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Why Do Leaves Change Color?

Guide To Fall

Fall Fun For Kids

Scenic Drives

Thank you for visiting the Mast Store’s Fall Foliage Primer. Our reporters try to give you an accurate look at the colors and their progression across the mountains through words and pictures. This will be our final report for this year. We hope you’ll visit with us again next year beginning around mid September.

November 12, 2008

High Country: After encountering a leaf shower or two, it can safely be said that in the higher elevations of the High Country, most of the leaf looking is over. There are a few oaks and other trees hanging on to their leaves. Some of them will still be there when the buds have to push them off next year.

Just a short trip down the mountain a bit, the leaves in and around the Wilkesboro area are still showing good color. If you head down that direction, you might want to stop by the Benny Parson’s Winery at Rendezvous Ridge in Purlear.

The weather can vary greatly now. Be sure to bring a variety of jackets and clothing. It might warm to the mid 50s and low 60s during the day, but the nights can be quite chilly reaching down into the 20s and 30s. For a local weather forecast, be sure to visit www.BooneWeather.com.

Soon, people will be visiting the area looking for some other trees – Christmas Trees. You can find information on the Watauga Christmas Tree Association and Choose and Cut tree farms here. And, you may want to make a weekend of it and come to the Valle Crucis Fireside Tour on December 7th.

I snapped this picture one evening as I was leaving work. It is the Valle Mountain headed up toward Pigeon Roost. On that day, it still had some color. With a little bit of wind, many of the leaves made their way to the ground.

OK, another “not leaves” photo, but it is colorful. This is a quick snapshot of the Appalachian State Mountaineers as they ran onto the field for the game last Friday night.

Waynesville: Yes, we did have snow last week. Can you believe it? There was a little accumulation and some wind that whisked away some of the leaves that weren’t still firmly attached to their branches. We do, however, still have some beautiful foliage for you to see. With the temperatures still in the high 60s, you should be able to enjoy the trails and the outdoors a little while longer. Be prepared though. The weather can change quickly. For a local Waynesville forecast, visit www.WaynesvilleWeather.com.

Yes, that is snow. This just happens to be our road; but it could be any one of several in the area.

Hendersonville/Asheville: During October, fall was pretty, as it gradually unfolded until - BANG! This past weekend it burst forth in all its glory and lived up to the old timers' saying, "a hot dry summer produces some of the best color." We have peaked, but it's still beautiful, as you can see by these scenes taken just this November 4, Election Day.

I can't seem to stay away from the Carl Sandburg National Historical Site in Flat Rock. Besides the Sandburg home and descendants of Mrs. Sandburg's goats housed in a wonderful barn area, there is the beautiful lake, many walking trails (dog friendly), and a large variety of trees, which put on quite a show. These pictures are in the Little River Road area at or near the home. And for those who are interested in tree types, I have found out that the "orange evergreen" pictured last week in Asheville is a "taxodium distichum" or Bald Cypress.

At this writing, there's a light breeze picking the leaves off the trees and gently whirling them to the ground. If you hurry, you can catch the tail end of this spectacle, and the plentiful Bradford pears have yet to put in their dark reddish-orange appearance. But the Red Oaks are simply stunning right now! Try not to miss it! The weather for the next few days should be in the mid-60s, and then in the 50s by the weekend. There is a small chance of showers, but we'll believe it when we see it. For an up-to-date, local forecast, follow this link to AshevilleWeather.com.

These ducks are very content playing on their very own Golden Pond.

The hayrolls make a nice foreground for the beautiful quilt-patterned hill beyond.

Instead of looking at his surroundings, this horse preferred to watch the traffic.

The reflecting Sandburg lake is peppered with thousands of fallen leaves.

It's warm enough to have a picnic on this sparkling beautiful day - lunch anyone?

There's no wondering why Mrs. Sandburg herself chose this property as their home.

Greenville, SC: A great overlook for the leaves in Downtown Greenville this week is in Falls Park right off Main Street. A walk across the Liberty Bridge will give you a great view of the Reedy River Falls and the colorful trees in the park. The Oaks are getting deeper red and burnt orange colors now, and the leaves on the Maples vary from bright yellows and oranges to reds. The Sweetgums, Beeches and Poplars are yellow but are beginning to thin out. The Dogwoods have held onto their leaves for the longest period in years. You can still see some that are deep red throughout the Park. Oaks make up the majority of the trees in the Park, and they are holding onto their leaves well as this week There are also many perennials blooming in the Park. You can see roses, asters, hydrangeas, rosemary, sage and mums amongst others. You’ll find many walking trails throughout the Park and places to cookout while you enjoy the fall colors.

Below is some history of the falls and the park taken from its website.

Long before white settlers arrived, the Cherokee lived and hunted at present-day Greenville.

In 1773, the first European settler in the area, Richard Pearis, purchased 10 square miles along the Reedy River from three Cherokee chiefs. Pearis later operated a grist mill at the Upper Falls of the Reedy.

In 1852, Furman Institution (now Furman University) bought the land. Three textile mills and a cotton warehouse operated in the early 1900s, all contributing to the pollution of the Reedy River.

In 1967, the Carolina Foothills Garden Club reclaimed 26 acres for the current park, with the support of the City of Greenville, Furman University and the Planning Commission. Over the next 40 years, the Garden Club and the City of Greenville have worked with individuals, corporations and state and federal agencies to further develop the park, clean up the river and restore the historic Falls Cottage. In 1990, landscape architect Andrea Mains introduced the concept of transforming the park into a regional attraction, with beautiful public gardens and a pedestrian bridge.

Landscape architect Andrea Mains of Washington, D.C., has designed the park to feature a collection of "garden rooms", offering a spectacular display of seasonal color and artistic garden design.

Specialty gardens, including the Falls Cottage Garden and the Governor’s School Woods, will blend ornamental and native plants. The gardens are open year-round. The annual plantings combined with returning perennials and bulbs provide color and contrast throughout the year, creating the perfect setting for individual enjoyment or group events.

Falls Park is designed to embrace and exhibit plant varieties that are indigenous to the upper regions of South Carolina. Accompanying the annuals will be the bountiful blooms of flowering perennials. The gardens will also include a variety of canopy trees, evergreens, and spring flowering trees.

To find out more about the signature Liberty Bridge, click here.

The Reedy River Falls are still in the process of revitalization and make a serene backdrop to enjoying the Park.

The Falls Park has a number of open areas for enjoying a picnic and also has Shakespeare in the Park during the summer months.

The Liberty Bridge is an architectural marvel and spans the Falls making them viewable from the air, but does not interfere with the view from the ground.