Dogwood in the Fall

I first became familiar with dogwoods when we had one in the backyard of our house in Virginia over 30 years ago. It grew by the patio under the tall oaks. We moved to the house in July so I first saw it with its graceful branches full of green leaves undulating in the little breezes. And then came the fall. The leaves turned red earlier than most and the red seed clusters were so vibrant they glowed even on cloudy days. Dogwoods became a ‘tree to note’ from that time forward for me. The one I chose to photograph this year grows at Mt. Pleasant Farm along the drive to the farmhouse. It is very similar to the one I remember.

Of course – the white blossoms in the spring (see post from last spring here) are pretty spectacular and I probably photograph them more than the fall foliage. I appreciate the fall foliage as a celebration of the season – the grand finale of the dogwood’s year.