Trash to Treasure: Four-Season Fossil

摘要

Two days after Thanksgiving, Los Angeles was a warm 84°F. For the next three months, while much of the northern hemisphere shivered with frigid temperatures, we southern Californians ran around in shirtsleeves or sweaters. But we pay a price for ouryear-round mild weather. The lack of four seasons denies us spectacular fall color, the warm hues I cherished during my bonsai apprenticeship in Japan. Most of the broad-leaf trees in the Los Angeles landscape are evergreen: ficus, magnolia, eucalyptus,podo-carpus, Brazilian pepper, etc. Cold-loving trees that sport beautiful color such as larch, beech, stewartia, and Chinese quince won't survive our warm winters. With smoggy skies and imported water (we're living in a desert, after all), maples oftengo from green to crisp before becoming bare. If we are lucky enough to have a few cool nights in October or November, pomegranates turn yellow, elm turn orange, and liquid amber turn red.