Beating Grandad to the Punch this year - Colours of FALL!

[LovelyLadyLux]

Last year Grandad introduced a thread re: colours of fall. This year I'm beating him to the punch in introducing the topic. I think I'm beating him cause here we are already starting to get lots of fall colours.

This is the tree I see out my bedroom window. Every year it turns scarlet red and this year is not exception. It is always one of the earliest indicators that fall is coming.



Not that this is a typical 'colour' of fall whenever I see these blooming in the front garden they remind that fall is approaching.



Lastly soon as the small ornamental Maple out front starts to show shades of red I can anticipate foggy fuzzy mornings with the sun not burning through 'til later in the day and lovely cool nights.



As we start to move from summer to fall what do you tend to look to that gives you hints that summer is fading? These are just some of my own 'early' indicators that fall is coming.

I'm challenging all E4U to submit their own indicators and show us all the "colours of fall" in their area!

[Grandad]

Challenge accepted LLL

The Acers tend to be among the first to change but over here the horse chestnut is also an early indicator. Those in the know are telling us that as we had so much rain this year the autumn colours will be later than usual. My picture of the trees in the landscape at Polesden Lacey supports this, all still very green. I am not seeing much change yet but will be on the look out for something to post....so watch this space.

[Horus]

Got to side with Grandad on this one LLL Acers turn a deep red very early on, not that I am implying that our colonial brothers and sisters are trying to steal a march on us Brits in any way, but I nipped out to take a quick snap of one in my back garden



They do say that due to the weather this year, especially the later warm wet spell which provided more sugars to the leaves will result in some spectacular colours in the trees, but as Grandad says, our Autumn leaves will turn a lot later this year.
But they are very nice pictures and we accept the challenge

[Grandad]

Out and about this morning and I saw these horse chestnut trees in my daughters village. Only just beginning to change but all other trees are still very green.



Your Acer looks much better than mine Horus but your hostas are at about the same stage of 'regression'

[Horus]

We have had that Acer since it was twig Grandad and those Hosta's got the chop this afternoon, Mrs H and myself started to de a bit of pre Winter tidying up, one wheelie bin down and several more to go.
Our Horse Chestnuts are about the same and most trees are still green although looking a bit jaded now.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Seeing you boys are up to the challenge I'll concede that your acers = my acer for a score of ONE to ONE.......

However SCORE ONE for LLL re: fall colours!! FALL CROCUS!! I dare you to trump this





LLL Score 2...................Grandad and H Score 1

The challenge is on, the gauntlet is thrown, the fat lady has sung.......let the colours of fall roll!!!!!!

BTW - This challenge is open to ALL who DARE to POST

What are your COLOURS OF FALL

[DJKeefy]

Difficult for me to post anything, everything looks the same in Autumn here in Luxor

[Horus]

You have the edge on us with that Crocus, ours don't show until the early Spring and are usually gone within a few weeks and as its mid September most of our flowers have started to die back, at this rate we will be getting our butts kicked until the leaves start to turn and then you will be in for a thrashing.

@Keefy, you could always enter a picture of some sand.

[Grandad]

With tongue in cheek I am offering this in 'Colours of Autumn'

I call it Unwanted Colours of Autumn



Yes that's right, it's when we have to turn the boiler on and see those little expensive coloured lights

[Horus]

I know the feeling and the forcast is not so good either

[LovelyLadyLux]

Ewwwwwwww - ok - Grandad scores 1 in the 'tongue in cheek' and "unwanted" category!

Keefy - please enter and give us some photos of what is happening in Luxor/West Bank during this time of the year. You've got the 'waiver' that we all understand that "colour" from your area is optional. From another perspective - maybe YOU can produce anytime 'colours' that always typify fall. Just wait 'til I beat Grandad to punch with 'Colours of Christmas' (and or to keep it secret from Grandad) I might just post "Colours of WINTER" instead (shhhh - don't tell him)

I know that Ramadan/Eid etc just passed but is there anything that typically happens in Luxor this time of year?

[LovelyLadyLux]

@H - maybe I read your post incorrectly and/or have labelled what is known here as "fall crocus" as something you know by another name (and I can also tell my photos don't really show the stems and/or total plant).

This is the wikipedia URL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colchicum_autumnale with a cut and paste from it of what this flower plant is: "Colchicum autumnale, commonly known as autumn crocus, meadow saffron or naked lady, is a flower that resembles the true crocuses, but blooms in autumn. (This is not a reliable distinction, however, since many true crocuses flower in autumn.) The name "naked lady" comes from the fact that the flowers emerge from the ground long after the leaves have died back.

The species is commonly cultivated in temperate areas.

Colchicum autumnale is the only species of its genus native to the United Kingdom, with notable populations under the stewardship of the County Wildlife Trusts."

We have spring time crocus that are quite different in that they have much shorter stems and come in a variety of colours - white, yellow, purple. They'll bloom out here early spring, weather dependent, last a few weeks and then disappear back into their bulbs or corms or whatever they sprout from.

[DJKeefy]

Autumn in Luxor... (same as spring, summer and winter)

[Grandad]

Keefy said: Autumn in Luxor... (same as spring, summer and winter)

Except for the dates Keefy

[Horus]

I always think that Egypt is quite green whenever I visit ..................... dusty ................ but green

[LovelyLadyLux]

Great photo Keefy!!

Score 1 for Keefy! If this is your autumn it looks GREAT to me!

[Grandad]

Christmas is only 3 months tomorrow So this should fit the bill 'Holly in a Neighbours Garden'



Now thinking is it really holly, it is some distance away? Never mind, it IS Autumn......

Another point please LLL

[LovelyLadyLux]

Wow - Great shot Grandad!!!!

Grandad 2 LLL 2 Horus 1 and Keefy 1

A DEAD HEAT for FIRST!!! Who will inch ahead?

Hmmmmmmmmmmm - will have to start plotting strategy here.........

[Horus]

Not fair! I'm too busy writing tutorials to take part properly

[LovelyLadyLux]

LLL will GRACIOUSLY accept another POINT for her "Colours of FALL" entry "Pumpkins" putting her into the LEAD 3 to 2!!!



This CONTEST will be an easy WIN!!