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"Possibility and promise greet me each day as I walk out into my garden. My vigor is renewed when I breathe in the earthiness and feel the dirt between my fingers. My garden is a peaceful spot to refresh my soul." Meems






Welcome to my Central Florida Garden Blog where we garden combining Florida natives, Florida-Friendly plants, and tropicals.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Fiery Hues of Autumn


This is the glorious season when the leaves of trees and even some shrubs turn to brightly colored hues of reds, oranges, yellows and mixtures of all those warm and vibrant colors. BUT, as most of you realize Florida -- at least coastal Florida --- doesn't have much in the way of seasonal color changes. It is regrettably one of the flaws, if there are any, of this great climate. We've published as many posts as possible revealing our year round autumnal colored foliage in order to provide a faux substitute.
Fortunately, I just returned from a visit with my sister, Marmee, in Franklin, Tennessee. We've both published extensively about our visit but I haven't yet shared with you all the fall colors I captured while we were traveling the scenic roads of Tennessee. Many of them are from our tour of Cheekwood Botanical Gardens.
Of course, you can imagine I was ooohing and aaaahhing everywhere we went completely enamored by the beauty of autumn as I only get to see when I travel north.
Enjoy the slideshow:

For lots more fall photos, Dave, who also lives in gorgeous Tennessee country started the Garden Blogger Fall Project from his blog, The Home Garden.

32 comments:

  1. Spectacular, Meems!

    Cannot tell ya' how much I enjoyed this heah tour--lettin' us come along on your adventure. I read Linger Longer and Things I love...youse a dear fer sharin' all this glory wif' us.

    Ya'll sisters are blessed!

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  2. Meems,

    Such enjoyable photos. I've also enjoyed coming along on your visit with your sister. Please give me the link to her blog.

    Cameron

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  3. Dear Meems,

    You have found the missing autumn red! It seems that the Natchez Trace Highway has been hoarding all the good color and the rest of us in Middle TN have yellows and golds!

    Lovely photos...of our beautiful botanical garden. Did you wander down to the Howe Wildflower Garden through the herbs?

    Gail

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  4. Seems like so many areas of the country had a unusually colorful autumn display this year. I'm really enjoying everyone's photos. Guess I'm just in the perfect frame of mind to appreciate it this year.
    Marnie

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  5. Very nice colors Meems! I didn't know that Marmee was your sister. I think she lives just north of us here in Middle TN. Cheekwood is a great place to visit. Thanks for participating and I'll get you in a post ASAP!

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  6. Great slideshow. Are colors are slow to change her too, I wait on the Bradford Pear Trees, they put on a wonderful show.

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  7. I am seriously screwing up on my spelling this morning!

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  8. Fall scenery can be stunning in parts of the US. Glad you got to enjoy this. Alas, we aren't so lucky, that's the price we pay for year round warm weather!

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  9. Meems, your pictures do justice to the brilliant fall colors this year. Aren't you glad you had a chance to see them in all their glory. You and Marmee surely had a wonderful time exploring gardens together!

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  10. meems , i still never grow tired of the changing seasons. i love the difference in them all. i am captivated by your photos of the fall colours here! it is so wonderful that you got to experience the changing leaves. this week is even more intense. i am going to try to get some photographs today before the weather gives way to rain and colder temps for the weekend.
    happy fall day in florida!

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  11. Such beautiful colors! This is the perfect time of year for a trip up there, isn't it?

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  12. Lovely Colours, fantastic slideshow. Good to catch up on your blog. Simon

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  13. Beautiful color! I am having so much fun looking at all the fall colors through others eyes! Great pics....

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  14. Spectacular color, Meems! Thanks for sharing it.

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  15. So glad you got to enjoy such beautiful fall color Meems! Thank you for sharing your trip.

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  16. Hey Meems,
    Thanks for sharing your pictures. I envy those folks that live up north and get to have this great fall color show...of course they probably envy our warm winters here in Florida ;) That part of the country is so pretty. Oh, and I liked the yellow salvias--I need to get some of those!
    Take care~Susie

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  17. How lucky for you that you got to enjoy "real" fall color. If it were up to me I would head north every fall for the spectacular show. It sounds like you had an enjoyable visit with your sister. Franklin is a beautiful area.

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  18. Lovely photos, Meems! I can see that you would have been ooh-ing and aah-ing. I'd have been doing it, too, as that was beautiful color.

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  19. Aunty, I appreciate you stopping by and coming along with my sister and I on our trip to the north. We are blessed indeed.

