 |
 |
| Billie Silvey |
| May 2007 |
| Have you been watching the new Discovery series, Planet Earth? If you haven't, you might consider renting it. It's one of the most stunningly beautiful nature series I've ever seen. The camera crew spent years getting rare and remarkable footage. The show takes an ecological perspective, showing life in varied environments around the world--deserts, deep oceans, fresh water, forests. A similar presentation could be made based on the seasons of the year. The seasons are caused by the tilt of the earth, which remains the same as the earth circles the sun. Each season lasts about three months, or a quarter of the year, and each has its own special beauty. You can see it in the trees and in the colors of the garden, as illustrated by these pictures of a single tree and scenes from Kew Gardens through the year. |
| The Seasons |
| Spring |
 |
 |
| Summer |
| When the north pole is pointing toward the sun, our hemisphere receives the sun's rays more directly, making it warmer. The days last longer, and we call it summer. Solstice is a word for those times of extreme temperature when the sun is closest and furthest from us. Solstice means "sun stands still." The summer solstice, or longest day of the year, is June 21st or 22nd. In summer, the strong, bold colors of sunflowers, dahlias, zinneas and snapdragons stand out against the lush canopy of green. |
 |
 |
| Fall |
| The second temperate season, the autumnal equinox marking the beginning of fall, is September 22nd or 23rd. The rich fall colors result when the trees stop making the chlorophyll that makes leaves green, allowing us to see the other pigments in the leaves. The best fall folliage I've seen was in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. I also love the liquid amber trees in Los Angeles as they turn red and then purple. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Winter |
| When the north pole points away from our hemisphere, the sun hits us less directly. The nights are long, and the days are short and cold. The winter solstice, or shortest day, is December 21st or 22nd. Evergreens add dark green and berries, a touch of red to the black-and-white pallet. Pine cones and berries provide life-sustaining food in the bleak season, and a mantle of snow sprinkles the scene with glitter as plants die back to be reborn next spring. |
 |
| Spring begins with the new buds and blossoms of the vernal equinox, a time of temperate weather when day and night are equal in length. It occurs on March 20th or 21st. Spring colors the garden in pastels. Its flowers include daffodils, tulips, lilies and irises. |