The last of the Boston Ivy leaves have fallen off the house. They almost look like maple leaves and are by far the largest leaves I’ve ever seen in Canada. Their autumn colour varies from light pink to blazing red. But now they are all a crispy brown, blown across the yard. November is here.
Just a few Birch and Aspen leaves are still clinging to some treetops. Only the true evergreens are unchanging. The soft needles on the five Tamaracks in the yard have changed from green to a bright gold. All along Bissett Road, the Tamaracks stand out brightly in the mist from the rest of the trees in the woods. Their golden needles offer a striking contrast to the dark green of the Spruce and Balsam Fir and the now bare branches of the deciduous trees.
Tamarack twig in November
Tamarack trees have a long history of being used by native people for numerous practical and medicinal purposes. Although employed as an aid in hunting, perhaps the most artistic use of the Tamarack is by the Cree. After the golden needles have fallen off the Tamarack trees, the Cree use the twigs to make Stick Goose decoys, beautiful for their simple, elegant form.
To see how these decoys are made, visit The Native American Technology and Art site at: http://www.nativetech.org/willow/tamarack/tamdecoy.html
November 10, 2008 at 11:19 am
Most of our leaves have dropped, but the hazel has a few still hanging on. Today I raked two bags for the dumpster. I hope they all fall before the dumpster is removed. After that, I have to store them in bags in a shed until spring. No other way to get rid of them.
November 10, 2008 at 11:55 am
Why don’t you just leave the leaves where they fall worldphotos? Or rake them under the trees? As they decompose, they provide nutrients for the soil.
November 10, 2008 at 3:56 pm
That’s a thought, but with the wind we get, they would end up in the street and on the walkway around the house. Too much of a mess to just leave them. Some will ultimately get buried under the first snow and will be taken care of in spring.
November 10, 2008 at 7:14 pm
If you have flower beds or a garden you could dig them into the soil. They would be well decomposed by Springtime, with lots of added nutrients for whatever it is you might be growing. I just hate to see leaves put out as garbage
November 2, 2009 at 3:33 am
[...] more information about tamarack trees, see The Last of Autumn’s Leaves and Needles, Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Tamarack Resort Shocker [...]