With the unusually wet summer, many people have been wondering what impact the rainy season will have on foliage this fall. The Providence Journal sought out expert opinions on what the autumn colors will look like. Among the wisdom the article contains:

· According to RI Botany Professor Keith Killingbeck - Sunny days and cold nights are best for foliage. When weather is warm, trees need to work harder and use up some of the compounds that create bright colors.

· Yankee Magazine’s foliage expert says the recent damp weather will definitely have an impact. Waterlogged soil causes leaves starting to turn early, allowing for a longer foliage season. However, wet warm weather is likely to create a mostly pastel-like palette of colors, rather than super bright colors.

· Yankee's expert, Jim Salge also says that with warm weather, peak color is usually later than normal. That means “this could be a year when a lot of the New England region turn at the same time," instead of turning over 5-6 weeks as color moves from north to south.

See the full article here.

Bill George