“For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.” ~Edwin Way Teale
As I sit here with the windows thrown open throughout the house, I am revived once again with the start of autumn. All my senses seem to rush at me. The cool wind making my body come alive. The fresh air throwing new scents my way…..not so new maybe, but sending memories of autumns that have come before this one. When was that? I can’t recall, but the sensations it conjures up are pleasant still.
And the landscape now is mellower. Yellow and brown. A bit of orange here and there…and oh those reds, on the foliage throughout, really bring about such joy as they blaze in the sun. The skies have a more melancholy gray to them as I sit and think about my life….as a child, then before retirement when I was teaching in this season of autumn….and now as I am in the autumn of my life.
The gray hairs more numerous than I want to admit. The fine wrinkles and laugh lines more pronounced. And those aches that seem to pop up with just a small twist….they linger longer too.
It is hard for me not to have a few tears in autumn as it feels like a time of grieving as well as a time of rejoicing. But I choose to keep the pleasant thoughts front and center, in this new season of change. Here it is a dramatic change as the weather shifts constantly, hot one day and cold the next with stinging rain. And as the months move along, the intensity of the change becomes more pronounced.
While I hope to get some gardening done, I am not rushing about. I will get to those ‘must do’ chores first, and plan for next season to tackle the bigger ones. As I said with my autumn mantra,
“I take my cues from nature, and connect on a deep level to nature at this time. If my health and body allow me, I plan to do some much needed work in the garden with my hands deep in the soil. Spend more time outdoors soaking up the sun and misty rain. To sit in the declining garden and let it penetrate into every pore and through each of my senses.”
And I promised some field trips. Those have already started and I will bring my experiences from those trips to both my blogs in the coming months…..the first one will be on my other blog, Living From Happiness, October 1st. As I celebrate this change of seasons, I am joined by several bloggers who are sharing their seasonal celebrations.
Let’s begin on the east coast of the United States……
Our first stop is in New England. A magnificent spot to watch autumn in all its glory. We’ll head first to Maine and visit with Jean@Jean’s Garden. Jean has a wonderful way of viewing the seasons. And as she says, we are now in the season of blue and gold.
“…the colors of fall are blue and gold. For me, these colors represent the vibrant blue of an October sky and the golden hues of fall foliage…
I can find something to love about every season, but fall has always been my favorite. I don’t love heat, so the cooler temperatures of autumn are something I look forward to. And classic New England fall weather is sunny and crisp – a great time for working in the garden. I also love the vibrant colors of the leaves on our deciduous trees in fall.”
Well, I had never considered autumn to be blue and gold, but as you can see in the above picture, indeed it is. I look forward to drinking in each crisp, sunny day this fall. Thanks Jean for such a vivid image of fall.
Next, we are stopping in Massachusetts to see Kara@a spirit of simplicity. On the autumnal equinox, she is sharing some very spiritual thoughts and prayers to the father of light:
“I thank you for the blessings that Autumn brings….the peacefulness of the lowering light, the calmness of longer shadows, the lessons of looking inward and calling close those that I love”
As we move on, we are going south, a little down the eastern seaboard, then inland to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. I love spending fall with Pam@Pam’s English Cottage Garden. Fall means that Pam has been to her county fair where she has entered many exhibits in the fair. I wish we had a county fair here. Instead we have the State Fair, and that is too daunting for me to ever want to submit an exhibit. But as Pam says:
“I learned a lot this year. I learned to trust Mother Nature: having spent an inordinate amount of time fussing with fresh flower arrangements for my floor and shelf displays (that took second place ribbons) my simple, three-stem exhibit of nasturtium earned Best of Show — the first time I won this prestigious award!”
Sometimes we just have to trust ourselves. So maybe someday I may enter something in our State Fair….or maybe I will just come and visit you at your fair Pam!
So let’s move down the east cost a bit further to North Carolina to visit Debby@My Favorite Things. As Debby watches the waning days of summer, she is realizing the positives with the coming of fall:
“…there is an up-side to all of this, without a doubt……the pyracantha bush is covered with lovely orange and green-ish berries……the fields are alive with a whole different crop of lovely wildflowers……the sun filtering through the woods captures the glorious brilliance of the turning leaves……and everything is as it should be….”
