“Just before the death of flowers,
And before they are buried in snow,
There comes a festival season
When nature is all aglow.”
– Author Unknown
Finally the weather has shifted. There is a coolness to the air as it touches my skin. I welcome the cool dew on my bare feet as I walk around the 
garden. I am reinvigorated by the fresh lighter air. Even the clouds have shifted to the lower, grayer clouds that herald more rain that will be coming. We had a half an inch of rain last Friday, the most we have had in one storm since May. More on Tuesday, about an inch, and some more forecast for the weekend with temps topping out at 65. Definitely fall weather is here to stay.
The bird song is soft. Calls overshadowed by out of town visitors now gone. The resident birds can finally be heard. The sweet scent on the cooler air energizes my soul and creative spirit. The warm glow of morning sunlight catches plants and lights them up in a special way that only happens in fall. And the many frogs that inhabit the garden are calling again at night.
I love the changing of the seasons when summers heat turns to cooler fall. There is a peacefulness to the silence, the lack of blooms. A time for
rest and reflection in the changing light. With this slower time comes a brilliance in my garden of bright colorful foliage giving the feeling of a party celebrating the end to the growing season. And yet I have mixed emotions as with the fall, the winter follows, and I will not see my garden or many critters for months as they hibernate and rest.
But autumn awaits, reminding me to slow, take an assessment of my life and the garden and then relish the moments that are to come each day no matter what they may be. As I move through this busy fall in the garden my mantra will continue to be:
“But now in September the garden has cooled, and with it my possessiveness. The sun warms my back instead of beating on my head … The harvest has dwindled, and I have grown apart from the intense midsummer relationship that brought it on.” ~Robert Finch
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As I lament the end to a garden, the southern hemisphere is celebrating spring as they warm and blooms burst forth:
Let’s check in with Christine@The Gardening Blog in South Africa as she celebrates the seasons. Her days are sunny warm and full of plants growing and flowers showing themselves after a long chilly winter. She is enjoying her Cherry Blossom tree as the flower petals drop all over the garden creating a pinkish snow. Christine has the loveliest azaleas blooming right now as well. I offer this year’s only blooming dahlia in my garden and its dark pink blooms for a Happy Spring down south.
Here are some gardeners who are celebrating fall here in the northern hemisphere:
Karin@Southern Meadows loves to celebrate the seasons with fall flowers like the asters above. As a matter of fact I know she loves asters. And with the asters come the monarchs as they leave me here in New York and venture South to more milkweed. I wish them luck, and am thankful they are in Karin’s hands. And what a perfect time to view nature than fall at a nature area. It is one of my favorite past times and Karin’s.
Holley@Roses and Other Gardening Joys loves coloring outside the lines this fall as she completes a major project in her garden. And isn’t the coolness of fall a perfect time for these chores. I know it is my best time, and I am excited to finally get started as the weather shifts. As Holley’s garden is full of roses, I offer up my fall roses in celebration.
Rain has finally come to the garden of Michelle@The Sage Butterfly which has her seasonally thinking. Her garden is springing back to life and flowers are reblooming as they are happily soaked. I hope to see more reblooming here now that we have had soaking rain as well.
For Beth@PlantPostings, fall is the time for celebrating the sense of smell. Her description of a walk in nature just outside her back door was intoxicating as it brought back memories of autumns past with leaves, pine cones and the changing colors of leaves…oh and the smell of apples ripening on the trees….mmmm!
Down Washington DC way is Angela@Bumble Lush who is joining in for the first time as she is celebrating fall. As she laments the loss of a fine tree recently, she is celebrating all the fine things fall brings us like the freshness of the air and oh those warm soups that we can make from our veg gardens. I am celebrating soups and yummy foods with Angela as much of our veg gardens end this fall.
Jean@Jean’s Garden has two lovely gardens, but she is celebrating fall in Maine at the Common Ground County Fair. This fair has me intrigued and excited as it is the annual fair for the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. And I am all about organic vegetable gardening. So in celebration, here are my organic pumpkins albeit a bit small, but perfect for a little garden display or pie!
