Nothing says fall to me more than the colour orange. So when I first see the orange Chinese Lanterns from the back door, I know that autumn is closing in. The official start of fall is still about six weeks away but I have to admit, I'm looking forward to it. The heat of July and August have worn me down a bit and the drought is a downer.
For all my whining and complaining about how invasive Chinese Lanterns are, I'm sad they didn't do better this year. For the most part, they all look a little grungy. But I have been unkind to them. I yanked most of them and neglected the rest. Now I feel bad.
The lanterns look great on the stem adding a splash of colour to the garden just as most of it is fading. But I like to pick them and open up the lantern to create "petals." A small bowl of these beauties makes a lovely centrepiece for the table and it keeps a long time.
My serviceberry is getting a jump start on fall. It's way to early for leaves to be changing colour, isn't it? But alas, I've got a few red ones on the go. The serviceberry has a bad case of powdery mildew so I suspect that might be part of the problem if not the problem. Putting aside concerns about how the tree is performing, I have to say I'm thrilled about the leaf colour. The more colour in fall the better. Bring it on.
Nothing says fall to me more than the colour orange. So when I first see the orange Chinese Lanterns from the back door, I know that autumn is closing in. The official start of fall is still about six weeks away but I have to admit, I'm looking forward to it. The heat of July and August have worn me down a bit and the drought is a downer. 
For all my whining and complaining about how invasive Chinese Lanterns are, I'm sad they didn't do better this year. For the most part, they all look a little grungy. But I have been unkind to them. I yanked most of them and neglected the rest. Now I feel bad.
The lanterns look great on the stem adding a splash of colour to the garden just as most of it is fading. But I like to pick them and open up the lantern to create "petals." A small bowl of these beauties makes a lovely centrepiece for the table and it keeps a long time.
My serviceberry is getting a jump start on fall. It's way to early for leaves to be changing colour, isn't it? But alas, I've got a few red ones on the go. The serviceberry has a bad case of powdery mildew so I suspect that might be part of the problem if not the problem. Putting aside concerns about how the tree is performing, I have to say I'm thrilled about the leaf colour. The more colour in fall the better. Bring it on.
2 comments:
Fall is in the air here, as well...though our days are still hot, the nights are getting much cooler.
That is a very creative way to use your chinese lanterns, by opening them up! They make a lovely looking flower, quite different than their original shape.
As hot as it is here in Iowa, I will welcome fall. Does your serviceberry attract a lot of birds, I have always intended to plant some serviceberry, just have not gotten around to it. The Chinese lanterns are lovely.
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