I couldn’t agree more Debby as there is still so much beauty around us as summer ends and autumn comes knocking.
Let’s move to the midwest now as we stop in Illinois to 
see Jason@gardeninacity. As Jason asks, ‘Should we bid farewell to summer?’ Certainly not as he says:
“Summer in the garden is temporary, but it does not exist in isolation. The glory of each summer is built on plant growth and gardeners’ work from summers, springs, and autumns past. So let your autumn and winter be filled with dreams and plans for a brilliant summer to come.”
And how right you are Jason. Without the hard work in all seasons, our gardens would not exist. And autumn has so much to give us…especially the plans and dreams for next summer. I for one will be doing lots of both; planning and dreaming this autumn and winter.
Staying in the midwest, we’ll stop in to see Beth@PlantPostings in Wisconsin. Beth is taking us along to see her season of goodbyes and surprises:
“If you live in a place that changes with the seasons, you know the tug of realizing–at some point each autumn–you’ve probably seen the last [fill-in-the-blank] of the year until next spring. Migratory species leave; perennials dry up and go dormant; the picture-perfect, carefree, comfortable days are numbered.
But if you’re like me, you occasionally experience a surprise, or two, or three … or more.”
Yes indeed, Beth. Especially in the northeast and midwest, where we have such a stunning fall season, each day seems to bring along colorful surprises…the best part of autumn!
As we head further west, we’ll stop in the Pacific Northwest to see Hannah@Weeding On The Wild 
Side. She is celebrating fall by picking fall flowers to bring inside.
“To celebrate the beginning of Autumn, I found some flowers that make me think of summer’s end and approach of fall. I wish to hang on to the roses and bright blooms of summer while the flowers that like the cooler weather of autumn are beginning to burst on the scene.”
I also love to pick flowers of the season and bring them indoors. Trying to hang on to those flower memories is so important now. And roses seem to love fall up until that first hard frost.
And staying in the Pacific Northwest, we’ll stop in Oregon and visit [email protected]. I love my visits to Susan’s neck of the woods, and I would love to visit Oregon someday. Susan has another wonderful story to share as the seasons change, and she says goodbye to summer.
“Nature holds all the cards and doles out the seasons….
I’m standing stock still, barefooted, in the grass, and thanking summer. Because my life is changing in slow motion and I don’t know what tomorrow will hold for me and those people I love.”
I also love to walk about my garden barefoot…feel the grass between my toes, and give homage to the trees and plants and critters. To feel grounded to the earth. I agree Susan, it is an amazing feeling of deep gratitude.
Next let’s move north up the west coast to British Columbia where Jen@The Light Laughed lives and
gardens. Jen used to blog at Muddy Boot Dreams until she moved and her dreams were realized. Now she plays with the light as she explores her beautiful new home. And as summer wanes and gives her the cold shoulder, Jen has an exit strategy:
“The colors in the streaming light are stunning, golden, mellow, soft, jagged edges of spring long gone. This is the time to get out with your camera, and capture the beauty around you. How can you not love a golden peach colored world, get out there and take photos.”
Oh yes, now is the time to see the beauty in the change of season and capture it. Perfect seasonal words Jen, and they certainly inspire me to keep searching for that light.
It’s time to head South….and I mean way down south of the equator to the tip of South Africa where we will find Diana@Elephant’s Eye at False Bay who is awakening to spring. As we walk with her at the Hantam Botanical Gardens, we can quickly see this is not like any usual Botanical Garden. We are out in the wild with critters, breathtaking landscapes and amazing spring wildflowers:
“When I started Elephant’s Eye in Porterville I wanted to know what our garden would have been, before the farming.”
Diana’s descriptions of this wild and beautiful spot kept me transfixed. The rich history of the land and its changes over the years influences her garden still today, as she creates her new gardens at her new home. And she in turn influences me, to learn more about the land I garden.
