And the season comes to an end...

It is Fertilizer Friday and Tootsie's moving us inside, but I'm not quite ready to let go of my garden this year. I've loved my garden and my garden has taught me so much. So, next week I'll head inside, but for now, I'm braving the elements and staying outside. In some parts of the world, spring is in full effect or winter never really comes, so don't forget to head over to Tootsie's to see what is going on in other gardens.



It always seems to me that fall is the time when I finally have my flowers doing what they're supposed to do, that I'm finally into the rhythm of caring for everything, and that it took me too long to figure it out and it will all go away just as I've got it down. The fact that we have had only one frost warning and it is October 2 is absolutely amazing to me...I haven't had a crunchy lawn yet and Valiant is still making money mowing lawns. It is raining today and will rain tomorrow and the next day. Summer is finally bidding us a final farewell. So, before the frost comes, let me show you a few things:

My petunias on the post (can you see the raindrops on the petals?). Superman helped me fill in this hollow post so I could plant flowers. Unfortunately, we've struggled to keep the flowers most because there is not much soil, the water drains away and the bricks get HOT in summer. As you can see, however, I finally figured it out this summer and the kids didn't mind running out to "give the post a little more water" on super hot days. I'll be sad to see this one die out as the season progresses.
Then there are my hydrangeas. Look at this emerging flower. Isn't it gorgeous, with all the different colors showing? It makes me sad to think this one won't have a chance to become a full and glorious bloom.


Then there is this hydrangea. I think it has nutritional issues. What is with the red on the bloom? It is supposed to be just like the other ones and yet, it is not. It is shorter (it is less than half the size of its sisters) and had fewer blooms this year. I'll definitely be reading up to see if I can't help it along next year.





Yes, the weather is changing, but our birds still get to spend their days on the front porch. (Once I left them out all night long...on a night that dropped to FIVE DEGREES! As you can see, they lived. Scared the pants off of me, however, and now everyone takes responsibility for getting those birds in at night.)








Summer is over and Fall is nipping at her heels, but still my front yard makes me smile and think, "Hmmm...I'll do even better next year!"