Shift

Labor Day provided a break from the work

“shift”, but also marks a shift in the season. As you look over the landscape at Iowisota, there is a subtle change in hue of the trees. The cottonwoods and black walnuts have a definite shift toward more yellow color, and a lot of leaves falling to the ground. Many walnuts along the forest edge have branch tips covered with messy webbing now, where the fall webworms are eating leaves under the protection of their web. The abundance rain early in the growing season enabled a lot of leaf diseases to flourish, and many cottonwoods, sugar maples, basswoods and other trees have dark blotches on their leaves and some early leaf drop. Fortunately, late season defoliation by either insect or disease doesn’t usually have a serious impact on tree health. For the most part, I can relax and enjoy the emerging color show. (As a forest pathologist, I’m always seeing some tree health problem to worry about, but I’m not going into that today!) The sumac is beginning to turn, and soon we will have patches of red among the golds. The fall color show is beginning.

There is also a shift among the fruits and flowers. The late summer flowers are still modelling bright golds and purples, accented by the blossoms of the toxic white snakeroot. The white blossoms on the vines of virgin’s bower (clematis) have been replaced by clusters of silky seedheads.  The parade of purple blossoms has been shifting over the past few weeks: the tall spires of American bellflower are mostly replaced by the more compact spikes of blue lobelia, and the bright purple blossoms of New England aster started appearing this week.  Most of the lavender blossoms of wild bergamot are now gone, but I can still find a few clean new leaves (without powdery mildew) to use as my oregano-like herb.

I’m seeing the last of the blackberries, and even the elderberries are almost finished. This year was so abundant that the birds and chipmunks feasted with enough leftovers for me. I will be making my elderberry/honey syrup soon. The wild grapes are ripe now too, but I expect the birds will strip them away before I get to them.

Speaking of birds, I think our barn swallows have finally left us. One pair successfully raised two clutches under our balcony this summer, and for the last few weeks we’ve enjoyed watching their flight training missions as their burgeoning family careened around the yard at breakneck speed. But today we noticed they are gone, just as the rose-breasted grosbeaks and the wrens quietly slipped away a few weeks ago. We look forward to seeing our summer birds again next spring.

We enjoyed hosting our first private retreat group this weekend. In the past month, we have hosted a foraging workshop, a free open house and women’s walk, a private family group, a researcher traveling for work, and a retreat group. It is a joy to share the woods and see the spaces here used as we envisioned! For most of September we’ll shift our attention to a few personal activities, but in October we will be back at full throttle with multiple weekend workshops. As always, check out the events list, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like to explore options for a private retreat or visit.