September 25th, 2010

Reminiscing the importance of this date in days gone by, - Charles' parents wedding anniversary......

Special fond remembrances of Granny's beautiful peony beds and the heritage sweet peas we still grow in our own garden and distribute seeds to others in the family.  I am considering a little box of these precious seeds in everyone's Christmas parcel.

When I came home from town today Charles was busy harvesting the sweet pea seeds, putting them 

in a barrel to give them plenty of room to pop open all by themselves.

Last night David sent spectacular pictures of the meadow, well advanced into fall

with the trees all the beautiful shades of Autumn. 

Not so here, - I noticed this morning a dozen scarlet leaves had blown to the ground from

the scarlet maple and down at the bottom of the pasture the leaves on

the sumac are beginning to change into fall attire, but

the garden is not so flagrant.  The changes are subtle, - the sunflowers are mostly

round seeded heads  and the sedum glows in the sunshine, but is a softer, mellower shade

when the autumn clouds gather.

The star of the garden right now are the two grocery store miniature roses that 

are putting on a fabulous show, - covered with beautiful buds and blooms

that just go on and on and on.....seen directly below

The remains of summer and the beginnings of Autumn.

The Chrysanthemum are not yet in bloom so, barring a heavy frost, we should have

brightness and beauty in the garden until the end of October

Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there - for instance,

here are the fruits of the Chinese Lantern that arrive by underground railway, 

and are now hanging to dry on the deck, in all their glowing beauty.

It is good to be alone in a garden at dawn or dusk so that all its shy presences may haunt you and possess you in a reverie of suspended thought.  James Douglas

The September Garden on the ninth day of the month.

Looking slightly dishevelled and neglected

with the Sunflower Cafe open to its small bird customers

and with small bits of summer flowers blooming amongst the autumn asters and sedum

A straight soldierly sunflower volunteer stands guard beside the deep red climber.

and around the corner on the west side of the house the newly planted

Blaze has reached six feet or so, and celebrates with a scarlet farewell to summer

on each side the whorls of the spent clematis shine in the sunlight

in odd places the successful immigrants who arrived on the Chinese Lantern Express

smirk at me, even one tall plant whose hiding place had been discovered

six feet up the sweet pea fence as the plants fade and the seed pods form.

The remainders of the Roses bloom on valiantly

On Monday we shifted the large orange daylily from the middle of the

garden to various other spots, - along the west wall, a few flagging the patio and some

in the bed by the trailer.  I wish them all well..... 

I cherish them all, but still, it is the ladies who crashed the party who bring

the most vibrancy and generosity to the garden

as the small birds gather to feast among their lovely golden hearts.

As I wander the garden a gnome whizzes by on the driveway, flashing a reluctant grin.