And across the Atlantic, B-A-G@Experiments With Plants continues observing the London Plane Tree. I never tire of reading the amazing observations of this blogger as they share these unusual, strong and precious trees. For fall we are introduced to one of the older trees through a series of beautiful photographs. I am sharing with B-A-G one of my precious ash trees as it starts to change into its fall colors early this year.
So how will you be celebrating the new season? I hope you will join in next season as we enjoy the solstice. I will be posting about this new season on December 1st. Please remember to visit Beth@Plant Postings as she reveals the Garden Lessons Learned from this past season.
How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days. ~John Burroughs
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Next up on the blog: Monday will be time to share another favorite native wildflower for my Simply The Best series. The first Monday in October will be time to assess my September garden as we move into fall.
As always, I’ll be joining Tootsie Time’s Fertilizer Friday.
I hope you will join me for my posts once a month on the 3rd Tuesday, at Beautiful Wildlife Garden. The latest post is up now about an unusual pollinator.
Please remember, to comment click on the title of the post and the page will reload with the comments section.
Now it has arrived, I am embracing the freshness of autumn and although I don’t really look forward to winter I hope autumn will be long. It would be so nice if we all grew old like leaves becoming colourful and fluttering in the breeze. Don’t forget GBFD tomorrow. Christina
I am with you…a long fall would be so lovely and restful….and I need the time to get garden work done. I love the idea of growing old like leaves. I am linking in with my GBBD post as it has the link for your wonderful meme. Perfect time to look at the foliage in fall…it is a celebration all its own.
So glad it is cooling down for you. Glad you got some rain. I’m sure more will follow. It is always so cleansing in the fall.
It sure is Tina…I am feeling as revived as my garden!
Gorgeous photos, and those quotes are marvelous. Donna, you have such a dreamy quality to your writing in this post. I enjoyed it, and I love fall so much. It truly is our second spring.
One more thing . . . I’m not sure what happened to those photos, but I’ve got the blog back to normal I think. Thanks for letting me know.~~Dee
Good to hear Dee…it was so weird that the pics wouldn’t show…fall is like another spring isn’t it…I have so much more energy. Dee your lovely praise of the post means so much!!
I used to hate to have autumn arrive, because I dreaded winter so. But now I’ve found that the garden is truly just as lovely as during spring, and I look forward to it more and more each year. Not to mention how much better the weather is after enduring the heat of summer!
I so agree Holley although I still dread winter…I must get some other interests during this long time without the garden…of course I am potting up lots of herbs to bring in…and who knows what greens I may try this winter indoors under the grow lights!!
Hey Donna, what a beautiful salute to a fall we’ve been deserving after this horrid summer.
Your prose I so beautiful only enhanced by three killer quotes that only enhance your message to us all. I would encourage you to savor this season, but you already are.
Oh Patrick I am humblesdby your kind words…I agree fall is a great season to savor!!
Donna, I’m so sorry for being late with my post, but ts up now at: http://www.thegardeningblog.co.za/gardening/seasonal-celebrations/
No problem. I was able to add you quickly…so glad you could join us for your spring celebration!
Lovely words on autumn – your writing is so enjoyable! And I shall take a look at these blogs too. Thanks!
How wonderful Cathy…hope you enjoy these other bloggers!!
I used to read you blog regularly, I’m sorry I ever stopped! Now I remember what got me captivated in the first place.
Great to know..thanks!
Fall came so early this year, although the trees have yet to color. Glad the weather is treating your area more favorably. One thing I noticed is hoards of Monarchs in the last few days, all traveling south and west. I never noticed that before. Your musings are wonderful as always to welcome in Fall. It is also nice that you list others that are welcoming Fall as well.
I love the differences in our areas even though we are not too far away…monarchs have flown early this year which is too bad….no great hordes here with our drought I fear…but we had a couple of inches of rain and the cooler temps have revived the garden…lots of color already here on the trees…almost like the foliage you would see int he mountains. Glad you enjoyed the post!!
Wow, these are really interesting. I haven’t put these meme yet in my head so I haven’t joined. Even if we only have two seasons, there are also differences which gardeners of four seasons might be interested to see. I ejoyed most especially Karin’s photo which prominently conveys the cold.
Oh Andrea I would love for you to join in each season!! So much going on in your gardens…so glad you found the post interesting.