So there you have it. The Seasonal Celebrations for September whether it be autumn or spring, so much beauty and lovely thoughts shared by these amazing bloggers. I want to thank those who were able to take part this season, and I hope you will visit their blogs.
I love the seasonal changes, and each one brings such a unique perspective so I hope you will consider sharing your seasonal thoughts next time. I will have the next Seasonal Celebrations starting December 1st.
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In A Vase On Monday
I am sharing this wrap-up of my seasonal meme with a few other link ups. This week, I am linking with Cathy@Rambling in the Garden for her wonderful meme, In a Vase on Monday, Today’s Flowers hosted by Denise@An English Girl Rambles and Judith@Lavender Cottage who hosts Mosaic Monday.
Fall in the garden means harvest, and sunflowers. Lots of sunflowers still in the garden to pick and bring indoors to catch the waning light.
In this vase I have larger annual and smaller perennial Helianthus flowers sitting on a bed of grass seed heads.
And a few flowers harvested from the cutting beds: Tithonia, Cosmos, Zinnia, Tagetes, Sweet Alyssum, and of course a left over sunflower.
A fitting pair of autumn vases to decorate the house for the seasonal change.
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Next up on the blog:
Monday brings another garden month to close as I look back at my September garden.
I will be linking in with Michelle@Rambling Woods for her Nature Notes meme. It is a great way to see what is happening in nature around the world every Monday.
I am also joining in I Heart Macro with Laura@Shine The Divine that happens every Saturday.
All original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Gardens Eye View, 2010-2015. Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only.
Beautiful autumn photos! I love autumn colours.
Thanks Gunilla! It is the best time of year now….
Wow! You do still have beautiful sun flowers; mine are all finished now, I should so some seed later next year to keep their season going longer but then perhaps I would be tired of them if they lasted too long; to each its’ season! I love autumn, because summer takes its toll here as much as your winters do there. Autumn is hope as plants revive with the cooler weather and life giving rain arrives.
I actually cannot believe how the sunflowers are still blooming with night time lows of 40 and high only in the 50s.
I love your hope of autumn…a few flowers are reviving here too.
Hello, what a beautiful Autumn post. Lovely images, the sunflowers are my favorite. Beautiful arrangement. And what a lovely list of blogs and Autumn posts. I will have to check some of them out. Wishing you a happy day and new week ahead!
Hope you liked some of the blogs….here’s to a wonderful autumn Eileen!
Beautiful post, Donna! Autumn is indeed a very special season. Even the cloudy days look sunny when the leaves are so bright yellow and orange – just like the gorgeous flowers in your vases!
The links look very interesting. Some of the blogs are already familiar and I know they are lovely.
Happy Autumn!
Thanks Sara…I agree the colors on the trees make the gray go away!
Perhaps those few autumn tears can be cathartic. Fall seems to be a time to notice and take stock of not just the garden, but life itself. Hope the cheery sunflowers brighten your day.
They have Susie!
Your vase makes a lovely fall arrangement and mosaic! I adore fall. When things reap and sow and start to renew. My time year! Have a lovely week.
I love those sentiments of reap, sow and renew!
Great ideas for fall flower arrangements, thanks, Donna!
You are most welcome Anca!
What beautiful arrangements you have made, Donna! And thanks for your thoughtful discussion of the coming of Autumn — we can use a reminder that winter isn’t the worst, and is necessary for spring to come. Thanks too for the look at the other blogs’ autumn posts.
-Beth
Glad you enjoyed my autumnal thoughts Beth!
Those ethereal grass seedheads make a wonderful foil to the intensity of the sunflowers.
In False Bay I only need to walk past a few houses to reach the edge of the mountain slope, and see what grew here, before the houses.
That is wonderful Diana to be so close to the land as it was!
Thanks for sharing all those seasonal celebrations, Donna – such a joy to read – and of course your sunflowers were a joy to behold. Thanks you so much for this post
I am so glad you really liked it Cathy!
