C.Scapes Studio of Cheryl Matsumoto

The fall season happens to be my favorite time of the year. Right in front of my eyes, Mother Nature’s paintbrushes begins to create masterpieces of art ranging in a spectrum of colors.

What are the canvases for these works of art? The canvases are provided by the many varieties of broad-leaf trees; the familiar ones are birch, elm, oak, maple, ash and willow. Not to mention, the beautiful blue sky and the white puffy clouds serving as the back drop. I just happen to live in the most colorful state which provides me with a array of colors to admire.

During the fall season, a natural process begins to occur to the chlorophyll (green chemical or pigment) in a leaf. Chlorophyll begins to die off and then other chemicals like carotenoids (yellow and orange pigments) and anthocyanins (red, pink and purple pigments) become the primary source of color to a leaf. This occurrence brings the beauty readily available for us to witness during this marvelous season.

Also, trees are getting ready for the struggles of winter. The tree begins to form a layer of scar tissue at the stem of its leaf. The dying leaf and tree become disconnected. Gravity takes over as the tree begins to shed its clothes. At the conclusion, the tree is nothing more than a silhouette in the winter months trying to survive the harsh conditions and bravely waiting for rebirth in the spring.

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.
– Emily Brontë

Can you begin to visualize the grace and natural order of this seasonal change in our lives?