They All Fall Down

I've always thought that the season autumn was commonly referred to as fall because it's the time of year when the leaves start to fall off the trees and nature starts to decline. I remember fall when I was 10. My best friend and I would rake a massive pile of leaves in my front yard. The pile consisted of leaves from the tall maple tree and the prominent apricot tree in front of my house. The two trees would be bare but the yard was a sea of yellow and brown. We would make our pile the size of a small hill and take turns jumping into our massive creation. I quite miss that time because now all fall means to me is knit sweaters, boots, fuzzy socks, lots of leaves, and pumpkin flavored everything. That time was simple and innocent. Nowadays, things are much different.

My modernized idea of autumn. Courtesy of tumblr.

Fall is by far my favorite season, however I'm pretty sure my tiny forest isn't a big fan. As the leaves from the trees by the fence fall all around the garden, some of my plants are starting to turn colors and lose leaves as well. It's sad to watch some die, but I appreciate the wonderful produce that I've gained from them. As the temperatures start to become colder and the wind starts to pick up, my garden changes day by day.

It's apparent to me that the tomato plants are going to outlive every other plant. They show no signs of decay and continue to display their bright green leaves everyday. I can say the same for the habanero, cayenne, jalapeño, serrano, and bell peppers. Some of the plants, such as the spinach, snap peas, radishes, and eggplant didn't survive the season and died many months ago in the middle of summer. However, I've noticed that the yellow crookneck squash and the cucumber plants have just recently started to slowly fade away. The cool air has tinged and hardened the leaves while the wind has blown some across the yard.

I noticed my leafy yellow squash first, mainly because the leaves are bigger than my hand and take up a lot of space in the corner. "Instead of being their usual vibrant green color, they are now becoming more pale and yellow/grey. They aren't as soft anymore either. They're becoming more crunchy." Field Notes, 9/26/14. There are still a couple of squash attached to the plant that we haven't harvested yet. They are a very bright yellow in comparison to their faint colored leaves. Also, I would like to mention that the bright green leaves on the right side of the picture below are from the brandywine tomato plant next to it. You can really see how light the squash leaves are in comparison to the tomato leaves.

Yellow crookneck squash plant, 9/26/14.

Directly behind the squash is the cucumber plant. As I bent down to look at the small cucumber still attached to the plant, I noticed how it seemed to be on its last leg. Many of the leaves have browned and fallen off as well as the vine has started to turn from green to almost black. The changing weather impacted the cucumber plant much sooner than the rest. I was curious as to why this happened so I did a little research. According to bonnieplants.com, cucumbers are a tropical vegetable and are very frost-tender. They thrive in warmer weather and don't survive well when the soil is less than 70 degrees. This explains why the plant started to die when the low temperatures reached the 50-60 degree range.

The dying cucumber plant along with its baby cucumber.

From one perspective, autumn is beautiful, but from another it's depressing. The variously colored leaves cover the ground and create a beautiful sight to see. However, at the same time, the leaves are from many plants that have either died or become dormant for the season. As the freezing temperatures rapidly approach and the wind starts to blow, I know my garden doesn't have much longer. The cold temperatures will soon freeze every root in the ground and the wind will blow every single last leaf into my yard. It makes me sad to see them go, but I can't be angry with the winds. They're just doing their part in nature. So for now, I must sit back and watch the autumn winds do their seasonal job. Their light breezes take the leaves on a journey and their strong gusts blow the plants over. I do wish they wouldn't take my plants so soon, but spring will come shortly and the plants will begin to bloom their wonderful colors once again. But unfortunately for right now, they all must fall down.

**The Wind**

The wind it moves in wondrous ways
Through the tree branches it blows and its sways
It takes all the leaves and flies them so high
Then briefly it lets go and they fall from the sky

Its strength is so varied from timid to strong
The length of the blowing can be short or long
Sometimes it tickles the tip of your nose
Sometimes sends shivers to the tips of your toes

It can bring some surprises with each passing day
The wind will surprise you in many a way
The sweet sound of whistling, the roar of a storm
It can bring you some happiness and also bring harm

The next time you see a bag blow down the street 
The next time you feel the wind at you feet
Remember its power, its beauty and grace
For the wind can be anywhere, it can be any place.

                                      --Dee Mcdonald