    Cameron, Always nice to have you come along. There is a link to marmee's blog in this post where her name is highlighted but here it is too... Marmee's blog

    Gail: And I didn't even know it was missing. HA! Actually, now that you mention it - it does seem as if there was more yellow and that wonderful orangie yellow too. Yes, I loved the herb gardens and the wildflower gardens although they weren't quite as showy as all the other trails.

    Marnie: It is a real treat for me to see any color since we don't have color changes down this far south. So I was thrilled. Everyone does seem to be taking great photos right now... it's fun to look around.

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  20. Dave, Marmee's daughter (one of them anyway) lives in Spring Hill. We went over there one day for lunch and to visit. It seems to be a growing area. thanks for the fun with the fall colors.

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  21. darla: It's okay I totally understand... fingers flying faster than they should. There are a very few types of maples that change colors down this far but they are random and then it is Jan or Feb before they show up. Are you in the Tallahassee area?

    Nicole: I guess we just can't have everything. I like our mild winters so I'm happy to go visit the colors. I made that radish soup you suggested... it was delish... I might publish a post about it. thanks again for the link.

    Beckie: I am so grateful my timing seemed to be right. Sometimes people from down here head north a little too early and miss them all together.

    Marmee: You got see first hand how enamored I was with every vibrant tree. And you were so accomodating pulling off the side of the road at my every whim.

    Do you think that cold snap made them more intense? Yes, be sure to get more photos before the leaves are knocked to the ground with rain.

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  22. greenjeans: Yes it is the perfect time of year and if you don't have to get in the middle of all the tourist because your sister has an extra room... then it is REALLY the best of year to see the colors.

    Simon: Thanks ... glad you came along for the colors.

    Marie: Thank you.

    Skeeter: It is fun to see all the different displays of color.

    Nancy: You're welcome... thanks for coming along.

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  23. Linda: I missed the fall color last year takig a trip to the Carolinas in September. When this opportunity came up I didn't want to miss it.

    susiesqs: Yes, I envy it while I'm there but then when I'm enjoying my garden all year long I don't. It's always something isn't it? I've never seen that yellow salvia for sale down here but I think it would go quite well in my garden... I'll be looking for it.

    Susan, Franklin is fastly becoming one of my favorite places. Good thing I have a free place to stay there. lol. I try to get up there every year... not always Franklin but somewhere up there to see the colors.

    Kim: I thought for sure it was just me since I'm so fascinated with the remarkable show of colors. Kind of like a kid in a candy store. It was lots of fun.

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  24. Beautiful!
    I am so glad that you got to enjoy them this year after all!
    p

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  25. Beautiful colors, Meems! I think this fall's color show has been more spectacular than usual. Glad you were able to come "north" and enjoy the show; I may have to look at this post again in January to remind myself that we do have some advantage over Florida's climate:)

    I also enjoyed your previous post about your visit with Marmee. How wonderful that the two of you have made time to visit with each other; it looks like you had a wonderful time together.

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  26. That looks like good county. It's an invigorating time to get up off the peninsula. I was just in Maryland ... I caught the colors, but not any blue sky.

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  27. Pat: Yeah, thanks for getting me determined to make the trip. Looks like it was good timing. AND they will probably still be there when you go next week. That means twice for you. LOL


    Rose: Marmee and I made every minute count and it was especially enjoyable for me. It's always easier on the visitor than the hostess. :-)

    I can imagine comparing the colors from year to year if you live in any region where they change. I'm glad I picked a good year and time to visit.

    I understand about January.If you were to plan a trip to Florida, Jan-May is the very best time IMHO. Our January isn't as colorful as usual but still blue skies and green grass/plants everywhere you look. It's all in what you get used to I suppose.

    Robert: The blue skies WERE spectacular. For that matter our blue skies right here on the peninsular have been spectacular... did you see it yesterday? Just stunning!

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  28. Aw, no, Meems!

    I was so happy fer your visit to the Front Porch, but , sigh, ya missed mah garden post--please come take a look--it is the post right before the current one. Mah garden ain't up to your Eden-like standard, but I'd like to share it wif' ya!

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  29. Stunning photos, Meems. Have so enjoyed reading the heartfelt 'sister messages'. You are blessed as those of us who shared your loving visit.

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  30. What lovely colors! It looks like the garden and the driving were quite the adventures! You did a great job with the camera.

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  31. Funny... faux substitute.
    Very cool blog.
    Visited you months ago and just rediscovered you at blotanical.
    I'll be back.

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Have a blessed day,
Meems


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