Autumn is upon us in the Delaware Valley and I find myself scheduling several early morning and late afternoon “golden hours” each week to try and capture the fleeting transition of the flora around us. It is this fleeting nature of autumn that captivates me this time of year as a photographer. One day, just a few hours or even just a few seconds can make an entirely different moment any time of year, but autumn seems to be exceedingly fleeting and what might be a beautiful scene of fall color one day might be a bare landscape the next.

Reflections on the pond at Mt. Cuba. photo credit: R. Maurer

There is so much to take in visually and I also find my sense of hearing and smell heightened at this time of year. Just this weekend the sound and scent of Eastern white pine needles toasting in the afternoon sun took me back to sleeping on a bed of these needles in a pine forest when I was about 10 years old. I use all my senses to frame my vision for a photograph. Personally, I’m trying to convey meaning, trying to listen to what nature is saying and trying to excite the senses with my finished images; but every photographer has a different vision for their work.

October colors of Helenium 'Mardi Gras'. photo credit: R. Maurer

Some tools I always take with me into the field along with my camera and lenses are my tripod, graduated neutral density filters and circular polarizer. I carry the tripod with me everywhere as I often find a need for it even on the brightest of days. The circular polarizer minimizes reflections off of water, leaf surfaces and structures when at 90 degrees from the sun. Graduated neutral density filters help to compensate for exposure differences between a brightly lit sky and foreground at times such as sunrise and sunset. I might even pack along a neutral density filter to control exposure for movement.

Rhoda Maurer capturing the "fleeting transition of flora" with her camera. photo credit: B. Rahlings

Autumn is an amazing time of year; moments in time to become closer with knowing ourselves as photographers, artists and human beings. It’s also a good time to brush up on your skills as a photographer and artist. Join me October 22^nd and 29^th for a two part workshop on the techniques and creative aspects of digital photography held at the Scott Arboretum. Session One will cover topics such as: composition, filters, exposure compensation, white balance, shutter speed, and depth of field. Session Two will be an opportunity to explore your own creative vision using the techniques learned in Session One. Register online or by calling the Scott Arboretum office at 610-328-8025.

The saddleback caterpillar is stunningly beautiful, but it is most likely to impress its presence upon you with a devilish sting. If you innocently brush against one where it hangs on the underside of a leaf, you will be punished with an intensely burning welt for several minutes at least. Perhaps you can forgive its cruelty as you marvel at its vivid color and otherworldly form.

The caterpillar’s common name refers to the brown, saddle-like blotch in the center of its rich kelly green back. Each end is capped with reddish-brown and bears a pair of imposing bristly “horns.” The head is moustachioed with additional spines and the tail end bears large white eye spots reminiscent of spiderman’s. Both sides of the abdomen are lined with yet more spines.

Saddleback capterpillar photo credit: N. Lewis

The saddleback caterpillar is the larva of a fairly inconspicuous brown moth. The species, Acharia stimulea (formerly Sibine stimulea), is native to the eastern United States. You are most likely to encounter the caterpillar in August and September. I have found them on roses, Itea, shrub dogwoods, and Carex, but they are documented to feed on dozens of common garden plants.

When I was the curatorial intern here at the Scott Arboretum, I was given the task of producing the annual evaluation and report of our James R. Frorer Holly collection which would be then given to the Holly Society of America. I remember quiet afternoons by myself tromping around in the snow, checking accession tags, assessing the fruiting and general health of the trees. This is when I realized what an incredible collection we have here at Scott, and how much I enjoy spending time in it. The collection is a designated National Holly Arboretum by the Holly Society of America and is part of the North American Plant Collections Consortium. It is located next to the Palmer Meadow along the Crum Creek and is a wonderful place to visit year-round. The fall and winter seasons are especially pleasant because of the fruiting hollies and the variety of bird species that are attracted to them. Many hollies are wonderful additions to the garden to add year-round interest and colorful berries during the winter.

There are around 400 species of the genus Ilex, one of the two genera of the Aquifoliaceae family. Here at the Scott Arboretum, we have over 350 different species, cultivars, and hybrids in various locations around the Arboretum, many concentrated heavily in the Frorer Holly Collection. Ilex opaca, the American holly, is the most represented species in the collection, with over 90 cultivars, and there are also several wonderful specimens throughout the Scott Arboretum. My favorite specimens of the straight species are in front of Parrish Hall. All year these magnificent trees offer structure, texture, and color to the facade of Parrish. This tree is native to eastern North America and can grow to 60 feet tall. The leaves are spiny-toothed and elliptical and remain evergreen throughout the year. The species name opaca refers to the opaque, non-lustrous surface of the leaf. Many kinds of songbirds, gamebirds, and mammals eat the berries which ripen in October and which are usually red, but can be yellow or orange depending on the cultivar, like Ilex opaca ‘Canary’. American hollies are also deer-resistant. These trees thrive in full sun to partial shade and are hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9.

Holly has been used as a symbolic winter decoration since the Celtic peoples of Northern Europe who decorated their homes with it during the winter solstice, or Yule. Don’t forget to come to our 5th annual Greens Sale on Tuesday, December 9th from noon to 6 pm. Fresh cut greens, do-it-yourself wreath kits, and completed green wreaths will be available for purchase for you to decorate your home.

If snakes or other predators don’t eat them, they will burrow into the ground and turn into shiny brown pupae. They will stay underground for one or two winters and then emerge in the spring as the adult royal walnut moth, also known as the regal moth. This moth is orange-striped with yellow markings and can have a wingspan of up to five and a half inches.

Be on the lookout for these amazing caterpillars this September!

In another sure sign of spring, many of these birds are molting into their bright breeding plumage. Just yesterday evening, Arboretum gardener Nicole Lewis and her young daughter, Maysie, observed six very yellow American Goldfinches cavorting high among the flowers of the massive Bur Oak, Quercus macrocarpa, behind the Scott Arboretum office. Maysie is already quite the young plant enthusiast, and she is developing into a good birder for a four year old.

Also yesterday evening, I spotted my first warblers in breeding plumage. These Yellow-rumped Warblers were also high up among oak flowers very busily chasing insects. Keep your eyes and ears open because spring has definitely sprung.

If you are interested in learning how to attract birds to your garden, Nicole and I will be teaching a workshop titled “The Bird-Lover’s Garden” on Saturday, May 3 from 10 am to Noon. Nicole and I will also be leading the Early Morning Bird Walk on Sunday, May 4 from 7 to 8:30 am. Come join us and maybe we will see some of Maysie’s American Goldfinches.