The leaves are turning. Beautiful shades, mostly yellow and browns here because we have so many oak trees.

The ceramic pots are emptied and waiting like good soldiers to be loaded into the basement and shed. Same with the birdbaths. The cement and clay ones have had their tops flipped over and the ceramic tops and bottoms will be stored and the cement ones covered.

We haven’t had a freeze yet and it’s still warm enough that my fig trees are still growing figs and have yet to be covered. And the chili peppers in the greenhouse have flowered again, so they get to live a while longer. And my seeds are ordered for next year, and my husband ordered the tomato seeds.

Weirdness in the garden due to climate change continues. A mystery hydrangea that was once something that arrived in a flower arrangement in a 4 inch pot has bloomed again. Different camellias are starting to bloom, but for them it’s their season.

I am almost finished my wood chip pile, and the pine straw mulch I have been holding back is down. I see some pruning of miscellaneous items I need to do, and as the leaves fall they get redirected to the flower beds.

And the cannas. They are all dug up and well…I have three small to medium trugs full of tubers. I will prep them for storage today, but seriously, I had no idea how much they would grow underground!

And bulbs. This was the year I did not keep tabs on what I ordered. So bulbs get planted pretty much every day. The Asiatic and Oriental lilies are new for me as well as the impulse buy of tulips for the pots that live outside. The tulips get planted with a heavy dose of granular animal repellent.

The tulips came from a wonderful farm I found doing research. Terra Ceia Farms in North Carolina. Founded by a Dutch immigrant in 1943. Now the 3rd generation of family is on the land. They have a cut flower business as well. Their bulbs are fabulous. They were firm and blemish free. I will totally use them again.

• 

• 

The lilies came from Hartle-Gilman Gardens from Minnesota. Fabulous is an understatement. These bulbs are among the most beautiful I have ever seen! I can’t wait to see them pop up next year! Asiatic and Oriental and Trumpet lilies are new for me and the range of bulbs and colors is so awesome! It is causing me to rethink specific areas of my planting beds so I can have these fabulous lilies growing.

Daffodils are from QDaffs, Old House Gardens, PHS Daffodils and Croft 16. I have raved repeatedly about these growers. I prefer heirloom and antique cultivars, this is why I started patronizing these growers. I learned about them because of the wonderful American Daffodil Society. They are such an awesome institution. I highly recommend membership.

I have also had little mishaps this fall. Most recently is when two owl statues took a walk from a garden table. I had offered up some items on a give away page and had items staged on my front porch. Someone thought front porch meant a table in the garden. Not quite sure how they thought those carefully placed items meant help yourself, but I have asked for them to be returned.

I am also glad my arborist did the fall pruning and dead tree removal from our woods a couple of weeks ago. We had a heck of a nor’easter come through during the past couple of days. The storm is slowly blowing off but it’s still part gray with some blue skies starting to peek through. During the storm I was saying many prayers because of the dead cherry tree in my neighbor’s woods that is kind of giving me pause. But now they know how dead it is, so hopefully they will take it down shortly. I wouldn’t really care except if it comes down before he has it taken down, it will hit my gardens and possibly part of my porch because it’s rather tall. It could cause us significant damage.

This is it for me today. Fall is wonderful! It’s time for garden reflection and planning and planting. It’s also great to just take it in. Read what a new friend for 2021 has to say to the New York Times. His name is David Culp and you know how much I adore his gardens and garden advice.