Fallen Leaves. © Copyright 2022.G Dan Mitchell.
Fallen leaves on the ground in a winter garden.
This photograph was a bit of a surprise. We had gone to a Bay Area garden to photograph some new flowers that we heard were blossoming. (Last month here felt more like “Maybruary” than February, and spring plants seem to be appearing earlier than usual.) In fact, there were flowers, and I did photograph them. Some of the more traditional photographs of flowers and related greenery should show up here soon.
But I’m always looking for things other than the primary subject, trying to spot surprises and things I might otherwise miss. So as I was admiring some lovely blooms and some ivy growing up a nearby wall… I took a peek into the shadows on the ground underneath the plants, where I spotted piles of old leaves. Some were probably the byproduct of garden maintenance, while others had probably fallen naturally. I suspect that anyone who saw me down on the ground photographing under the plants with the actual flowers may have wondered what the heck I was doing.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
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If I recall, they may have been camellia leaves.
They are beautiful in the picture so they must’ve been really gorgeous in full bloom! Let me know if you have any pictures of what you think they might have been!
Truth be told, there are things in this little scene that are not leaves. The warm-toned brown stuff consists of the petals of flowers.
Dan
Love it! From Wikipedia:
Litterfall, plant litter, leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, or duff, is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that have fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituent nutrients are added to the top layer of soil, commonly known as the litter layer. Litter is an important factor in ecosystem dynamics, as it is indicative of ecological productivity and may be useful in predicting regional nutrient cycling and soil fertility.