Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down today,
Nothing gold can stay.
– Robert Frost
A fitting poem for a beautiful Colorado autumn season. The second freeze has occurred in the Denver metro area, but there is still time to plant. Spring bulbs, perennials, trees, shrubs, and lawns appreciate the warm days and cooler nights. Continue to water fall plantings until the hard freeze (24°F).
If your green thumb has been thoroughly exercised, now it’s time to “hold” some of autumn’s finest hues. This is a simple recipe for preserving leaves. Bring a mixture of 2 parts water and 1 part glycerin to a boil in a saucepan. Then pour the solution into a heat proof plastic container. Drop in a few bright-colored leaves and gently submerge them with a wooden spoon. Keep the container in a cool, dark place until you notice a slight change in the leaves’ tints. Then remove the leaves and blot them dry with a paper towel. Instead of turning brown and crumbly, the leaves will retain their brilliant hues!
