"Best I love September's yellow,
Morns of dew-strung gossamer,
Thoughtful days without a stir,
Rooky clamours, brazen leaves,
Stubble dotted o'er with sheaves -
More than Spring's bright uncontrol
Suit the Autumn of my soul."
~ Alex. Smith ~
The month of September brings the autumnal equinox on
Tuesday the 22nd - the official date of the new season.
Usually though we think of the first day of September as
being the arrival of Autumn.
The garden is changing rapidly now. After the horrendous rains here on Monday night - we were pounded and flooded with 6 inches - things are looking different.
To top it all off we are now in a heatwave with the heat index temperature reaching 105F yesterday, higher today with as much as 110F of heavy, moist air making any outdoor work or activity not only miserable but very dangerous!
Sadly, no Horse chestnut trees growing here but I do still have one
copper-hued conker brought back from England many years ago!
I like to hold it, roll it in my hand and and reminisce about my
childhood Autumn days.
We spent a little time outside yesterday, early morning, Bob doing storm
damage cleanup, me digging out the amaryllis bulbs and deadheading the
now brown and dry blooms from the hydrangeas.
This is my first try at keeping my winter blooming bulbs through spring and
summer in hopes I can force them back into bloom around the holiday season.
I had planted the 4 large bulbs into the garden in May (see their beautiful
leaves above), and one pleasantly surprised me with a baby!
They now have to remain in a cool place until their re-potting in November.
As cool places are hard to find at present - the potting shed is like an oven -
I've put them in a box and keeping them in the air conditioned house -
just hoping there are no bugs creeping around of course!
Speaking of creeping creatures, while working on the two large hydrangeas
bushes in front of the porch, a sudden movement startled me and Charlie
gecko appeared clinging to a stem. He seems to live in this area of the
garden where I have placed a large shallow dish which I keep filled with
water. . . . initially for the bees but perhaps also a good watering place for
Charlie (who could be Charlene as I did see a very tiny gecko around also
this summer!).
Last, but never least, another visitor was on the porch this morning, drinking from the fountain and peering in the dining room window with the usual sparkle in his/her eye. . . . . . and I'm sure awaiting a tip top acorn season ahead!!!
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Good afternoon dear Mary, it looks as if you are keeping yourself busy with garden, "pets" and life. Stay cool my friend, it is HOT here too and I am so over it. I was some FALL! I love the image of the chestnut, is that a watercolor? It is lovely. I collect chestnuts from places that I travel and have a bunch of them from Falls that I have spent in PAris. Have a wonderful weekend
ReplyDeleteWhat a dear little chap Charlie gecko is, and all dressed up in such a lovely shade of pistachio green.
ReplyDeleteUnlike you, Autumn for me hasn't arrive yet, I wont accept that it has until the leaves turn golden in October.
I love your image of the chestnut leaves - we have a huge one in the garden, but unfortunately there are very few children around us to play with their conkers. However, Mr. Squirrel is now very busy collecting them and planting them all around the garden. Next year we shall discover lots of little chestnut trees popping up in the garden. Squirrels have a very strange urge and compulsion to do this, but they cannot eat them as they are toxic.
Mary, I'm sure your little yard friends feel secure and comfortable in the habitat you are providing. The gecko is adorable. Autumn is my favorite season. I am observing all the little signs that it's coming. Each day gives a new sign here in western Pennsylvania. I'm thinking about making pumpkin steel cut oatmeal in my little crockpot this weekend. Then next it will be lighting a fall scented candle. Oh, autumn is such cozy time of year.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you did a great job with the amaryllis! Stay cool!
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine such heat and humidity. I think I'd wilt. Your amaryllis experiment sounds interesting and I hope it works out. When horse chestnuts begin to fall I collect a handful of them and put them in a bowl - they are so shiny and pretty.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing more miserable to me than humidity. It makes me keep the a/c on constantly. Good for you and Bob getting out in to the garden. I've thought of growing dahlia's but I know they also have to be dug up and stored. Maybe...
ReplyDeleteYour little gecko, as cute as can be, and the baby squirrel is precious. I'll take baby anything, nothing too large or scary!
You and Bob please take a good long break indoors, drapes closed and a cool beverage in hand. We do the same!😘
Love and hugs to you both!
Jane
Your gecko is beautiful, we don't see creatures like this except on foreign holidays - squirrels a plenty though. I love picking up conkers, we have quite a few trees around here although they all have a disease which discolours the leaves and has become a problem throughout the uk, the conkers look good though. Glad the floods didn't reach into your house.
ReplyDeleteOh my, I sure wish I could send you some of the much cooler temperatures we have had here since last weekend - cool enough for me to put the heating on early mornings in the bathroom!
ReplyDeleteIt won't take long now for the first conkers to fall to the ground, I guess. My hometown is famous for its many chestnut trees, lining some of our main roads and featuring prominently in the deer park and palace grounds, on school playgrounds and elsewhere.
Those are NOT autumn temperatures! The squirrels here seem to be very active at the moment too and one came right up to my back door only yesterday - it would have probably come right inside too if I hadn't moved at just the wrong moment.
ReplyDeleteWow, you got a lot of rain! It has been so dry here, we are in desperate need of rain. We haven't had to mow in a month! The grass is brown and brittle. Looks like it'll be pretty rainy next week here, but that's typical come September. Wish I could send you some cooler temps. It's 77 here today with a cool breeze. Absolutely perfect. However, I know it's all relative as come winter when it's bitter cold here and you're having mild temps, I'll wish I could switch with you then!
ReplyDeleteWe have tons of squirrels (and chipmunks) here. They are all over the place lately, very busy with gathering...whatever it is they gather and digging in my potted plants!
Have a good weekend.
Just finished reading A Whole Life; an outstanding novel. Thank you so much for the recommendation.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of autumn arriving until at least October. September is the month in which we often get our hottest weather. Right now the heat wave has hit while the wildfire smoke is still lying in a brown layer, making it very primitively oven-ish.
ReplyDeleteBut normally we don't get the humidity you do. Weather and climate are endlessly fascinating as the most fundamental environment we live in, changing constantly... though if one is swimming in floodwaters or languishing on a sultry day, the word "fascinating" doesn't immediately present itself!