Autumn in Southern New Brunswick, Canada

Share/Bookmark

Although I love the summer and I’m already missing warm summer evenings sitting on the deck, there is just something so absolutely beautiful about the autumn of the year.

In my part of the world, Atlantic Canada, we have four VERY distinct seasons.

Title: Wood’s Farm

Photo attribution: Catherine White, Oak Lawn Images

Just in time for our Canadian Thanksgiving celebrations, the sky takes on this wonderful deep shade of blue and the deciduous trees put on a magnificent display of the most beautiful shades of reds, oranges, and yellows.

Did you know (honestly, I didn’t until I did a little research, and I have lived in this area my entire life) that the vivid yellow and orange colors of fall leaves have actually been there throughout the spring and summer, but we haven’t been able to see them!

Apparently, the deep green color of chlorophyll, which helps plants absorb sunlight, hides the other colors. In the fall, because of changes in the length of daylight and temperature, the trees break down the green pigments and nutrients stored in the leaves. The nutrients are shuttled into the roots for reuse in the spring and the trees revert to their natural colours! Who knew…apparently not me!

At the same time that this happens, other chemical changes occur, which form additional colors through the development of red “anthocyanin pigments”. Which accounts for the reddish and purplish fall colors of trees such as dogwoods and sumacs, while others give the sugar maple its brilliant orange.

Mother Nature is definitely a multifaceted creature!

My sisters are both wonderful photographers, I however, was not blessed with that gene! The amazing photos accompanying this post were taken by my very talented sister, Kathy, who is a professional photographer and owner of Oak Lawn Images.

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I will just leave these “leaves” here for your enjoyment!