Late Summer Garden Thoughts (2014)
There is something to love about every season. Here in late summer, as we are heading toward fall, the dwindling minutes on each side of every day create new angles of shadows that are subtle, yet noticeably gorgeous, if you pause and focus just even for a few minutes. Some days are just plain moody with clouds and shade all day.
Annual container with purple fountain grass; Kousa dogwood berries & leaves; sedum 'Autumn Joy'
Working in the basement most of August left me short-changing my time spent in the garden throughout the month - certainly during the hottest parts of each day. I basically just changed and cleaned the birdbath and hummingbird feeders, and watered annual containers, either early in the morning or evening. I would snap a few photos here and there. Do you know what? The garden did fine without any further fussing from me.
Goldfinch with sunflowers
The birds did their thing to contribute to the yard work, and I did mine.
Mandevilla
The frequent rains and intermittently cool temps assisted in my need for watering.
Hostas, Lord Baltimore Hibiscus co-mingle
Mr. P. kept the edging and lawn nice and tidy with at least a weekly maintenance. As the days marched on, the heat and humidity withered many of the leaves and blooms, and the light became a little less.
Plumbago underplanting at edge of grass / mulch
Asters, zinnias, and front annual bed of diamond frost, vinca and wandering jew
Some beds started looking messy, showing signs of needing haircuts, and others were anxious to steal the show and take the spotlight.
Climbing roses 'Joseph's Coat', lavender underplantings
Some plants, replaced in 2014 as a result of years of producing blooms and stopped cold by a harsh winter, seemed to be just getting their foothold in the dirt and perking up.
Juniper and blooming liriope at garden gate
As we head toward fall, I tend to have mixed feelings about the garden. Part of me wants the garden to get cleaned up, put to bed, with mulch beds and paths clearly defined, while another part of me wants to see all withering vines and leaves, with colors bleeding outside the lines, in a swirling mess.
Late summer in the garden, where the last hummingbird feeder sits alongside the first pumpkin
What are your thoughts when it comes to the seasons of the garden? Do you wish for summer to last forever, or do you savor the changes of the seasons? Is your region one where the climate has a distinction of all four seasons or just one or two?
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3 comments
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Such a lovely and thoughtful post. Here in Florida I certainly do not wish for summer to last forever! Although it may not appear that way to outsiders, we definitely do have seasons. I am looking forward to the humidity breaking, and the goldenrod and climbing aster blooming.
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