Fall, or autumn if you prefer, continues to impress and amaze even those of us who have witnessed it for decades. Even drought muted colors can stop people in their tracks, and that’s exactly what happened to me when I saw the late afternoon sun just kissing the tops of these birch trees. For a few moments there was fire burning in the tree tops and it was beautiful.
I’ve paid closer attention to how trees change color this year and I’ve noticed that some start to change one afternoon and literally overnight they can double the color they had the previous day, and in this way they can go from green to red or orange in just a couple of days. That explains why I missed most of the color on this section of river this year; it all happened so fast. I’ve also noticed that you can find peak color on one side of town and virtually none on the other side, and you can be fooled.
This sugar maple is in a spot where I can watch it each day and I saw it completely change into its fall color in about two days.
Oaks are just starting to change. They and beeches are the last to change in this area.
The bright lemon yellow at the Branch River in Marlborough comes from invasive Oriental bittersweet’s fall color.
The trouble with Oriental Bittersweet vines is they’re strong as wire cable, so when they climb and wrap themselves around a tree they strangle and kill it. As the tree grows the bittersweet doesn’t give, and the tree dies.
I didn’t see any bittersweet at the Ashuelot River north of Keene but I did see plenty of color, including yellow.
We have 22 miles of trails where I work and this is the start of one of them. It’s a wonderful time of year to live and work in the woods.
The trees along the shoreline of this hill at Half Moon Pond in Hancock are wearing their natural fall colors, but the trees at the top of the hill were colored by the sun. Sun colored trees are often all the same color as these were. This was taken just as the sun was coming over the hill behind me in early morning and the sun often does this to this hill at that time of day.
I looked through a very red, red maple. Red maples don’t always turn red in the fall. They can also be orange or yellow. Sometimes they change color from what they wore the previous year, and I’ve seen lots of trees doing that this year.
Maple leaved viburnums (Viburnum acerifolium) are putting on a beautiful show this year. This native shrub has an amazing range of colors in the fall and I’m surprised more people don’t grow it in their gardens. It also has berries that birds love.
Here is another maple leaved viburnum looking completely different in color. Their leaves seem to start out colored just about any color you can name in the fall, but after their red / yellow / orange/ purple phases all of the leaves eventually become a very pale, ghostly pink, making this shrub’s fall color among the most beautiful in the forest, in my opinion.
This year the theme seems to be that I’m in the right place at the wrong time. Every time I’ve gone to How Reservoir in Dublin to see the beautiful colors there it has been cloudy or even drizzling. I’ve often thought that fall colors have more “pop” on cloudy days, but I’ll leave you to your own opinions about it.
That’s Mount Monadnock in the background.
Sometimes a single tree will beg all of your attention, as this one did on this day.
The mist was thick on this day but the colors were amazing.
Here are some trees in full sun. What do you think? Does shade or sunshine better show the colors. To me, possibly because I’m colorblind, these colors look washed out to me. They’re still pretty but to my eyes they don’t have the vibrancy of those in the shade.
Since all roads look alike as far as foliage goes at this time of year I’m not surprised that I’ve completely forgotten where this one is. It doesn’t matter; if you come here just drive on any road and you’ll see the same.
Highbush blueberries are showing some beautiful colors this year.
This hillside often has cows in front of it, and it is so locally famous for fall color that I’ve seen it in two different newspapers so far this season. By the time I got there many of the trees had already lost their leaves.
This maple had a lot of wow factor. It was huge; white pine trees are our tallest tree but this maple was keeping up with the pine tree right next to it.
I’ve chosen this photo as my favorite of this lot, not just because of the colors but also the wildness. It’s a place of quiet serenity where the silence is often broken only by the call of a loon or a flock of geese. On this morning a loon called. When you hear that eerie sound for the first time you might feel that you hadn’t really lived full measure until that moment, but no matter how many times you’ve heard it before everything will come to a complete stop when you hear it again.
Sometimes moments in life are so perfect you want to freeze frame them; capture them within your soul forever so they never fade away—they burn themselves into your being until they’re a part of who you are. ~Cassandra Giovanni
Thanks for coming by.
What beautiful fall colour you have seen and photographed this year! The quote is an excellent one, too.
Thank you Clare. It has been a surprisingly good year for foliage colors.
I’ve been thinking of you lately. I’m reading the book Nature Cure by Richard Mabey, and he mentions Suffolk.
