On Sunday night, temperatures will drop to 30°, surely ending the gardening season. Because I believe there is beauty in all stages of a plant’s life, here’s a little look at the fading, yet still beautiful, garden. The Last Hurrah…
I’ll miss you, garden. Thanks for all the beauty and joy you have graced us with, for giving me the chance to see you for an entire growing season for the first time in a long time. It’s been wonderful.
Happy Saturday.
Claudia, Still a touch of beauty left in the old flowers . :):) I will miss sitting on my porch with my feet in the sun….that’s how I get my vitamin “D”. It snowed here yesterday evening..thank goodness it didn’t stick. We may have get us a nice African violet to gaze upon during our cold months. Blessings to you , xoxo,Susie
The impatiens will come inside, but I don’t know how much longer they’ll bloom!
We turned a corner last night. Not only is it a new month but, we had our first hard frost. Trees are mostly bare. As I clean up the gardens and rake the yard I will savor these tasks as preparation for the next growing seasn. The long, cold winter here in Minnesota is prime time for reading, sewing, and introspection.
Same thing here, especially when we are being told that this winter will be as tough as last winter. Yikes. It’s also dollhouse time for me.
You do have a keen eye, Claudia. All of those photographs are winners. The image of the brave little rose asserting itself in the crowd of hydrangeas really got to me.
Thank you, Nancy!
You know, there IS beauty in the fading! Your photos PROVE it!
I like to think it is so I age…
Me too, Rebecca!
Lovely photos, Claudia…to everything there is a season. Clean up season here now.
I’m done with leaf-raking for this year. Whatever is still there, will stay there!
Your pictures of your garden hanging on to the last bit of good weather…make me yearn for Spring to come quickly. I wish I could enjoy winter. Maybe that could be my new goal…to enjoy this upcoming season….UGH! <—OK that was not a good start. LOL!
Blessings, Joanne
Well, I sort of feel the same way. Especially since all predictions are predicting a winter like last year. YUCK.
Perhaps we need to learn from nature that, no matter what season we are in, we are still beautiful.
Have a lovely weekend.
Hugs,
Deb
Yes, indeed, Deb!
Lovely pictures…although fading, still beautiful! We’ve decided to take up a new hobby if you will…we are feeding the birds! We’ve only fed hummingbirds in the past…but decided to expand, partly because of our son’s cat…we are cat-sitting for several months. It serves as entertainment for him! And it’s fun for us too…we are learning something new! And, that’s always a good thing! ;)
I would so love to feed the birds, but there are cats that roam about around here and I’m afraid they’d get one of them.
Oh…that’s too bad. Our problem was keeping the squirrels off our deck. It’s a second story deck…so Jim wrapped the wooden poles with plastic…so the squirrels can’t climb up. They were eating all the bird seed! ;)
I am intrigued with these strong images. I think the unusual shapes would be much more interesting to draw/paint than ‘pretty’ flowers.
Thank you for the inspiration!
You are welcome, Barbara.
I agree! Such loveliness even on it’s way out. We just had our first hard frost last night and my ex-farmer neighbor tells me it’s now time to cut down my perennials. It will be hard to say good bye to some of them!
I never cut down my perennials, Jen. I leave them up for the birds and wildlife to take shelter in. The birds will also eat the seeds. And I think they add a sculptural quality to the winter garden. It works here and the perennials get cut down in the spring while the new growth is breaking through the ground.
Last night – 26 degrees here in KC! The potted plants came in – back out today. Fortunately a bit warmer this week. I am not ready for cold weather and everything that comes with it. Keep those flower pics coming – even if they are in pots. I may overwinter my one potted begonia – and will definitely do it with my swedish ivy. Just need to find the room. Happy Saturday.
Looking at the week ahead’s weather, I think I’ll only have to bring the impatiens in on Sunday night. Then back out again!
We woke up this morning to chilly air 46* and a chill inside too. By the time I had my shower Honey had a fire going in the wood stove:)
I agree with you there is beauty in all stages of a plants life – I’ll go even further and say EVERY LIVING THING!
I agree, Pat!
I agree wholeheartedly with Rebecca. There IS beauty in the fading too. And you, Claudia, are a true champ at close-up photography. Especially in this category [botanicals etc]. PS, I don’t know what it’s called but the plant with the tiny rose or mulberry-ish color buds or whatever? That looks like it just might LOVE to come inside with you, be hung upside-down and dried. I brought in a bunch of bittersweet I saw along a roadside in my travels and has it ever brightened up the past few dark and cloudy days!
Thanks for the compliment, Janet!
You make me see the beauty in what I would call the ordinary. After I see your lovely photos I go outside in my garden and see late autumn beauty all around me. Thank you.
Aw. thank you!
We had snow yesterday here Claudia, there’s no flowers alive here now.
There won’t be any alive after tomorrow night, I fear. I’ll cut the roses and bring them in.
The temp dropped to high 20’s over night in our neck of the woods. Apparently the frost was heavy enough, Miss Molly thought it was snow. She happily went for a roll down the hill.
Oh boy!
Not ready for the inevitable here, either. But it is on its way. We do feed the birds. Right now on my 5 feeders I am watching 3 purple finch and 4 gold finch plus about 7 sparrows…… and one squirrel hanging upside down from the feeder eating, too. At the bottom are 3 mourning doves and a junco and another squirrel. I don’t see… but I do hear a blue jay (or 2). Somehow they all make it work as they eat together and somewhat take turns. Wish it was that easy with people.
Have a great day!
It sounds wonderful, Chris – what a great view you must have!
Lovely images of the garden as it slows to winter speed.
I want to work on more winter interest out my windows.
Not sure how to do this.
Birdfeeders help.
Leaving my meadow grasses up helps, but the wind and rain have bogged them down.
Need more ideas please
Bird baths? Other structures that you can put in the garden?
Sad, isn’t it? It’s been cold here, too. Only in the 30’s during the day. And tonight’s the time change which once again makes the dark evenings seem sooo long. Yucky-pooey.
Shoot! Forgot about the time change! Yuck!
Claudia, your garden’s last hurrah looks pretty good! Still have some roses hanging on but everything else has just about had it. the colder weather is settling in. This is off topic. I have been looking for your Etsy shop and can’t find it. could you please send me the link or shop name? Are you still making the gorgeous obsession scarves?
The Etsy shop has been inactive for quite a while now. Neither Meredith or I have the time to make anything for it. I’m not making the obsession scarves this year and haven’t done so in a long time. Sorry!
Sorry to be late Claudia busy busy day yesterday..I will miss your garden too..