Mid September with Hints of Autumn

In one week the season has stepped from summer onto the edge of fall, and there is no going back. Autumn's touch is evident. There are golden and orange tints in the trees, especially in dogwood leaves, which are always among the first to turn, and the breeze brings a few leaves fluttering to the ground.Cornus florida, our native flowering dogwood, is beginning to turn colors in mid-september.

I walk in the garden and feel sunshine on my face, but it is a gentle breath and no longer the hot, sticky lick of summer. I call autumn our second spring. Many summer flowers, like these in the front planter, are rejuvenated in the cooler, yet still warm air.

I walk slowly and enjoy my tour around the mid-September garden, with its pleasant atmosphere and hints of autumn:

Oakleaf Hydrangea leaf

Southern magnolia seed pods

Evergreen Dryopteris erythrosora, Autumn fern, does not turn colors in fall. Rather, new growth in spring has autumn tints.

Clockwise from top left: Licoris radiate, the spider lily; Ilex verticillata, the winterberry; Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'; Houttuynia cordata 'Chameleon'.

This old rusty woodpecker is in the woodland garden.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. Have a great week!   Deb

Autumn Passes Away

Winter's chilly hand is plucking at the landscape now, stripping branches here and there, but it has not yet taken a firm and deathly grip. Autumn's brilliant colors have faded, replaced by swaths of antique brass, rust, burnt rose, honey and amber.

Sun does not ignite these colors but rather creates a warm glow, a testament to the season as it peacefully passes away.

Leaves are constantly fluttering to the earth in little groups, heaping up over the ground and leaving garlands draped across shrubs, outdoor furniture and garden ornaments.

I walk amongst them, kicking at crinkly piles in the woodland. We keep the lawn and the paths cleared, but otherwise the leaves lie where they fall. They will provide insulation to the plants through the winter, and then by spring most of them will have decayed, returning to earth to replenish and nourish the soil.

I am not sorrowful about winter. It is a season for rest and renewal. I feel its cold breath and I pull my sweater tighter, but we are fortunate. Our winter delivers enough days to complain about, but it is comparatively short and mild. I can continue to garden through the season, but our pansies, decorative cabbage and winter vegetables, such as collards and spinach, will probably come through the winter with little effort on my part.

Today is a beautiful, mild day. I take in deep breaths, enjoying the crisp air and the fragrance of earth, and I am grateful for all the wonders around me. 

Above two photos are Euonymus alatus, also called Burning Bush. This is an invasive shrub in some parts of the country but fortunately not for me.

May you all have a great week!