You’re so right about the call of the loon. The first time I heard a loon call, I listened, so sure I was mistaken. What a special sound, breaking the silence on an early morning when the lake water was completely still and nothing moved. Then the sight of these creatures, sailing elegantly along, barely breaking the surface of the water.
Beautiful pictures and prose.
Thank you Cynthia. You’re very lucky that you get to see loons. I hear them but have only seen them quite far in the distance. I’d love to get a photo of one!
The leaf color changes are spectacular, even on cloudy days. I love the photo of that stand of trees on the other side of Half Moon Pond, natural color and sun at the peak made quite a visual treat. Do you have any stands of larches in your area?
Thank you Lavinia. No, you have to go further north to find and good stands of larches. We do have a single tree here and there though.
How very beautiful, thank you for sharing this.
You’re welcome jane, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Beautiful! I enjoy the colors each fall, they amaze me every year.
Thanks for sharing the wonderful colors of New Hampshire!
You’re welcome Chris. I hope you’re seeing the same there.
Yes we have been seeing beautiful colors! And even some late blooming flowers!
That’s great! I think our flowers are about finished but we still have lots of color!
In sunshine or cloud, you have taken a stunning series of pictures this fall. I like the pictures where there is a contrast between the turning colours and the steady greens the best.
Thank you. Contrast among plants and trees always pleases me as well.
Thank you so much. i do miss the fall foliage now, here in the south. I think I have to go with the foliage in the sun…but then there’s final picture with the mist. Lovely to have such choices isn’t it?
I’m glad I could bring you a little bit of home.
It is nice to have choices. When it comes to foliage colors I don’t think one way is any more correct or better than the other. It’s only our own preference that makes it seem so.
I look forward each fall to your foliage photos–the New England brilliant colors never fail to impress me. Things seem so much more muted by comparison here in Northern Virginia where I live.
Thanks Mike. I’ve never been in Virginia in the fall but I have seen other blogs that are from more southern states, so I think I know what you’re saying.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the New England colors!
I think that in the mountains of the Shenandoahs, there might be some colors somewhat similar to those in New England, but have not had a chance to see them myself.
I’ve heard that come to think of it, and the great Smoky Mountains as well.
Thoroughly enjoying all your “fall color” posts, Allen. I definitely prefer taking photos in more subdued light rather than full sun to avoid the washout factor. I, too, have noticed how some trees turn in just a few days and the peak is short. Sort of their “15 minutes of fame” (but repeated on an annual basis). Let’s enjoy it while it lasts, huh?
Thanks Ginny. There will be more.
I sure am enjoying it, and I hope you are too!
What a fabulous post! The foliage this year has been outstanding in my opinion. Some of my observations/questions were addressed in your post such as trees being different colors from year to year as well as having more of a “pop” in grey misty weather. Thank you for your dedication to sharing your insights about and experiences in nature’s beauty around us. Sandy Ray
On Wed, Oct 21, 2020 at 3:58 AM New Hampshire Garden Solutions wrote:
> New Hampshire Garden Solutions posted: ” Fall, or autumn if you prefer, > continues to impress and amaze even those of us who have witnessed it for > decades. Even drought muted colors can stop people in their tracks, and > that’s exactly what happened to me when I saw the late afternoon sun just” >
You’re welcome, and thank you Sandy. It has been much better than many of us expected!
I’m glad I was able to help answer your questions.
Beautiful! It certainly has been an amazing year for fall foliage.
Thank you Paula. It was a bit of a surprise to most of the people I know. I think we expected it to be a dud because of the drought.
It seems to me that hazy sunshine and a slight underexposure is generally the best for photographing fall colors. Back lighting in the right situation is the most vibrant and dramatic..
Thank you, I agree!
I totally agree that colors look more saturated on cloudy days. I was driving some back country roads today and the colors were better than I’ve seen recently. Curiously, my beeches started turning earlier than usual. It was quite surprising.
Thank you Pat. The colors are surprising this year considering the drought. A little muted in places but all in all it has been beautiful as always.
I’ve noticed both oaks and beeches are turning about 2 weeks early this year. At least it seems that way; I usually look for them around Halloween.
Every picture a winner, so many different shades of colour and the reflections, even more beautiful.
Thank you Susan. So far it hasn’t been a very good season for reflections because of the wind, but I’m working on it.
I think you have done really well.
Thank you.