I spent a morning rooting around on the forest floor.
There was so much to see.
Colour,
pattern,
texture,
and LIFE.
The trees let go of their beautiful leaves,
their colour fades
and they begin to decompose
ready to become part of the soil to come.
I love how the roots of this tree appear to be gathering them up, not discarded but precious, knowing their value, thanking them for all the work they have done so far and for the nourishment they will bring to the soil.
And other things come for the ride too like all these spangle galls. A little wasp laid their eggs on the leaf high up in the tree back in the spring knowing it will eventually fall and the larvae will hatch on the forest floor the year after.
So many things overwintering in the rich leaf mulch.
And new life is already taking place. There were many acorns sending out their tap roots, searching out a good place to hunker down, the beginnings of the trees of the future.
Trees are not afraid to let go, to be naked and vulnerable, to go to rest for the winter. They know that new life will come again and that their shedding will eventually nourish the very ground in which they live.
We have a lot to learn from these marvelous beings.
6 comments
Your images are gorgeous! I need to find some time to take photos just for fun and not just record my family’s day affairs. I miss it!
Thank you for the wander and wonderment!
I learned a new (to me) word: marcescence, when leaves of deciduous trees don’t fall in winter, but cling on til spring. Xx
I can’t get out into the woods myself these days but thank you for bringing the woods to me with your lovely photos and writing! Much appreciated.
Stunning photos Hannah and beautiful observations, thank you for bring your lovely work to the world. It, and you, are very inspiring.
I lived in the Calder Valley (Hebden and Luddenden) for many years before moving to the Scottish Highlands back in 2000. When I’m next down visiting friends, I’ll try and plan it around one of your studio open days.
In the meantime, enjoy all the wonderful gifts that winter brings.
Cheers,
Dawn
Such lovely finds in the wood! Thank you for sharing the delights!