That four letter "F word"... Fall

FALL. It's officially here. How can that be? It seems we haven't had near enough sunny summer weather yet... but the calendar says that September is over half gone, and today was the Autumnal Equinox. So there's no fighting it. May as well give in.... summer is behind us and cooler weather is on it's way. Temps the last few days have been lovely and I'm hoping they'll continue for a few days yet... I still have gardening chores to do... and more pics to show you from said garden.... Maybe I should save them for those minus 20 degree days in January!

It was not the best gardening season. It seemed to be "feast or famine"... With all the wet weather in June and July, then dry weather since, many of my plants have just not been happy. Some were lost to rot. Others just did not flourish like they usually do... a challenging season for sure. The two new Australian annuals I bought did not do all that well; one called "Joey" rotted away entirely. Not surprising as it likes hot dry conditions. I'll give it a try again next year as it was so interesting - the blooms have an iridescent sheen of hot pink and silver and resemble a cross between bottle brush-like and feathery. The Aussies nicknamed it "pink mulla mulla" - now how could you not like a plant with a name like that!! The other one- Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos), I planted in a pot rather than in the ground and it seemed to fare a little better although it didn't grow much. Since it has red blooms I thought the hummers would go for it, but I never saw any around it.... The Gloriosa Lily bulbs I planted did not grow AT ALL. I was very disappointed, but the company were good to their word ("Guaranteed to Bloom") and fully refunded my money. I'll definitely try them again next year, buying the bulbs earlier when they are in better condition.

On the other hand, my hostas flourished with all the rain, my zinnias have never looked better, and other things did well too. So I guess you just have to take what you get and hope for the best! I'll be sharing a few more pics from my garden over the next few weeks, before it gets "put to bed"....

So what does "Fall" mean to you? Maybe it's the teacher in me, but to me it's like the start of a new year. Exciting new beginnings... like the kid with a brand new box of crayons, or the new binder full of fresh clean looseleaf - I always kept my notes so neat and organized the first few weeks.. then gradually the newness wore off... Fall brings shorter days, cool evenings, crisp mornings, glorious foliage, crunchy apples, return to a "regular" schedule and activities, the sound of leaves crackling underfoot, apple cider...Mmmmm.

Much as I hate to see the end of summer, I love the fall too. After living one year on the north end of Vancouver Island, where it rained EVERY day from mid September till mid June, I appreciate the seasons and never want to "be without them" again....

Happy Autumn!

Piece,

Linda

Nod to the sun. Summer is over, fall has begun.