I do miss the fall in the northeast! We still have flowering plants all winter, but the leaves that fall usually just turn brown. I have some maples along my street and some leaves turn yellow and red, some leaves just die and somehow all end up in my yard... ;^)
It IS a beautiful season. I do enjoy it, but it does mean snow is coming soon. Bah!
It gets colder out here, so all but the evergreen trees lose leaves in November/December-Lost Maples state park-one of my favorite places-is only about 40 miles away-the falling leaves are beautiful there. Fallen leaves here are mulch for plants and ground cover-helps keep moisture in and keeps them from freezing as badly.