Thanks to a high pressure ridge that has stalled out over the western United States, much of the country has been sweltering in temperatures that would be more appropriate in mid-July than late August.
In spite of these unseasonably high temps, there are many unmistakable signs that autumn’s arrival is imminent. You may not have consciously noticed these signs, but I guarantee you that your brain has. These signs vary in different parts of the country, as well as for each individual. As an example, for some people the most obvious sign might be when they notice that the mornings are noticeably cooler. For others, a sign could be the return of football.
Whatever our particular signs might be, our brains have picked up on them and begun making preparations for the cooler months. Much like squirrels who begin eating vast quantities food in order to store fat for the winter, our bodies begin to crave carbs and fats to help prepare us for the coming cold.
Just how imminent autumn’s arrival is depends upon your unit of time. Labor Day weekend is usually referred to as the unofficial end of summer, because in many parts of the country kids return to school after the weekend is over. This is also the last weekend most amusement parks and swimming pools are still open for the year.
Scientifically, there are two possible options to choose from. Meteorologists reckon that autumn starts on September 1st, and ends November 30th. Astronomers, on the other hand, determine that it is when the autumn equinox that summer officially ends and fall begins. This year the autumnal equinox occurs on September 23rd.
If we go by either of the first two measurements, then summer is over in less than ten days! If we go by the astronomical measurement, then we still have a whole month of summer left to enjoy.
For myself, the logical portion of my brain regards the equinox as the transition point from summer to fall. The rest of my brain, however, is in agreement with the meteorologists. As far as I am concerned, the first day of September marks the beginning of autumn.
Anyway, back to the point of this post. I’ve listed below just a few of the signs of autumn’s impending arrival that I have recently begun to notice:
- The quality of the midday sun has changed. The bright and intense sunlight of just a few of weeks ago has now softened and mellowed a bit.
- It is getting dark earlier and earlier each evening.
- The crickets have recently begun their nightly chorus (it’s the male crickets that are making the chirping sounds. Essentially what you’re hearing is thousands of horny guy bugs saying “Hi, how ya doing?” over and over again in hopes of attracting mates).
- Oktoberfest beers have arrived in stores.
- The aromas of roasting chilies and popping kettlecorn wafts through the air at my local garden center.
- In my garden one of the surest signs that autumn is coming is that my “Autumn Joy” and “Autumn Fire” sedums are starting to bloom. Right now their flowers are still a pale pinkish color, but when the cooler autumn temperatures arrive they will take on the deep burgundy coloring that makes these plants such fall garden standouts.
Autumn is without a doubt my favorite season. The weather is more comfortable, thus making gardening enjoyable again. Sedums, asters, blue mist spireas and mums close out the growing season with a beautiful flourish.
While the lawn briefly awakens from its summer dormancy, it comes back at a much slower pace than it did in the spring. I can get by with mowing it every 7-10 days, instead of every 3 like I had to in April and May.
The leaves of the trees and shrubs will explode into colors of yellow, orange, red and purple. I liken this time of year to a 4th of July fireworks display, with the fiery foliage being the garden’s Grande Finale.
But I must admit that even I tend to become a tad bit melancholy when summer begins to wind down. In winter I so look forward to the growing season, and I have such high expectations for myself and my garden, that it’s hard not to feel a little disappointed when it’s over.
Perhaps I feel this way because the transition from summer to autumn reminds me, in a way none of other seasonal transitions do, of the inexorable passage of time.
But the joys of the harvest season easily outweigh the melancholy. Let me share with you one of my all-time favorite quotes about autumn:
“But the greater pleasure lies in the culmination of the growing season. It is the pleasure of acceptance, of letting be and letting go, of leaving things alone for awhile, until the time arrives to pitch in and clean up for another gardening year to come — or, more truly, for another gardening year that has already begun”
The Garden in Autumn by Allen Lacy
How about you? What are the cues that signal autumn’s impending arrival for you, and have you started noticing them yet?
