Autumn decor

Frost has come; the leaves are turning.  It’s time to begin the seasonal clean-up in the gardens.  Happily, removing frosted annuals produces space for fall decor.  I’ve been tucking mums, some in pots and some in the ground, and pumpkins here and there among the perennials.  And, since orange is my second favorite color (green being first) I love the results.

Years ago, my father made the wooden jack o’lanterns and ghosts for me to use in a fall display at the farm.  Using them again fills me with joy and brings back lots of memories.    They just remain for a few days following Halloween and then they are stored away until next October. The rest of the fall decor will remain through Thanksgiving, and then I’ll bake the pumpkins and put out the Christmas wreath and wooden snowmen.

Peer closely and you can see my shovel leaning against the fence on the left (south) side.  I interrupted massive bulb planting to take the photos while the light was right.  Last fall, I planted 800 bulbs.  This year, I’m adding 1075!  Possibly the tulips planted last year won’t return, and I don’t want to risk not having them because they brought me so much pleasure last spring.  And, there were gaps in the bloom periods as one variety faded and others were not ready to begin.  And, the new front island beds and the two shrub islands were just added this spring, so they’ll need spring color.  I love the colors of autumn.  I love the productivity of summer.  But, most of all I love the promise of spring.  Let’s just not talk about that fourth one……