and it was warm! I loved it, but I wouldn't trade it for autumn in Ohio. It's just too beautiful to miss.