The Quiet Garden

Before I became a gardener, I thought there was only one season for it, summer. As time went  by, I learned that there can be interest in the garden year round. It was an important lesson to learn. You see, I never would have thought that November could hold anything to see in the garden.

It may not be as bright and colorful as the month of May, but it has a quieter beauty.

You have to depend on shapes, forms, and textures to keep the garden interesting when summer fades away.

 The colors are mostly subtle.

 Only a few flowers remain, and you have to look hard to see them.

But the pansies and violets are still scoffing at the cold. You have to admire that in a flower, especially in November.

Maybe only gardeners can appreciate November. It's easy to love the summer garden, anyone can do it. But it takes effort to see the beauty in quiet spots like this.

If the summer garden is loud, then the November garden is quiet. And that's so much better than no garden at all. 

That Last Fall Walk

Over the last week, the beautiful fall weather we were enjoying just disappeared. The skies turned gray, the rain arrived, the wind blew all the leaves away, and it turned cold. But before the change of weather, I took one final fall walk. I didn't know it was the last pretty day, so I'm extra glad that I took the time to enjoy that beautiful day. This time I walked at Blacklick Woods.

Trust me, I was the only one there for the beauty. There was a lot of fitness going on around me that day. But not me. I was just there to take it all in.

 The air was warm, the sun was shining, and fall colors were still all around.

 

It was just one in a long string of magical fall days this year.

I didn't walk very far, or very fast. But that's mostly because there were too many pretty sights to catch my eye.

So I let the joggers and speed walkers just buzz right by me. I kept my pace slow, so I didn't miss anything. I took the time to just soak it all in, because I knew that winter was breathing down my neck.

I'm so glad I took the time to enjoy that lovely fall afternoon before the dreary winter ahead. It was worth every step. 

The Prettiest Tree

Our beautiful, warm fall has taken a turn for the worst. Blue skies have turned gray. Warmth and sunshine has turned into cold rain. I'm so glad I got all of my bulbs planted the other day when it still felt like summer! On that golden day, I made sure to snap a few fall photos, and I'm so glad I did.

It was only three days ago, but in that short time, this gorgeous tree is nearly bare.

There are so many pretty spots here at home in the fall, but nothing quite so beautiful as the ornamental pear tree.

It's always the last to turn color. That alone makes it a favorite. Right when the other trees have turned bare, it puts on it's own private show of color.

There's an entire rainbow of color in this one single tree. It's certainly the prettiest tree in town.

I'll see you again in the spring pretty tree, when are covered in soft, white flowers!

Falling for Autumn

This fall, I think I have changed my mind about my favorite season. I always rave about how much I like summer, but now I'm not so sure. See, after the summer drought, we all expected autumn to be a drab affair. Instead the opposite was true. I've never seen autumn so lovely. It's a perfect time for drives in the country.

Now I don't know if the extra colors have anything to do with the drought or not.

Maybe we just learn to appreciate everything more as time goes on. 

But it's not important why autumn is so beautiful. I've simply learned to appreciate the beauty of a perfect fall day just as much as I do a perfect summer day.

On days like this, there are no worries.

Nothing seems to matter except being in the moment.

All you need is the sunshine on your face and your feet on the ground.

So come along and fall for autumn with me, it only lasts a little while.