Today is the Fall Equinox (9/23/2011), an Equinox occurs twice a year when the Earth’s axis is tilted neither away nor towards the Sun. In garden terms (given there are no natural disasters where you live), your garden looks good. Probably a bit tired from the Summer’s bloom, but still full and spotted with color from the remaining mild weather. Rain and cold haven’t put it to sleep quite yet, and you still have enough time to get those last Winter veggies in the ground before turkey day.
*I l o v e this time of year.
If this time of year was a man, I’d marry it. I find myself writing “Fall” over and over on my notebooks. My papers are doodled with, “Mrs. Jennifer Fall. Mrs. Jenn Fall. Mr. & Mrs. Fall.” Let’s just say if Fall was porn, I’d be subscribing to “Deciduous Studs xxx” and having a grand old time. Yep, me and Fall are getting pretty serious.
Botanically speaking, my garden is rather schizophrenic this month. On the Coast, we had a heat wave and frost in Feb, a cold summer, and the sun is just now warming up our sea-salt-soaked bones. My lavender plants have just been sheared back from their summer blooms, the annuals are filling out and flowering, but my roses, salvias and poppies are spent. Generally gazing over the whole garden, it doesn’t look bad, but not as full and flowering as was last year.
Ah well.
In my recent nursery trips, I was able to procure some fabulous black bearded iris, black calla lilies, black poppies and black pansies. As you may or may not have guessed, I’m really into planting black flowers right now. Maybe it’s my mood from the shorter days and the darkness descending, maybe it’s Halloween inspired, or maybe I just like black. Either way, it’s Fall and I’m primed for the season!
What are the Fall plans for your garden?
If fall was a man, we’d totally be fighting over him!
Since I only write about plants and don’t actually cultivate their beauty outdoors so much, I’ll have to comment on something else very autumnal in the garden: the spiders! Everywhere, seemingly suddenly, there are those bulbous yellow and black striped arachnids perched midair between the New Zealand flax and the lavender bushes. They are gorgeous and beneficial, but I have to be careful of my hair — eek!
Happy fall!
ps: can’t wait to see your black plants, especially the poppies. Will you please do a post with photos?
Yes… I’ll add some pics to the dreaded FB.
I know! I love pumpkin spiders (don’t know if that’s their real name, but us hillbillies in HMB call them that!). They are so gorgeous…
Yes, we must do beer at my house with a black flower tour in the next month or so…
I’m with ya on loving fall, but my soulmate is spring. Love the black flowered theme, do you have a black Dierama? I’ve been on a garden ripping out & rearranging rampage the past couple weeks.
No, I don’t have that one. I’ll have to check it out… Guessing it’s at Annie’s?
I’m stoked to have you, Jenn, work your black magic in my backyard this fall. Bring it baby!
Some black flowers are so gorgeous with a strike of orange, green or just simply deep maroon color that looks like almost black. This time of the year pumpkins are hot vegetables and decorations.
Autumn: it’s my favorite season indeed! The garden pretty much is in decline now and the Sarracenias are turning crispy… they are preparing for their dormancy and slumber. My garden is keeping me busy now. A lot of clean up and lopping off the dead flowers and foliage.
I love the change of season and how things are getting cooler. I especially love how the shadows are getting longer and noticing the air growing cool and crisp each passing day. During autumn, I enjoy the smoky smell of the fireplaces in my neighborhood… on cool days, I look forward to tomato soup and buttery crispy grilled cheese sandwiches. Oh, and hot chocolates and pumpkin spice lattes of course! Jenn – speaking of pumpkins, I’m lookin’ forward to picking a few out in your ‘hood next month!
I love this season!
Hey kiddo! I am kind of apprehensive this time of year. My succulents are still happy but the night time weather is getting colder and they are starting to get sleepy. Some of my winter growers like aeoniums and sempervivums are going to be waking up to grow soon. I still have some plants to pot and need to get busy before the real cold sets in. I always miss my back patio in the winter. Right now it is just covered with plants in pots in every nook and cranny of my cement area. Some under the gazebo and some not. I have to watch the weather for the first freeze and be ready to take all the potted plants into the garage for their hibernation. This year I have even more than before. So I lose my great patio and have succulents loaded in my garage to worry about.
when do you end up getting your first freeze?
I completely agree! The shadows are fabulous and inspiring this month… and even though things in the garden are slowing down, it’s nice to see the change in colors and textures. Do you have to protect the pitchers in case of frost? Or can they tolerate that?
…when you and the fam come out, give me a call. we will pumpkin shop together.
Autumn here is beautiful, although we do get hit a lot by typhoon and weird weather.
Sup Homie – nah, i just leave the plants out there and cut off the brown and dried pitchers. They go dormant in the winter and are reduced to nothing but rhizome. Some of the other plants like Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purprea (can be found all the way up through Canada) can tolerate it and are used to the cold.
Yes, mos def I will give you a call whenever we’re down there!
The weather really was quite psychotic here this year, and the gardens rather lackluster, but there is something about fall, I agree. It’s my favorite time of year too, primarily because of fall planting, and the chance to get the wrong things in the garden, right for next year! I can’t wait to hit the nurseries and get planting again. You and Katie are funny, I can just see you both scrapping over Mr. Fall LOL, too funny. I’m fickle, I like Mr. Spring too
Yes, I think Katie and I would mud wrestle for Fall.
You are so right about right-ing your wrongs in the garden…