Are you a leaf peeper? Do you eagerly anticipate the spread of blazing Fall colors around Rome, GA every year? Then mark your calendar for Thursday, October 31st – Halloween – that’s the date of the annual Tree Walk with Keith and John presented by Floyd County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers. The walk will take place from 2 pm to 4 pm. Participants will meet at 2 pm over by the flagpoles outside the Extension Office located on 4th Avenue in downtown Rome, according to Keith Mickler, UGA Extension Coordinator for Floyd County, who will lead the walk along with John Hendrickson, Master Gardener Volunteer. They hope to be joined by retired arborist Terry Page.
Shorter day length and cooler temperatures trigger the leaves’ change in color from green to vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges in the Fall, states Mickler.
Mickler muses that he is particularly looking forward to the transition of the ginkgoes in downtown Rome into bright shades of yellow.
People with questions about the Tree Walk set for Halloween are directed by Mickler to call the Floyd County Extension Office at (706) 295-6210. Those who plan to participate are urged to wear comfortable walking shoes and take water.
Peak of Fall color usually begins in mid- to late-October in north Georgia’s highest elevations and lasts into mid-November around middle and southern Georgia, according to Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites.
