Gardens by Kelly Productions

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon wandering the October quiet aisles of Cox’s Plant Farm near Clayton, Indiana.  I came across some lovely, handsome, and well-grown chrysanthemums, which coming from a ‘non-mum’ fan means a lot, and stole away with some ultra-cheap Crocosmia for breeding work.  Against the overcast sky, their flowers blazed.  And that’s what I love about fall–the fires of the landscape that kindle my inner pyro, even if only imaginatively.  As I flew back to Des Moines last night, I thought I’d share some fire with you.

Take care raking leaves and relishing the smells of hot cider!

Fall: on Fire

Fall:  on fire

Brush alight,

leaves inflamed,

unlike night.

Against simmering sun

defiantly blaze,

Fall hues

refusing glaze.

Of cold Winter,

colorless days,

bleached remains,

dimming rays.

Burning through hours–

The last

The bright

Soon past.

Fall on fire,

never burn,

take care,

Flames turn.

10/17/2011

Today, for some random reason, I remembered this poem I wrote last fall (see below).  I often find myself thinking more about light in the autumn than any other time of year, perhaps because it’s manifested so beautifully in our landscapes.  The dancing colors in deciduous leaves.  The earlier nights and richer sunsets.  The dappled silhouettes of trees giving way to solitary lines sketched out by charcoal shadows left after the falling.

Last week I was in Santa Rosa, California for the successful first annual National Heirloom Expo–a terrific event engineered by Jere and Emilee Gettle of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.  I spoke about passionate gardening with heirloom flowers–what a great audience.  I’ve posted the powerpoint from that lecture on the Handouts and Downloads page.  Here are a few ‘fall’ images from Santa Rosa.  And don’t forget that poem…

What’s fall looking like in your garden so far?

Pausing at Dusk

Tears, dew drops, and pearly

glints of sunlight

Sparkle

Effervescent

Shimmerous and slight

Dusk knows not what dawn may bring

And dawn knows not what dusk has seen

In this daystruck, nightlong

quest through modes of light

I find

Tears, dew drops, and pearly glints

Hovering madly

through my mind.

10/22/10

Well there you have it.  I’ve decided to post a little snippet of poetry every Monday (or at least every Monday that I think about it).  In the last two months, I’ve taken to writing a collection of poems themed on the seasons–a special passion of mine as you know.  I leaked some verse in a post a few weeks back, to friendly acclaim.  You flatter me.  I hope throughout the next year to ball them up into some collective ode to the beauty of time and seasonal change, but I have no grand plans per se.  For now, I just feel like sharing.

Nyssa sylvatica 'Zydeco Twist'

Naked

Naked, stark, and cold.
The lonely spirits of trees.

Autumn leaves
Rushing
To frigid winter

Naked and sullen
Stoic and bleak, too
Trees look bare of life.

Bereft of seasonal accoutrements
They waver in winds
Holding fast against the blow of winter’s blast.

Some still hold berries
Red or black, and shriveled
Gobbled soon enough by birds.

Naked, stark, and cold
Those spirits wait for spring.

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