Cochrane celebrates its three-in-one season of splendourCOFFEE WITH WARREN, with Warren Harbeck |
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The Harbecks’ garden in Cochrane on Sept. 14 was a three-season symphony uniting snow-adorned apple tree, Purple Leaf Sand Cherry, and Mountain Ash, Poplar, Virginia Creeper and Hops into a hymn of joy. The last week of Summer has arrived, and Cochrane is once again proving faithful to its tradition of uniting Summer, Fall and Winter into a three-in-one symphony of sacred beauty. Three-in-one? Well, all we had to do was look outside this past weekend to see why. And that’s exactly what Mary Anna and I did. Summer, Fall and Winter had joined together overnight to mount their awesome performance for us to enjoy in our garden the next morning – a masterpiece of tones and textures to stir our souls. As witnessed to in the accompanying collage, the first evidence was the apple tree just outside our bedroom window. Autumn’s golden leaves had teamed up with Summer’s green leaves and red apples, freshly frosted with Winter’s gentle snow. This prelude immediately filled us with anticipation of glorious things to come. Further into the garden, top right photo, our Purple Leaf Sand Cherry, still sporting its summertime burgundy, must have been thinking to itself, “Wouldn’t accents of Autumn reds and bronzes make a nice addition now?” Winter’s snowy kisses obviously sealed the deal. Then there was the Three-in-One Symphony Chorale of festive foliage along the fence at the back (bottom photo). Our Mountain Ash, still sporting its late-Summer green leaves and crimson berries, had lent its vibrant voice proudly against the backdrop of Autumn’s fading green-yellow Poplar chorus and the bright red Virginia Creeper along the fence. And there, entering the scene from the lower right, a vine of hops had stepped onto the Three-Season Stage like a distinguished conductor, raised its Winter-white baton, and the performance began. It was enough to make us want to join in their inspiring anthem. Indeed, that’s exactly what the snow-adorned apple tree and Sand Cherry did, as they lifted their harmonious, vivid voices in singing the Hymn of Joy to their Creator: Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, All Thy works with joy surround thee,
© 2018 Warren Harbeck |