Early October

Here are some glimpses of color in our fall garden. The cool nights have revived the dahlias planted in beds that surround the house.

Back in the pumpkin garden, the zinnias bravely stretch and grow taller in search of the sun's warm rays. Butterflies and bumble bees are busily inspecting the last of the sunflowers and pumpkin blossoms.

Tucker finds time to take one last dip in the pool. The afternoon sun can be hotter than you think during October when you wear a black fur coat.

I know I keep showing the Pineapple Sage (very first picture) but it's airy brilliance just keeps getting prettier and prettier especially when set off by the white greenhouse in it's background. I think the bluebird of happiness is a bit sorry he is not a cardinal right now.

Bright red cardinal vine creeps up the changing leaves of the pink Dogwood in a backyard border.


Passion Flower, planted back in May in urns at the entrance of the driveway down by the road, have finally started to get passionate about blooming. After all, it's only October--plenty of time to still enjoy the lovely weather, right!?

In a bed at the front of the house, the pointed, billowy hydrangea flowers dressed in pale green and paler pink, and vibrant pink sedum "Brilliance" display their own brand of beauty at their peak--just before they will start to wane this month.

The angelic, pinky-red tufts on top of the tall grasses in the backyard offset a bed of silvery lavender foliage. The back drop of soft green-brown leaves from the trees and the powder blue sky provide even more depth and color on this crisp afternoon.

I found this short poem by Ernest Dowson that goes like this: "Pale amber sunlight falls across the reddening trees, that hardly sway before a breeze, as soft as summer: summer's loss seems little, dear, on days like these!"