The Last Days of Fall

We've been enjoying the last days of Fall. It's been unseasonably warm for this time of the year!


There's been time for one last Fall walk in the woods...soon the carpet of leaves will be covered in white and Hooper Run will be iced over.

The Burning Bush is ablaze with color ~

The squirrels have been busy gathering walnuts for winter. This little guy was posing so nice for me!








One of the shrubs that I can count on to add a lot of color to the gardens this time of the year is the Barberry.

The deer have been out in the field enjoying the nice weather too. This doe was busy munching some grass in the field. It almost looks like she has a toothpick in her mouth.

Winter will soon be arriving with it's own special beauty...

Minnow Bucket of Mums ~

I've been absent on here for quite awhile...I've had problems with not being able to post photos on Blogger for the past couple months. I'd reported it but I've just been so busy with real life lately that I didn't have much time to deal with it. 


I'm happy that it finally seems to be working now! I'm behind on posting photos of what's been happening in my gardens the last couple months ~ like these sunny Mums that added a lot of fall color to my porch.

 When I saw these I knew they were the perfect color for the minnow bucket that I'd envisioned planted with Mums.

I love the graphics on the old minnow bucket...complete with a cute little fish!

Goldenrod

The fields are ablaze with yellow when the goldenrod is in bloom. I recently spent a morning walking through the fields cutting several bundles of them. Their tall sturdy stems fit very nicely in this vase.  I loved the patina on this metal vase which I found at a yard sale. I paid one dollar for the vase and the flowers were free so it was a very economical arrangement!

I also placed some in one of my old watering cans for a more casual look. I love using whatever nature provides to decorate with....it always feels so much more authentic and real to me!

Fawns In The Field

Every evening right before dusk the deer come up out of the woods into the field beside our house. We enjoy sitting on the porch watching them. Free entertainment from nature!

This summer there's one single and two sets of fawns that we've been watching in the field. They're so playful and adorable!

I'm getting a little better at sneaking up on them to take pictures. I was hiding behind a tree at the edge of the field taking photos when this fawn heard me. He turned his head and looked right at me.  

They feed for awhile and the fawns playfully run around the field. It's been so much fun watching the fawns as they grow. Finally they wander back down into the woods.

Volunteers are Welcome

Volunteer plants are always welcome in my gardens! I enjoy the surprise of seeing where they'll pop up. I actually think their random placement gives a more natural look to the flower beds.


My gardens aren't perfect & orderly by any means. Usually at some point in summer, life gets very busy & they sort of get ahead of me. I keep telling myself as I get older that I need to downsize my gardens ...but then I find some wonderful new flower that I just have to add to the beds!

This surprise sunflower came from the birdseed that I'd put out for the birds over winter...and now the butterflies are enjoying it!

Morning Glories seem to have a mind of their own...popping up where ever they fancy to! They appeared right outside the little porch on my potting shed & vined up around the column. I loved being greeted by them every time I entered the potting shed.

Coffee, Tea or Peony!

 

 

 

 

I love the beautiful lush flowers of the Peony. Their bloom time is so brief but I can't imagine my gardens without them. Peonies have a wonderful sweet scent that drifts throughout the garden. After several days of bad storms, it was so disheartening to look out and see all of the Peonies laying on the ground! I was happy that I was able to salvage enough to make two bouquets though. The blooms aren't as perfect as they were prior to the storms but still very pretty! These beauties look great in any type of vase....whether it's a simple, casual container like my old enamelware coffee pot or a more elegant container like my old silver teapot.

 

 

 

 

 
I collect old enamelware and have it displayed in my home and potting shed. This old enamelware coffee pot is one of my favorite pieces!

Someone once asked me why I had a silver tea set in my potting shed.....this is why! I love how roses, peonies and succulents look in silver pieces. The tea set was in a box of goodies I bought at an auction. As soon as I saw it I knew what I would use it for!

 

A few sprigs of Lady's Mantle fill the old enamelware coffee cups....

An old blue bottle holds a Peony blossom and two buds...

Mother Nature's Artistry

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Nobody paints a picture prettier than Mother Nature! We got to enjoy this beautiful sky from our porch last night ~