November 13

Viburnams about the town are now rapidly changing. They are among the last of the deciduous plants to lose their leaves, it seems, and the recent cold has only hastened the change.

They are remarkable really, beautiful and varied from spring till now. The early leaves in May came easily enough, lime green and small versions of the mature form which resulted. This was curious to watch, as the leaves seemed to arrest at a medium size in June, only to grow slowly beyond into the early autumn. I recall seeing ours out front and thinking it to be thin looking in early summer. Now, its leaf cover is full, not so much by the addition of new ones as much as the continued growth of those that formed so early. They are dropping now, making the bush appear thin again.

These leaves are mottled, no two alike and range from purple to brown, yellow to red. The effect is a rich mosaic, so autumn like in appearance. As they fall, the ground beneath takes on a blanket which contrasts well with the remaining then snow cover of yesterday.