What is it about fall that stirs our imagination? On Pinterest, the boards displaying the best of autumnal blessings are lighting up like candles. I have two myself, Falling for Fall and Harvest Time, and I may add more as the season progresses.
From what I see, four themes dominate the natural Pinterest boards: fall, All Hallows Eve, Christmas and spring. There must be a reason. The two holidays make sense. The word holiday is derived from “holy days,” and these holidays are the biggest in the American calendar, although not the biggest in the liturgical calendar. Easter is king there.
Feelings about spring and fall are more transient, but these seasons grab at our heart strings as well. I think it’s their transience that makes them so appealing Both appear on the scene in a kind of awakening. Like a toddler, spring begins its progression in a series of fits and starts, forward marches and fall-back positions. Warm weather and sunny skies mix in the central south with devastating late freezes. Throughout spring, we rejoice and collectively hold our breath until late April arrives, and then, suddenly it’s summer.
I don’t even want to talk about summer.
Fall is different. It is a slow and beautiful dying, like a gorgeous woman emitting her last sighs. Days grow progressively shorter, and although September and October are still warm, you begin to wake in darkness, and suddenly you know it is the slow descent into winter. If summer has been harsh, you swear you don’t mind . . . but in that small place in your heart, you feel a little twinge. If the summer has been a mild one, you regret winter’s arrival even more.
When I started this blog five years ago in early October, I wrote about summer’s last bouquet. That November I pondered fall’s color palette and rejoiced in its beauty. This autumn, as rain slowly falls outside my kitchen window, I remain grateful and full of wonder. It is a celebration of the end of things, along with a bit of melancholy at the start of others. We never know what kind of winter we will have, and I always wonder if spring will ever come again–even though I know it must.
Enjoy this fleeting season. Get outside, walk the parks, or garden in your own space. Visit a local nursery, and buy something that heralds the season like an aster, mum or pumpkins. Plant so that your garden will culminate in its most beautiful expression in autumn, and you’ll rejoice at summer’s end too.
What a lovely post Dee. I love the autumn and always have. It heralds my going from a gardener to a bird photographer and I’m finally able to lure myself to the studio and get some painting done…
Thank you so much Deanne. I love how you spoke of your transition from gardener to bird photographer. A lovely transition from fall to winter don’t you think?
A beautiful post, Dee. I love all your photos, but especially the last one. The gate just beckons you to walk into the wooded area beyond.
I love fall, too, almost as much as spring. The milder temperatures of these two seasons and the beautiful colors of both seem to re-energize me. If only they lasted longer!
Thank you Rose. I see that view so often I forget about the walk. I think I’ll take it this afternoon and wish you were beside me. We could talk of many things.
Drop dead gorgeous, Dee. I especially love the green hydrangeas flanking your gate there… So pretty.
My Pinterest boards show everything you mentioned plus a million or so luscious desserts. Plus workouts to counter act those desserts.
Blessings to you and yours this autumn!! Hopefully I’ll get to see you!
xoxoxo
Thank you Marie. I love ‘Annabelle’ hydrangeas. I plan to put them in other places too. Such a great plant that gives so much while asking for so little. I’d love to see you too. I’m swamped for a couple of weeks though with work, a good thing.
Dee I always see most introspective in spring and fall…I do enjoy gardening in these 2 seasons. Enjoy your garden and happy anniversary!
Donna, they are my favorite seasons too with fall being the best. Thank you for remembering my anniversary. Hard to believe I’ve been blogging five years.
Much of what I planted in my garden ended up having the most gorgeous reds in its fall foliage. I am a sucker for the bright bold reds that Oakleaf Hydrangeas and Iteas. Love fall.
Dear Queen, I second your choices. I love the reds and purples that turn red in fall. Yellow is lovely too. I’ve planted two new oakleaf hydrangeas. I hope they like their new home.
Dee: I couldn’t figure out why you weren’t showing up in my Blotanical list, and then I noticed the Feedburner note. So, even though you’ve been one of my favorites for months I haven’t stopped by for a while because of the Blotanical glitch. Sorry about that! Autumn is in full swing here in southern Wisconsin. I believe we are at the peak of color right now and the weather is perfect. Your description of the season is spot-on!
Oh thank you. Happy to know why. Well, I tried to fix the Blotanical glitch, and unfortunately I had no luck so I gave up which makes me a bit sad. Blotanical was one of my first places to meet other gardening bloggers. Thanks for coming back.
Is this your blogiversary, Dee? If not, it must be coming up soon! Congratulations.
I do like a good crescendo right near the end, which is what fall is here. I do enjoy this season, too. Thanks for sharing views of your fall with us.
We’re starting to see some fall color here, and I hope we have a more colorful fall than we have the past 3 years. Brilliant fall colors are so beautiful.
Love your view of the garden gate with the two hydrangeas on each side.
Oh yes, they are. Some falls our colors aren’t as vibrant either. I’ve read we need a cold snap followed by warm days. My fingers are crossed for just that.
Your words are romantic poetry, Dee, a beautiful dying, indeed. Fall is long and glorious for us, thank goodness, with the twinge not coming for many weeks. The change from daylight saving time to standard time will bring the darkness here with a crashing thud. Until then, the skies are more blue, the air is more fresh and the foliage intensity is turned to high blast. Yummmmmm…..
Your words are beautiful too in that comment Frances. It’s easy to be poetic about fall isn’t it?
I find autumn sad…I have always loved summer best. But you are right…it can be so beautiful in the fall!
Leslie, my Grandma Nita also found fall sad. I understand why. I think it’s our hot summers that make me so glad. Probably the color too.
Me, too, Dee. It might be my favorite season, but, it could be that after the summers we’ve been having that I am relieved, no, it’s more like thrilled to have the cooler days and vivid autumn colors. Which ever…I am happy to welcome fall. xo
Me too honey, me too.
You are oh so right Dee. I am lovin’ this autumn weather. Rain, cooler temps. Flowers putting on the last hurrah. No stress. Aaahhhh. I am looking forward to fall, winter and all it has to bring. Especially the hours to sit and contemplate the garden rather than working in it or worrying about watering.
I’m so grateful it’s not so hot, and watering, ugh . . . I am sick of watering. I can’t wait to ponder the garden with you this winter by the fire. 🙂