Hey Ginny,
I too have been awed by the spectacular colors of fall this year. I have lived in new england 14 or so years now and I have declared to many folks that this was the best season I remember.
To answer the secret to the beauty we have to thank the moist warm spring, nice summer, and sunny warm fall days with cool nights. See the attached link for a more clear answer as to the hows/whys.
And enjoy the beauty.....greg

oops.
The link is
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/Spfo/pubs/misc/leaves/leaves.htm

I heard it was all the rain we got. The trees were very healthy...

Thanks for the interesting link, sunshineboy. Whatever is the cause, it's really gorgeous this year. Hard to stay indoors.

I was just thinking yesterday how nice my oaks looked in the setting sun. Usually they are kind of a dull brown. This year they are a nice reddish color, There are three trees in particular which get caught in the rays of the setting sun, one a deep red, one a yellow, and one still green, and the combo is wonderful.

I sure wouldn't mind a nice maple or two, though...

:)
Dee

I love the fall colors, even the muted, dusky purples, browns, and golds. The gardens continue to look beautiful, even when there are few flowers blooming!

Dee, here's a maple for you - a Sugar maple in my front yard! This is without a doubt the best foliage on this tree in the 6 years I've lived here (the leaves have pretty much dropped by now though). One day, I was out collecting the mail and was startled by a guy crouching in the weeds across the street, taking pictures of this tree.

{{gwi:1094497}}

I agree, this is one of the most beautiful, and longest-lasting, foliage seasons I remember. I've noticed one puzzling thing, though: my oak trees seem to have markedly fewer acorns than in previous years. Anyone else finding that?

Wow, Terrene! Now that's a maple! All I need is one, just one nice one like that. Sigh. I can certainly see why that guy was taking a photo!

Lovesummer, you are right - my neighbor and I were just discussing the other day how the oaks have many MANY fewer acorns that the last few years. We recalled a year about four years ago where there were so many we were nervous walking outside, because it was like walking on marbles. I don't know what that means, although I think I remember reading that it may be a good sign - the scarcity of them, I mean. I think the article said that if there is a big crop of acorns, it means the trees are stressed and they are producing a lot as insurance, so to speak. Or something like that...

:)
Dee

That maple is a hard act to follow! Here in SE Massachusetts the foliage is nowhere near as dramatic as in the northern regions.

I took a quick drive hoping to find something photo-worthy.

This maple is nicely complemented with a conifer, ornamental grasses, and the ubiquitous burning bush.

I need to go back and try to identify this little tree in Scusset Beach State Park. I took a fast photo from a distance, thinking I'd find other, more dramatic trees, but I liked the shot when I got home and downloaded it.

Even when the foliage display is muted, there's a special, peaceful feeling to the landscape as the leaves fall. This photo was taken at the local herring run (Carter Beal Conservation Area). Much more modest than the Sabbaday Falls at Kankamagus Scenic Highway (Nice names!)

In my garden, highbush blueberry and Miscanthus Graziella go well together.

Claire