Mid October and I have clems blooming. They bloomed in May, were glorious in June, then just like other summer bloomers, they died down. I cut them back and here they are again. Mid October. What are they thinking?
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When I first glanced through my kitchen window and saw it through the raindrops, I thought it might be a sleeping cardinal, glistening through the dark green of the magnolia tree. It was a really rainy day for the birds to be flitting around, though, and the odd thing about this vision in red was that it didn't move.
I had to take Sunshine out for her early morning walk anyway, so I grabbed my camera as I walked out into the drizzle. Gloomy day, a really dark and gloomy day. By the time I got Sunshine on her cable, grabbed the camera out of my pocket and turned to look at the mysterious red thing, I was sure it had flown away, but no, there it was, sitting on the limb of the magnolia, a seed pod. I tell you what, it's just about the only color in my yard right now. Green, lots of green, but I was really glad to see the red seed pod. Funny that I first thought it was a sleeping cardinal.
I turned and glimpsed another bit of red, but I knew exactly what it was, the old hibiscus, Rose Mallow, standing tall in the corner of the upper garden, right beside the last blooms of the butterfly bush. One of them needs to be moved before next summer. I haven't decided yet which one it will be.
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Nice seeing the black seed pods on the redbud tree, nice contrast to the green shades in the foliage. And though a reddish brown, the seed pods on the mimosa are pretty with that delicate foliage, too. Everything is dripping wet, and by this time, so am I.
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The daylily foliage is still green, but slowing down now with brown and yellow tones creeping in. It's awhile before we get frost, if I cut them back now, they'll just grow right back again. I think I might save that chore for last.
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Seed pods are everywhere, the critters should be happy this winter if I leave only a few of them. Wisteria, Golden Raintree, Yucca, Redbud, Mimosa - I have no idea what eats yucca seeds, but surely something.
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"What matters most," she said, "is th' moon. Ya only git two days an' two nights, with maybe a little bit more. But it's th'xtra light time given to you to get yore Fall Harvest in.
What matters most is th' moon. Don't cut no fence posts when th' moon's on its way to full, 'cause then th' sap's risin' an' them posts, they'll be full of moisture. When they dry out, they'll crack an' shrink, losin' water like that.
An' don't cut no wood then either, the wood to build yore house, 'cause same thing. Th' wood's full of wet when the moon's on the rise to full, an' when it dries out, the wood'll splinter an' th' house will fall.
But it's all right for the cook stove, long as it's dried out. Splinterin' wood don't matter none for the cook stove. Splinterin' wood just matters when it's carryin' weight.
So watch the moon.
The moon's what matters most."
--long ago advice from Aunt Bett.
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Such a beautiful day and it doesn't matter that the hibiscus and the butterfly bush are both high above me, the sky is a sight to see. Hummingbirds and bees are everywhere; tangling in my hair so I couldn't linger, but oh so beautiful.
And notice - the cottonwood tree behind the blooms is turning to gold. It won't be long now, Fall . . .
I've been waiting 2 years for my goldenrod to reappear. The drought happened last year but the goldenrod didn't. I was truly afraid it was gone forever. I even allowed the 'upon the hill daylily garden' to fill up with trash weeds -- bindweed and maple and redbud seedlings -- afraid if I started yanking weeds, I'd uproot the goldenrod and lose it again. Even the asparagus fern looks matted and ratty, but it's also supporting the long goldenrod stalks, along with the help of too much bindweed. The birds planted the goldenrod in that spot years ago and until last year, it bloomed every September for what seems like forever. This year I was taking no chances, so I've waited all summer for the goldenrod to bloom, never once weeding that garden after the daylilies finished their blooming.
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Nature does interesting things, and mostly I just let them happen, but wisteria blooming with sedum is a little unusual. If you enlarge the center photo below, it will better show you what I mean. Bumblebees and butterflies seem happy with the combo.
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I'm guessing my neighbors are going to be really happy now that I can finally get rid of the weeds growing around the goldenrod in that huge daylily bed. But they probably think my goldenrod is a weed, too.