I enjoy the comments almost as much as I enjoy and deeply appreciate everyones feelings and interests as we move into Autumn. I can see that I am not alone in feeling the occasional melancholy and allowing it to deepen my understanding of life. Like Diana, I just need to walk a few paces to be in a forest, and that is a great gift. May everyone have a rich and contented fall with the fragrance of pumpkin bread in the oven, the birds flocking to your sunflowers and rudbeckia, and the renewal of our gardens! Everything needs a deep rest. Blessings and thank you for this great post Donna!
I agree the comments are wonderful and one of the main reasons i love blogging….here’s to all those lovely thoughts of fall.
Lovely post Donna……..your sunflowers are gorgeous.
This is such an interesting time of year and it passes all to quickly.
Happy Monday!
Absolutely so savor each colorful moment.
Beautiful and pretty flowers.
Many thanks Rajesh!
All of your seasonal celebration inclusions are so interesting, Donna, that was an inspired topic. Thanks for including me. I like your sunflower vase, so pretty with the fine grass seed heads. I’m really interested in growing a lot of sunflowers next year, they have been a neglected flower for me. The little vase is cute with all the different colors of summer to fall flowers, and the tiny pumpkins are darling. I took last fall very hard, but this last summer was such a struggle with the drought and heat, that I’m much more at peace with it, though I hope the weather continues nice for quite a while so I can keep picking beans.;-P
I agree Hannah…I am still picking beans and hope they keep going even through the cold.
My sunflowers are gone so it’s a joy to see yours, Donna. Although the days are becoming shorter, that’s the only sign of fall here in SoCal. It’s still hot and dry and summer seems firmly entrenched. I love fall and anxiously await that cool wind you spoke of at the top of your post.
Wishing you that cool wind and some rain!
You’re really right Donna saying :Without the hard work in all seasons, our gardens would not exist. Just in winter shoveling snow I think about the flowers that are under it and wait for warm days.
Happy October!
That’s right Nadezda…the snow is necessary for the flowers in spring.
Autumn seems to bring out the poetic side of contributors to your meme. How generous of you to include excerpts from each of their posts. With that introduction, I’m sure they will enjoy new connections. I know I plan to check them out. Like Diana, I appreciate the contrast of the airy seedheads with the substantial sunflowers: good job!
Thanks for your lovely comment ricki…I love reading their wonderful posts and then choosing just the right words….so glad you enjoyed the wrap up.
What an enjoyable post Donna. Your sunflowers are still looking fabulous! Enjoy the season. 🙂
It is amazing how much cold and wind they can take and still keep blooming.
Lovely autumn photos Donna, thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday.
Thanks so much Judith!
Always a pleasure to visit Donna. Another marvelous post 🙂
Thanks Denise.
So nice to read through other gardeners’ views of the seasonal changes that are occurring in their gardens. Everyone’s heart is touched by nature.
Your vase of sunflowers tells me that summer is not totally gone yet! I like the grassy seed heads as filler, it gives a meadowy feel to the vase.
So kind of you to say so eliza….the sunflowers are keeping me warmer even with our cold snap of late.
Everyone did a great job participating, beautiful photos and blogs. Maybe next seasonal celebration, Donna ~ just didn’t have the time to put something together to share. Our home keeps us so busy!
Oh I would love to have you link up whenever you can Loredana!
I loved reading your seasonal celebrations for Autumn Donna. You really do encourage me to slow down and enjoy the present. At last Autumn is here and it’s proving to be a fine and mellow end to September here in my south eastern corner of the UK. We have had five lovely days with more to come this week. Your sunflowers are simply gorgeous.
Oh that makes me happy and I am glad your autumn is starting off so lovely!
I enjoyed this posting enormously, Donna. Thank you for including me! I would love it if you visited me at Fair time — or any other time! P. x
I really hope that can happen soon Pam!
I get rather wistful seeing shots like your first one. I love autumn colors but seeing summer end is a reminder of winter to come!
I hope you’ll come link up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/09/shake-those-tail-feathers.html
Yes, it is a bit melancholy in autumn as we know winter is coming next.
