Autumn Holidays

Ilya had been eagerly awaiting the autumn holidays. He loved visiting his grandmother in the village, where everything was so cozy and peaceful. Especially in autumn, when the leaves turned red, yellow, and orange, the entire landscape felt like one big fairytale. This time, Ilya decided he would make his first herbarium during his vacation to capture a piece of this beauty to remember.

Early in the morning, his grandmother greeted him at the door with a warm smile and a big blanket, which he immediately wrapped himself in. The autumn breeze swept across the yard, and Ilya saw leaves swirling around like little colorful butterflies.

“Grandma, can I collect leaves for a herbarium today? I want to make a real album with leaves from different trees to show at school,” said Ilya with excitement.

“Of course, Ilyusha,” his grandmother replied, patting him on the head. “I’ll show you which leaves are best, and tell you about the trees that grow in our garden and around the village.”

Ilya took a basket and set off with his grandmother into the garden. First, his grandmother showed him the old oak tree, which spread its mighty branches above them. The leaves were large and yellow, with neat serrated edges.

“This is an oak,” Grandma explained. “Oak leaves are sturdy and thick, so they last a long time. If you put one in your herbarium, it will keep its shape.”

Ilya carefully placed a few oak leaves in his basket, imagining how they would look in his album. Then they moved to the birch tree, whose leaves were very different – small, light yellow, almost glowing in the sunlight.

“The birch is one of the prettiest trees in autumn,” Grandma said. “Its leaves are delicate, so you have to dry them carefully to keep their color.”

Ilya added a few birch leaves to the basket and noticed that each leaf and flower was unique. He realized that nature held an incredible diversity and wanted to learn more about each tree.

They continued their walk through the garden, and Grandma told Ilya about each tree. Soon, Ilya learned that the maple tree, with its bright red leaves, symbolized autumn in their area, while the rowan tree, with its clusters of red berries, attracted birds and brought warmth to the garden.

“And here’s the rowan,” Grandma pointed, stopping by a tree with vivid red berries. “People don’t eat its berries, but birds love them in winter when food is scarce.”

Ilya touched a rowan leaf, light and shaped like little fingers. He gently picked one leaf and put it in his basket. Grandma advised him to add a few more rowan leaves to show the variety of nature in his herbarium.

With the basket almost full, they reached the pond at the edge of the garden. The water reflected all the autumn colors, and small bushes around it had also traded their summer greenery for autumn hues. Ilya noticed a few yellow leaves floating on the water like tiny boats.

“Nature is an amazing painting,” Grandma said quietly, watching her grandson. “You have to be able to see its beauty and respect every leaf, every blade of grass.”

Ilya thought about her words. He understood that creating a herbarium wasn’t just about gathering leaves. It was a way to keep memories and express his respect for nature, which shared its riches with us.

When they returned home, Grandma showed Ilya how to dry the leaves properly to keep their shape and color. She suggested placing the leaves between the pages of thick books, and Ilya happily got to work. Each tree and leaf now had a place in his album, like little treasures.

All evening, Ilya sat at the table, adding new leaves to his herbarium. Every so often, he would look at each leaf, remembering where he had picked it and what Grandma had told him. It wasn’t just an album – it was his first step toward understanding nature and realizing how important it is to preserve its beauty.

The next day, Ilya proudly showed Grandma his completed herbarium. She was proud of him and said that maybe one day he would become a true guardian of nature. Ilya thought proudly that these autumn holidays had given him not only beautiful leaves but also a deeper understanding of the importance of caring for nature.

So his vacation ended, but in Ilya’s heart remained memories of that warm autumn day spent with his grandmother and of his very first herbarium.