In just two days, September will be here. It always marked the true end of summer to me, even though the days were often still hot, the light had already begun to shift and the days were getting ever so slightly shorter. As a kid, I hated it. As an adult, I often think about how I have missed most of summer and how did that happen??
When I was a kid, summer lasted forever, now it seems like it is two weeks long. How did I miss vacation time? And not having a pool to laze in and swim in, that is the thing I most miss about living in Florida. I would get up in the early morning, make coffee and slip out to the pool and swim laps - fast and slow, and sip my coffee while everyone slept.
This summer I saw the daylilies and then the rain and weeds came. I sprained my ankle, and walking on the uneven ground of my gardens to do weeding was out...so the weeds have won this year.
I do love the change in the greens at this time of the year. The bright spring greens are wonderful, but the complexity of the greens as they age and darken is something I enjoy watching. As I walk my dogs each morning, I have been seeing lots of purple flowers. Why so many purple flowers in fall?
Thistle
Joe Pye Weed and Ironweed
Flax on the roadside
Here's one of my hydrangeas that has been incredible this year. It is at the end of its season.
And I always love the Queen Anne's Lace (Not purple!!)
What kinds of flowers and foliage are you seeing where you are right now??
We'll be doing a drawing (random number generator) of one winner if you make a comment by the end of August!! The prize will be one skein of Yummy 2-ply Sock and we'll include a pattern of Martina Behm's Miss Winkle.
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My mints are starting to flower with little purple flowers. The black eyed Susans are going strong with their bright yellow. My smaller hydrangea was fantastic this year with a coral pink but they are now fading and turning a dark coral.
My purslane has been blooming beautifully all summer, and continues to do so. I just love it’s bright, multicolored blooms. The make for such a cheery view out my apartment window! :)
I love that the fuschia my youngest daughter planted, before leaving for college, is doing do well. As it grows, it reminds not to be sad with my empty nest, because she’s growing too.
My morning glories are finally making a come back after a rabbit nearly killed them. It’s a shame it took so long.
This year I was fortunate to discover verbena and azaleas in my yard, iris bloomed and I had two rounds of gardenias and now my orange calla lilies are blooming. This is remarkable because I have no kind of green thumb and all of these things happened without any assistance from me. Though I did make sure not to interfere! Right now I’m enjoying my herbs coming along and I’m keeping fingers crossed that all the flowers will return next year.
Everything in my yard is dead from the heat. :< But we went to New Zealand a few weeks ago and while hiking in the subtropical forests, we saw the most incredible array of greens you can possibly imagine! Moss, leaves, grass, trees of all different greens!
I’m seeing crepe myrtle tress blooming in bright pinks & whites and poor yellowing leaves on other plants dropping from the heat.
I am sad to say, I believe I am seeing my final gardenia bloom for the year. As I got down on my knees to take in that last whiff of intoxicating aroma I am reminded of the season passing and look forward to what is coming next! Each season brings delights.
Though I have come to appreciate fall, to me it is the harbinger of winter, and that’s no good. I delight in the heat. No flowers here except a cobalt blue morning glory in my overgrown back yard :)
It seems like There are sunflowers everywhere I look right now. Not in my yard though! We just have no maintenance hostas