Autumn
Fall traditionally conjures images of blazing foliage, but that’s just the peak.   It gives more subtle indications of its arrival long before the leaves turn: Perhaps a sudden rainstorm blows in cooler and dryer air, finally putting an end to the thick, clinging humidity of late Summer.  Nothing is quite the same afterwards.  In the Tawes Garden the tired stars of Summer collapse in dishevelment and a new set of late bloomers emerges: grasses, goldenrods, asters, etc.  In the Arboretum there’s frenetic activity on the part of the squirrels—well, squirrels are always frenetic but even more so in Fall—as they race around collecting fallen acorns.  Color begins to smolder in the shrubs and trees, bursting into flame as it reaches the canopy.   Autumn’s splendor rules—and slowly, inevitably fades into Winter.