Fall 2021 was a continuation of the above normal trend we saw in the spring and summer. We did not even have a frost until well into October where we usually experience our first frost in mid September! As I write this December 1st, technically still fall, around here November is usually when we have a major snowfall and temps dip into the -10C range and everyone is wishing they put up their Christmas stuff earlier, this year it has been more like the West Coast. As the West Coast experiences unprecidented rainfall and flooding from the phenomenon known as an Atmospheric River on the other side of the mountains we mostly get very mild weather. There has been occasional rain which is really quite something because beyond August our chances of getting snow are quite high. The extended season gave us many leaf colours we rearely get to see in this part of the world. Environment Canada is predicting a colder and snowier winter for Western Canada based on the El nina phenomenon but we will see, I wonder how true this may be? I can see, like last year, some major snow because of the Pacific pattern right now but I will be very curious to see how this winter shapes up! Until then here are some fall highlights...
Some sunflowers. The main stalk got eaten by a squirell but the plant responded by multi heading.
Tigridia, this time in red. A new plant to me this year.
Found this Wisteria in my neighbourhood. The owner was a little concerned someone had walked up to their house with a camera but after finding out I was not a total weirdo I gave some advice on chlorosis and blooming. I told her I have never seen a wisteria this big in Calgary and this is very special, don't do anything drastic!
The Bow River got so low by September Bella and I walked across the few inches of water to the South side of the Zoo island. I felt like the first human to have travesed this side of the island until I found all the homeless remnants.
So after 20 years Gord discovered these pathways near the glof course just North of us, it's a really nice area divided from us by the Trans Canada so we just never bothered to go there.
A nice evening!
My usual park, looking good in the fall!
A naturalized Green Ash turns bright yellow
A row of Elms and some Russian Olives
Aspens have turned a brillaint yellow this year!
This Amur Maple is just a little cutie
Engleman Ivy rarely turns in our climate, this one on my house almost appears as plastic
Solomons Seal turns yellow in the mild weather
Found this Hawthorn seedling in the field, very intense colours!
The latin name of Kentucky Coffee Tree, Gymnocladus diocius, means bare twig. I wonder since the tiny leaves fall from the stem leaving only the main stem if this is where this name comes from?
While out one warm night
Somebody planted this random Staghorn Sumac somewhere, who would do such a thing?
This Staghorn Sumac in my front yard takes on all the fall colours this year!
From the park just North of us, this looks soooo Alberta to me!
Found this wild Juniper in our new park, rare inside the city, they are more common in the foothills a little further West.
East side of house
This Dahlia was blooming well into October
Some of the Chili crop this year, these guys are hot!
I still had the majority of my plants outside October 6th!
Columnar Aspens among the last trees to change colour, most years the leaves are frozen by now so this is a real treat!
Datura still blooming October 9th
Ginko leaves floating in water, Id write a Haiku if I could remember how!
A placid Elbow River scene
Found these large willows just north of the Saddledome
Our trip to see the Stampede Elm, a 120 something year old tree slated for destruction.
The Stampede Elm, a metaphor for the stupidness of Calgary and how we treat history
My Kangaroo Apple survived well into October
Fall evening
A Chestnut brought back from Victoria BC. In this rare year the leaves have had time to change for the first time in almost 20 years.
Spotted this common Lilac which has turned red/orange, I've never seen anything like this but this has been an interesting year!
A Siberian Elm turns yellow, another rarity as these trees usually stay green up until hard frost so this is pretty rare!
Some Large Leaf Lindens turn yellow/brown, another rarity in our area as often the leaves stay green until frost.
My Engleman Ivy turns red, always exciting, wish the camera would focus on them and not the background!
The West corner with Virginia Creeper, Ecinacea and Sweet Peas
Planted these Larkspur early spring and was surprised they bloomed this fall
Sumacs doing what they do!
A few Aspen out of hundreds turn orange which is very refreshing to see
These Asperagus berries lay somewhere between beauty and horror, it reminds me more of blood or capilillaries or something.
Catone Aster was among the last of fall colour, save the best for last?
DUCK!
King Crimson Maple which is dark burgundy in the summer fades to these tones as fall proceedes.
Fall urns
Front porch
Tiger Eyes Sumac fall colour
A rainy day in October
Sedums reach their peak in October
The Mountain Ash was a thrill as we rarely get this much colour out of it!
This wild poplar in my area is always being frozen with green leaves so this is the first time in my 20 years here I have seen it turn a colour, this was taken October 26.
One day a small bird flew out of my front border, so small it seemed like a large moth to me, I had to look this one up but it is a Brown Creeper. Apparently widespread across Southern Canada, I've never seen one in my life! Cute, around the size of a Chickadee.
This variety of Ninebark was probably the last thing I saw with leaves Oct. 29th.
Also October 29th, a little wet snow, didn't last long or damage anything as it's pretty late in the season.
Found this unusual specimen at my grocery store.
Stats, the number doofus here is covering is 18, yes, it was a spectacualr October!
Sunset November 4th, another unusually mild day
The leaves of Muscari, Grape Hyacinth, often come up in the fall, it seems wrong but even here it's no problem for the plant.
This is what we got out of the first "Atmospheric River" that caused so much damage thorugout BC. Unusually foggy and mild weather.
Some lenticular clouds on a perfectly abnormal November day
Spotted this Dracaena November 27th, it shows just how mild it has been. This would be normal for the West Coast but in Calgary most annuals are long frozen by now!
And the November stats, even more above normal than October!
