Walking the grounds on a chilly November day clears my mind. The fall colors are something to behold, even if the almost-winter air has snuck its icy fingers into every gap in my jacket. The grounds here at Blithewold are subtly gorgeous this time of year. It is not the riot of color of June, nor the bright waving daffodil faces of April, but the slow beauty of changing foliage and with it the revelation of shape and form. With each fallen leaf, our trees and shrubs reveal their beautiful bone structure. To be honest, I often prefer that to their appearance all dressed up in summer leaves or spring blooms. Each season has its own beauty.

Take, for instance, the crabapple in the Herb Garden – Malus ‘Cinderella’ (see gallery at bottom of page, click on photo to enlarge). In November, the small orange crabapples stand out on a cloudy day. They are a bright beacon standing in contrast with tones of silver, brown and grey around them. The gently lifting branches are just a touch spooky with subtle twists in the form as they stretch skyward.

The hawthorne (Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’) in the Enclosed Garden is also dressed in its winter fruit. Stunning red berries will be sure to attract birds in late winter looking for sustaining food. If you are looking for a medium sized tree that will be beautiful with white blooms in spring and gorgeous fruit in fall/winter for the birds, hawthorn is an excellent choice. (As its name suggests, this tree bears some significant thorns, but you should emerge unscathed as long as you are not looking to climb its branches.)

Some of my favorite trees on the property are the Katsuras (Cercidiphyllum japonicum). In spring, their foliage emerges like soft pink hearts on the branches. In early fall, the sugars in the leaves of the female trees practically caramelize and the air around the Katsuras smells like cotton candy. But, even in late fall and winter, the shape and form of the trees is spectacular. Even in detail, they are stunning. Looking close at the branches, the V-shaped forms of the seed structures line the top of each limb. They almost look like hundreds of tiny wings ready for take off.

The final tree I’ll mention on this extremely short list is the Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba). Pictured in the gallery below, it is still holding onto its fall colors. The foliage falls later and later each year as our temperatures stay warm well into November. I love seeing the gorgeous golden leaf color in fall which is followed by the revelation of the incredible form of the tree itself. Like the leaves, the branches form in a whorled pattern, which becomes more evident once the leaves drop for the season. Take a look next time you are by the East Lawn, the form of this spectacular tree will reveal itself to you. As grand as it ever has been.

May you take some time to notice the natural world around you in November and throughout the entire quiet season of winter. There is much beauty to be seen. If you are willing to see it, you will find it.