If Feels Like Fall

Here in Ohio it has been unseasonably cool for September. I'd rather we had the usual weather this time of year, with low humidity, blue skies, and warm days. But I don't dare complain when there is so much extreme weather happening elsewhere. Right now Hurricane Irma is bearing down on Florida and wildfires are raging out west, while Houston continues to deal with the effects of Hurricane Harvey. So perhaps my cool September doesn't look so bad after all.

One of the other things I love about September is the monarch migration. I've seen quite a few of them passing through here, and it makes me happy to know that they continue to find my little garden along their journey. In my last post, I said I hadn't raised any caterpillars in the kitchen this year. But the monarchs had other ideas. One day I was sitting on the patio and glanced over at my two little milkweed plants. There I saw this big fat monarch caterpillar! When I went to gather him in the next day, I could not find him anywhere. But in searching, I spotted several tiny caterpillars, so I brought four of them inside to raise. I kept them supplied with milkweed, and right now they are resting in the chrysalis stage.

Of course you know that there are many other visitors to my garden that bring me delight. Pretty much anything with wings is going to make me happy. Do you suppose it's because my name is Robin?

My fascination with summer zinnias is one of the main reasons why I see so many butterflies in my garden. And of course they are just plain pretty, and always make me smile.

By now, my summer containers are either at their peak, or fading quickly. These are a few of the ones that still look good, but there are others that need a fall refresh.

Hopefully our September weather will improve, and those perfect days will return before the weather truly turns to autumn. I do love fall, but I'm just not ready for it quite yet. Until then, it's time to break out those fall jackets!