I always feel reinvigorated in Fall too! I joined your Seasonal Celebration for the first time–Sorry I’m late.
No problem. I squeezed you right in…I have it down to a quick science so you are all set. I am so glad you decided to join!!
Happy autumn, Donna! Thanks for a great post and for the collaboration! I’ll be posting the Lessons Learned group tomorrow. Cheers!
Beth it seems the seasons approach faster than I know…I do love marking these times…great Lessons Learned post!
Donna, I think that quote by Robert Finch captures why I love autumn in the garden – the relationship between garden and gardener is less intense and the garden seems less needy. Happy Autumn.
Exactly Debbie…I don’t worry about the veg beds and I give up obsessing about the lack of rain as I know it will be raining more and more in fall…
Hi Donna, your words and pics about autumn made me think that there is a similarity between autumn and spring. Both are times of change, often seen as preceding or succeeding other seasons when they are quite perfect in their own right. I just adore the golden glow in the top photo. Lovely and generous idea to feature other bloggers.
Thank you Catmint…I love knowing how others celebrate the seasons and their thoughts…that top picture was early morning in the meadow…it was a perfect time to capture it!
We are experiencing the beginning of autumn here as well. It is a time for reflections and a time to tidy up affairs.
Mary I like the idea of tidying up affairs in the garden…exactly what I do each fall..then I clutter clean the house inside during winter…
Hope to join you on the next circuit, I have been in the garden, rather than in the blog. Our garden is full of flowers, lush and green, with more grey clouds promising rain.
I completely understand. I will be very busy at work and in the garden as the weekends will be ending soon when I can garden. I will have my next Dozen for Diana plant post on Monday!
Hi Donna,
Ah, pleased to see you’re enjoying the arrival of autumn… Can’t say I feel the same way here but at least there’s some reprive from the terrible temperatures you’ve been experiencing.
Yesterday the weather was awful, heavy rain almost all day. Last night it had cleared and was cold… Almost frost cold – cold dew on the plants and condensation on our windows. Today is lovely sun, but barely reaching 15C. I do however have a few butterflies around enjoying the Asters, Rudbeckias and Erysimum. And I’ve been out planting yet more bulbs; almost finished now… Can’t complain really. OK, so I’d like it to be a few degrees warmer and then I wouldn’t complain! 😀
Oh my Liz not at all the weather I know you had been wanting…I will be planting bulbs next month but right now is perfect for planting plants and moving plants…the work is never done until the ground freezes….
Lovely sentiments, Donna. So glad it is finally cooling down for you. I do love the glow of Autumn.
I love your version of moving into Autumn. It seems that here everything is so exhausted from the constant and unrelenting heat, and lack of water. But now it’s finally getting a deep breath back, and starting to revive.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Jen it is wonderful when the garden can breath gain, get some needed reinvigoration and store all its energy for winter…so glad you enjoyed the seasonal post!
I used to feel the same as you about fall, brisk air, cooler temps, etc….but here in the south it is a time to plant. I find I am busier in the garden now than I was in the spring. We do still need to mulch…now that it isn’t boiling hot, should get that done. I still love fall with all the red colors as leaves start changing color.
Janet I also find I do the most work in fall but I feel less stressed about it…although the time is growing short for getting things done up here…
Lovely post and I enjoyed seeing what others are doing. I feel sad in the fall. I love the cooler weather, but I know what is to come. Nice that you got some rain as did we..such a shame that we didn’t get it sooner…Michelle
It is hard not to feel sad in the fall especially as the critters leave and the gardens will soon be completely dormant with winter coming.
A wonderful and wistful post, Donna….which is how I feel when autumn arrives. Like you, I am calmed by the slowing of things. And, of course, the cooler weather is wonderful. Thank you, again, for hosting this lovely meme. I really enjoy it.
Thank you Michelle. I look forward to your posts and especially those that celebrate the seasons! 🙂
Donna, I meant to link my equinox celebration post here, but I completely spaced out on it. I, too, love the change of air that arrives with fall.
Oh Jean I will add your link to the post…not a problem…hoping to build my Seasonal Celebrations page this winter…I loved your post.