The Seasons of Autumn

I have said it ad nauseam, but I just love autumn and I love it because in southeastern Arizona it is a wonderful long season. And because it lasts for a while it seems to me that it can be divided into many smaller seasons. These small seasons are based on ecology. A “what’s happening now” bunch of seasons until  freezes hit us in the uplands and we can declare winter. I bet we can divvy up winter too, but not just yet, okay?

There are two species of Garrya in Arizona and fifteen spp. found throughout the west. Garrya wrightii is found in west Texas, southwest New Mexico, northern Sonora, and almost all of Arizona. A couple common names are  silk tassel or quinine bush. It’s a dioeicious (male and female plants) and evergreen shrub that can be 8 feet by 8 feet  easily. A perfect native shrub for folks in the uplands! They’ll need to buy two or three to insure they get the berries, and that’s why I going to grow it. I think sales will be huge and  I see new boots and jeans in my future.