The sun filters through the tree canopy as I stroll leaf covered paths in areas of the garden that were deeply shaded until recent days. A large portion of the garden is now covered in leaves from the forest that borders the garden but also from dozens of redbuds, dogwoods, beech, and various other trees planted over thirty-five years.

A few Japanese maples (below) have begun to shed leaves, but several have just begun their autumn leaf change of color, and most drop their leaves weeks after other trees.

The garden’s last hurrah is splendid, but I know what’s next, and this I’m not so enthusiastic about. Yes, there are a number of evergreens, and there will be brilliant red berries and scattered flowers, but within days, thoughts will focus on the next growing season.

The ginkgos (Ginkgo biloba) have reached their brief moment of glorious yellow. While other trees stretch their leaf drop over weeks, leaves of ginkgos fall in a hurry, often in a few days.

Appreciation of yellow autumn coloring is mixed, with some exceptional glowing or buttery yellows and others that appear to be drained of color with a sickly yellow the last gasp before leaves fall. Ginkgos are exceptional, though a few suffered through our bouts of summer drought.

With the areas of lawn growing slowly, I’ll wait until trees are bare before mowing one last time. The thick blanket of leaves covering much of the garden will be left in place to decay. Paths will be cleared, and the deepest piles will be cleared from hellebores so that winter flowers can be seen.

Leaves from the stone paths will be shredded and bagged by the leaf vacuum to spread in the lower rear garden where there are fewer large trees. Hopefully, this will help with the crops of winter weeds that grow vigorously in the damp soil.