You don't need a calendar to know that fall has begun. All you need to do is look around . . .
Some of the leaves on the ash tree are beginning their transformation to purple hues.
The flowering crabapples have dropped many of their leaves already,
and tiny red fruits are ripe for the picking by the birds.
The yews have already started decorating for Halloween!
Tired-looking annuals--ok, let's be honest: DEAD annuals--in a few of the containers have been replaced with cool-weather combos. Buying annuals may seem like a waste of money when the first frost may occur any day, but the ruffled kale and pansies will last quite awhile. The new rudbeckia 'Prairie Sun' was just too pretty to pass up, and it is hoped it will re-seed if transplanted into the garden in time.
Another small pot on the back porch has been re-planted with my favorite fall colors--
Orange and (almost) Blue.
Saturday afternoons are spent with thousands of friends with a similar color preference:)
Although the cooler weather makes gardening much more pleasant, I can't seem to find the time to get much done outside these days, especially the lower-priority chore of deadheading. The garden is filled with many blooms past their prime, but the bumbles and friends don't seem to mind.
Shades of gold have replaced the sea of green that stretches for miles. If you stop to listen, you can hear the cornstalks rustling in the breeze. Harvest season has begun.
After a hot and dry summer, I am savoring all the joys of Autumn.
