Orange Leaf, Red Leaf

I don't think I have a favorite. Just the thought of leaves turning - green fading to red, orange, pink, blue, yellow - and I am disarmed. In Ohio the maple and oak trees always put on magnificent displays, especially in the Mohican State Park skyline. Years were spent rolling in fallen leaves, thwarting my father's plans for tidying-up the yard. Why do we rake them anyhow?

Centifolia

There's something enchanting about a rose. Admittedly, they've never been a favorite of mine, but I cannot deny their universal beauty - a quality which seems innate in the rose, almost foretelling, predictive. It makes sense that upon my first encounter with cabbage roses I was especially taken, what with their strong perfume and thick, full heads. I'm partial to the dusty-pink variety. They also seem to be a current favorite for wedding arrangements and bouquets.

Another Memory With Hydrangea

Until my freshman year of high school we lived in a house with a lovely back yard, two young dogwoods manning the stairway into the bottom tier of the property, and I'd often just sit in the middle of it all and stare at the large hydrangea bush above the stone wall my father'd built into the hillside. At times I'd shove my face into the pillowy blooms and wiggle my head around, eyes closed, because it was so soft and smelled so good. I never found a reason to pluck the white flowerheads from their bushy stems.

September Star

Prairie Aster, aster turbinellis, comes to life just before the beginning of fall, in September; I am particularly fond of its purplish-blue coloration and it seems to be the perfect flower for hair-pinning, the making of floral wreaths and bracelets.

Some other perks: asters are relatively easy to maintain, for they require only partial sunlight and require no fussing or pruning, a testament to their status as wildflower, stand-alone and easily rooted in many different types of soil.