Three Trees, Three Ways

The honeylocust tree started dropping its leaves one tiny leaflet at a time a few weeks ago.

They gently fall to the ground without making a sound or a fuss. They are golden yellow, but I still see mostly green when I look up at the tree.

But the evidence is there. If you stand quietly beneath the tree, you’ll catch a glimpse of a tiny leaflet as it falls to the ground. Maybe it will bless you by falling onto your shoulder and whispering, “Fall is coming.”

Next to the honeylocust is a red maple. Today it’s still quite green, waiting until it’s time to change all the leaves at once to a brilliant red with bits of orange.

When its time comes, it will shout out, “Fall is here! Ta Da! See you in the spring!” And then, in just a few days, all its leaves will fall to the ground, waiting to be raked up or not raked up.

An oak tree stands guard over the front garden.

Slowly, steadily, in no great hurry, its leaves will change to a dark scarlet, then fade to brown, then it hangs on to those leaves all through winter until spring when new growth finally pushes them off. It defiantly states, “Hand me another pumpkin spice latte. I can keep fall going until spring.”

Three trees, three ways.

Drip, drip, drip…

Ta Da! It’s Fall!

I can keep fall going until spring.

How do you do fall?

Do you start in early September like the honeylocust and get it over with so you can move on sooner to winter and Christmas decorations?

Do you go for a big fall or Halloween show like a red maple and then move on to Christmas?

Or are you like an oak tree that would prefer to hang on to fall, and pumpkin spice lattes, for as long as you can, until you see signs of the Easter bunny?