October

278/365: top of the ridge, autumn

There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October.
–  Nathaniel Hawthorne

aster-nomical

276/365: white prairie asters

The asters have won my heart for the sheer exuberant volume of blossoms they produce, for being hearty and beautiful in a kind of workaday way, for blooming so late in the season when the garden is a mess and I’ve lost my gumption for it until next spring. We might all pursue our vocations with such earnest cheer.

my cup runneth over…

271/365: cup plant

More autumn blooms in my yard. The native garden keeps on giving!

still in bloom

270/365: meadow rue

I’m always happy to find flowers still in bloom in early autumn – besides the ubiquitous mums, of which, I a not a huge fan. The meadow rue can easily be taller than me, despite its delicate appearance. I like things that manage to be mighty and tender all at once.

dancing queens

264/365: red and yellow dahlias

Can’t you just hear the music? I see a dance hall full of swirling red and yellow skirts, smiling faces, warmth and energy.

There are no wallflowers among dahlias.

playing desert

263/365: yucca filamentosa

There are a few plants that flourish in our north country winters that would appear to have NO BUSINESS living here. The yucca is one.

Somehow, growing this plant in my garden makes me feel like there’s something a little exotic going on right in my own front yard. I’m happy to host this denizen of the desert and other southern climes and truly impressed with its survival skills.

tickled pink

261/365: annabelle hydrangea turning pink

I guess it’s her little secret as to why, but something has our old-fashioned white hydrangea blushing positively pink…

all in the neighborhood

260/365: sedum flowers

I always feel that the sedum flowers are the ‘girl next door’ in the garden. That is to say: gorgeous and overlooked.

I had to check to see how often I’d posted them in the past…turns out it’s been five years. Definitely time these beauties get another turn in the spotlight.

Visit the 2010 sedum post here. I really like what I wrote about them back then.

seasons change

259/365: autumn assemblage

New colors are seeping into the landscape to break up the endless waves of green.

I’m ready.

fine lines

256/365: clematis seeds

The Virgin’s Bower clematis is an aggressive vine. Covered with small white, star-shaped flowers in summer, by early fall the whole vine is a hairy mess of seeds. I can’t help thinking of truffula tufts (or a raging case of bed head).

They have a certain disheveled charm. Then, after a while, they just look messy. It’s a fine line.