Breath of Life Photography

Sumac leaves turn red in Autumn and they develop fruit or seedpods that look like the one above. I think they’re kind of pretty. Especially when there is a large group of Sumac with their red leaves and fruit seedpods on display.

Earlier this month my husband and I took our dog for a hike in a local park here in Toronto. There are wooded trails, clear open fields and of course the obligatory pond or two. All of the kinds of things that a dog or nature lover would enjoy!

The trees here in Toronto took their time changing color this year. When I took this photo the tree’s had just begun to change - and remember it was already November. Most years the trees leaves Change color halfway through or near the end of October.

Lovely either way, I love fall colors.

A delicate Cedar branch in autumn. Just looking at this photo I can almost smell the scent of cedar.

At the beginning of October I took a photo of a flower that was just starting to die down and become a seed head. It was one of the most amazing looking flowers that I think I’ve ever seen … it almost looked like it was composed of tiny spiders or bugs. Click the link above to see what I’m talking about.

Well … I took a photo of the flower again near the beginning of November when the flower was long past being a seed head and was now just a shell of it’s former self. I think it’s still pretty looking.

You might remember that back in November I posted a photo of a lovely blue flower that I now believe was Wild Chicory. If I’m right, these flower seed heads are Chicory flower seed heads.

I find it amazing that a flower can still look beautiful, even as it is dying down for the winter season.

A close up of a pine tree branch.

I love the smell of real pine and crushed pine needles. Did you know you can make a tea out of pine needles? It has an interesting taste!

I don’t know why but I enjoy seeing how plants change once cool weather arrives. Cat tails and Milkweed puff out and their seeds blow through fields and meadows, flowers turn to seed heads and of course, the leaves on the trees change from green to red, orange, gold and yellow.

While we may regret the loss of summer, Autumn can be a beautiful time of year if we just take a moment to enjoy it.

Here in Toronto, right by the Don Valley Parkway in Taylor Creek Park there are these huge natural water filtration devices. I’ve always thought that they look a little bit like elephants.

My husband was talking with one of our neighbors earlier today and someone they started talking about these filters. He calls them the “Teeth” and I guess they do look like big teeth too, don’t they?

I not only grow plants in several raised garden beds in my front and back yards, but I also have hanging baskets and planters filled with summer flowers such as Petunias, Stock, Impatiens and occasionally I’ll plant some lovely Dianthus or Sweet William among the annuals.

The photo above is a picture of lovely Sweet William flowers growing in a hanging basket. The Petunia’s had long since died off, but the Dianthus was still going strong.

I take my flower baskets down for winter and store them by the side of the house or on the patio, but because the baskets are small and shallow any perennials that are planted in them rarely make it through winter .. however, some like Sweet William will reseed and I should have Sweet William growing in that basket again come next summer.

Compte de Chambord, was there ever another rose with such a heavenly scent?

Some of my roses are still blooming away at this late date. I suspect that the Compte de Chambord rose bud pictured above is one of the last that this rose will produce this year, but I could be wrong. Either way it’s a lovely rose bud isn’t it and oh it smells … so beautiful with it’s rich rose perfume.

I took this photo on a windy day in lat October. I believe I was holding the rose stem to keep it still as I snapped the shot which of course is why the background has an interesting blurred effect - the foliage of the other plants near the rose were blowing in the wind.