Autumn Blaze!

Autumn Blaze is the name/variety of the Maple Tree I bought last Fall, 2019, right before a trip to Italy. I couldn’t resist it, on trip to the nursery for something else, as often happens to me. I was busy before my trip and didn’t get it planted in the ground. After my trip I was busy “catching up” on work, business, etc. and I didn’t get it planted in the ground. Then it got cold and I got lazy, and I stopped even watering it. So it stood all winter, in the middle of my yard, without water, a guilty reminder of unfulfilled intentions. I was certain it was dead. At some point it was going to the dump.

Then Covid-19 March lockdown happened and the hysteria of trying to shift YogaSource and my own teaching online was nearly overwhelming, nearly. One morning, on my way across the yard to my yoga studio, to figure out how to email Zoom class links to students and teachers desperately adjusting to new ways of practicing Yoga together, I happened to notice the dead tree had tiny leaf buds. I thought I was seeing things. The next day, one tiny bright green leaf started to unfurl; a distinctly maple leaf shape. HOW could this tree have survived a cold, dry winter, exposed in a plastic pot?! The next day another leaf started. That weekend the tree was finally, finally planted in the ground. Watching this tree slowly leaf out got me through some of the worst weeks of the Spring. (For those of you serious gardeners, I did start watering it.)

The tree thrived this summer, brilliant green, then lat week it started to turn. It’s coloring reminding me of how I was seduced in the first place, Autumn Blaze indeed; now a dear and forgiving friend! Sharing it’s glory below.