The leaves of 2015

"I'm so glad that I live in a world with Octobers."
– L. M. Montgomery, "Anne of Green Gables"

This is my annual tribute to the beautiful leaves of autumn. 2015 was a mixed year, with some brilliantly colored leaves, and others that never achieved the color I anticipate.

Let's start with the best: the leaves of the Maple Leaf Vine.

This is a plant I've come to know and love in the years since I first noticed it growing on a fence; the spot once contained a railroad bridge, but the ground has been filled in now. This is the best thing about the change.

The leaf at left is wine-dark, like Homer's sea. Most leaves are more colorful, like the ones below.

 But to really appreciate the Maple Leaf Vine, you need to see it in the sun, as in this photo.

There were of course other leaves. Some beautiful maple leaves from trees, posted here.

 The basswoods, which are normally my favorites, were a bit off this year. They never reached their normal gorgeousness.

This is what they look like in a good year.

If you'd like to read some of my earlier blogs, here they are:

• The leaves of 2011

• Autumn Almanac (2012)

• The leaves of 2013

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."

– Albert Camus

The autumn leaves of 2014