Winterthur, Delaware on September 16, 2020.
Legacy of Henry Francis du Pont, 1880-1969, American
Giving thanks for this sanctuary (temenos) in a difficult year.
The temperature has dropped. The gardens are still overwhelmingly green.
The sundial garden set about with newly planted boxwood. A dawn redwood in the rear left.
A mature pawpaw tree (Asmina triloba) on the edge of the sundial garden
But when the autumn crocus (Colchicum byzantium) is in flower
and also meadow saffron (Autumn crocus; Colchicum automnale)
And when whorls of seeds wreathe the viburnum tree
when plumbago and lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) seem to light up the edges of pathways with their luminescent blues
Plumbago
Lobelia (photo from the net)
when the asters begin to bloom,
Blue wood aster (Aster cordifolius).
Photo taken at Mt. Cuba, Hockenville, Delaware; also blooming at Winterthur
White wood aster (Aster divericatus)
Photo taken at Mt. Cuba, Hockenville, Delaware; also blooming at Winterthur
Blue wood aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)
Photo taken at Mt. Cuba, Hockenville, Delaware; also blooming at Winterthur
And when there is a rare reflowering (these trees bloom in May) on a single magnolia tree (Magnolia soulangeana) of three pink/red flowers; drying up now
and when the red/pink brigade is represented at the beginning of autumn by hardy pink begonia with its brilliant leaf underside
Viburnum and hardy begonia
the pink/reds are also represented by the fruit of the native Magnolia acuminata: the heart of its enormous leaves
and by the flower and seedpod of the hyacinth bean (Dolichos purpurea) climbing back every year over the framework of the old glass houses, now glass-less
their tendrils holding upright the zinnias as they lose their petals
the pink/reds in early Autumn are also represented by the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis) growing alongside the hyacinth beans
and by the firethorn (Pyracantha Mohave – Rosacae)
and by the pink/red of the Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) still in full bloom in mid-September
when the meadows are gold with goldenrod
when the flowering quince shrubs are sparkling gold with apples
when the stand of Sargent crabapples is a mottled pink/red/green-yellow
and when the beauteous patterns of beauty berries (Callicarpa) appear
when white hosta are marching about in serried ranks which fences do not halt
and take it upon themselves to extend their seed-bearing stems to bar your path to a large tree felled by a late, violent summer storm
when the pale lilac hosta (Hosta lancifolia) display themselves in flower so fetchingly against a stone wall, a bee stoned on their nectar, and their leaves matching the greens of stonecrop descending to meet them
and when nearby sedum complement their colour with a nod towards pink
when boxwood and lilac spend their days showcasing the glistening web work of
?? fall webworms (Hyphantria cunea) for the feeding of their caterpillars
when elephant leaves (Colocasia) are transforming into expressionistic autumnal tableaux
when gravity has defeated the giant sunflowers such that their stems collapse
but when a single leaf defies gravity for days on end, hanging above ground with the help of a spider
when the leaves of an Ayers Rock made up of two weeping Yoshino cherry trees are veils of copper
within the shade of these two trees
and when some trees have been turned by late summer storms and by the hand of arborists into wooden streams tumbling heavily downhill
a variety of virburnum surrounds this tree in the photograph above
when the busy summer bric-a-brac of the gardener’s shed has been replaced with a single window sill of stems of heuchera in glass bottles
and when burr of a castor oil plant has been left out to dry
Then
I know that early Autumn is here and it is time to retrieve the fruit of the American black walnut (Juglans nigra) from the ground around them (by permission)
to infuse in vodka
to stiffen our spines through this Autumn and Winter of our greatest discontent and anguish and also hope
Vodka of American black walnut ages from golden green to a lustrous brown.
Here with a split vanilla bean, lavender seed and sugar.
A savoury fragrance with a touch of sweet, and very heady, it is a bitter when sugar is not added.
When sugar and a vanilla bean are added, we usually soak dates or figs in this and eat them over vanilla ice cream; or use the fruits in various Christmas pies, puddings and dessert concoctions.
Vodka with American black walnut and basil
Remembering to pour libation to Dionysos whose seasons, Autumn and Winter and early Spring have come and are coming again.
Lead paper weight, artisan and date unknown
Beautiful and thank you!
I am so glad that you enjoyed this as I have enjoyed the gardens and parks and native reserves which have been the gifts of the du Pont family. Sarah
Thanks to you and the returned Dionysius. May your autumn turn from jagged edge brown to golden.
Thanks, Susannah. And to think we have yet to go through the incredible colours of an Advancing autumn! Sarah
Toujours superbe Sarah.
Et ce qui te parait être un crocus est un colchique.
Merci, Louis! Colchique: meadow saffron………But what a beauty!