Wow this is certainly a Monday feast and i really love those bold sunflowers
have a good week
much love…
Thanks so much gillena!
glorious sunflowers – mine are all over now. I love the addition of the two pumpkins – a very seasonal image.
Thanks Ann…I am so pleased my sunflowers keep going…amazing really.
I wish I knew that you were doing seasonal celebration. I wrote my blog post, after again another long hiatus, last week, and it’s about seasonal celebration (more or less). But I didn’t know about this meme and thus didn’t link. Okay,perhaps the one in December. What a beautiful post. I hope I will meet you one day face to face and sit and chat about all these philosophies of life.
That would be wonderful and yes link in in December! Glad you are back!
A beautiful fall! the leaves are just beginning to turn here!
Oh that must be lovely!
I used to do something similar for Nature Notes pulling in all the posts so I know how much time it takes and you do such a beautiful job..I was going to join in, but I start a post and I feel that I am not a gardener yet and not ready for a real gardening meme..I hope that makes sense…
Michelle many of the contributors are not gardeners so please join in…this is not a gardening meme but more of a nature or seasonal meme….a perfect fit for you!
What a great job you do pulling together the bit of essence from so many blogs. It really highlights the amount of excellent writing out there and helps distill some great ideas.
Your vase is great and cheery and in spite of what the season means you have kept this post wonderfully positive. I do love the first photo of the faded sunflowers best of all though, it really speaks!
Thanks so much Frank….I appreciate your kind compliments.
What a beautiful stand of Sunflowers in your garden! And your arrangement is lovely, too. Thanks for collaborating on the memes, and happy autumn!
So glad you enjoyed it all Beth!
Wow Donna, that is a wonderful tribute to the seasons through weaving lovely words and photos of your friends. I am smiling reading through them. I am imagining that there is a last paragraph saying, then we cross the world to the other side and explore the world with just two seasons very far from our own. …hahaha and reading your own words about my post of my garden! Just a joke.
I would love to have you join in again so we can cross the world to you too!
This is such a lovely post. I have been busy these past few days with the memorial services of an elderly family friend so I haven’t had a chance to visit you. Thank you for hosting this celebration. I’m off now to visit the other participators. I love your pretty autumn flowers by the way.
Oh I am so sorry for your loss…..and I am glad you could join in the celebration.
These photos are making me feel inspired to take my camera for a walk today. 🙂
I hope you have fun out and about with your camera.
I love your autumn mantra, Donna! I must repeat this to myself as I work this fall: family issues are going to mean I know I won’t get everything done I had planned, but I’m going to focus on doing what needs to be done now and not worry about the rest. Although spring is still my favorite season, I think the colors of fall make it the most beautiful season. Certainly it’s a time when a person needs to stop and just drink it all in.
Oh yes drinking it all in…my favorite part of the change in seasons. Lovely thoughts Rose.
A lovely post Donna. I love your sunflowers and the change -of -season quotes from fellow bloggers, all beautifully expressed.
I love doing these posts and the meme just to read these wonderful blogs.
As always, lovely vases of flowers! I am really enjoying the change of seasons. The weather at the end of August/first of September was so darn hot it was miserable. I am liking the cool temperatures, the lack of mosquitoes and the appearance of autumn color.
Yes it was too darn hot for too long…now it is a bit too cold….but autumn has been wonderful!
Such wonderful celebrations Donna. It is really neat that you collect them here in these posts. I enjoyed very much. If that isn’t the quintessential vase arrangement for Autumn I don’t know what is!
I know it did come together so nicely both the vase and the post…thanks KAthy!
I adore Autumn. The colours, the cool snap to the air first thing in the morning, the golden light, that smell. I love that it is a season of warm colours and fascinating transitions. Hope you find yourself with your hands in the earth soon.
Thanks Janet and you describe autumn perfectly. I am taking down the vegetable garden and heeling in the potted plants we couldn’t plant in the beds…soon garlic will be planted and the garden trimmed for winter. I have been bringing in herbs and coleus and begonias to overwinter….a garden inside for a few months.