A maple in all its glory near my office
Here’s a close-up.
This is a leaf from one of my own maples in my yard.
And here is my witch hazel (hamamelis intermedia ‘Jelena’). Most years it’s a non-descript yellow. This year it’s quite remarkable.
I need to remember how beautiful these leaves are when I’m shivering this winter!
Gardendaze 
Such pretty colors. Our leaves are chaining ever so slowly, but expecting some cold weather soon to give them a boost.
…make that “changing,” not “chaining.”
I’m not sure I’d trade the cold weather for the color–I’m freezing!–but the color sure is lovely. And I shouldn’t complain–in my little microclimate I still haven’t had a frost although it’s very close; we’ll probably have one before the week is out. Upper 30s this morning–that’s why I say I need to remember how lovely this all is when I whine!
Thanks, as always, for reading and commenting!
Karla
I so enjoy autumn’s colors but I notice the big difference between years. I have a pin oak that is often a non-descript tan in fall, but every few years it turns a deep, shiny mahogany that’s just stunning!!
You’re right, Michele. And it’s hard to know why. I was just reading a meteorology journal I get and they were talking about what a wet June/humid July/cool August this had been–in other words, a very atypical year. But of course, weather geeks say that there’s nothing “normal” about weather–a very cold winter and a very warm winter together “average” out to an “average” winter after all!
But with all the strange stress on the trees from the weather, my maples were just dismal for the most part–and yet this one at work was glorious! So I guess that’s what microclimate is about too.
Who knows? I’ll just enjoy!
Thanks, as always, for reading and commenting!
Karla