Fall? Really?

As Fall secretly slips in, it doesn't seem much like fall here at the Garden Sport. We have been waiting for her arrival, but Sister Summer lingers--sisters are like that, sometimes, aren't they? w
Wearing out their welcome trying to be helpful. It's hard to tell a sister that it's time to move on, to go home, but when she just does not know when when to quit, then it is time. Like when she turns up the thermostat and refused to turn it back down no matter how much we fuss and beg, Sister Summer has the upper hand. Here's a very good example: Record breaking heat for the end of September here in Northern Colorado, like 90 degrees+. Sweltering. Even the "D word" is being spoken out loud: Drought. We haven't had rain for days, so we are ready for a change, for cooler days, and we might even welcome Jack Frost, especially if he could encourage Sister Summer to held else where.










Still we enjoy the the last remnants of summer, especially the roses in their last flush of the season, the third bloom, and reasonably the last one.

The roses weren't quite so prolific this summer. I am not too sure why. Perhaps they reflected my own lack of energy. In May routine blood tests showed that I was low in magnesium, seriously deficient due to a prescription that I had been taking for acid reflux. I was on it much, much longer than the recommended six weeks. My old doctor let me get by with taking it, while the the new doctor who took over after he retired had my magnesium level tested and as a result took me off of that particular drug and ordered me to take magnesium supplements to replenish my levels. It has taken me all summer to build up my magnesium, and I am beginning to get my energy back. I am using a magnesium spray on the bottoms of my feet and taking hot Epsom's salt baths when I am particularly tried. My regime seems to be working. 

As I took the iPhone photos of the front garden, I saw the garden through a new lens, so to speak, both literally and figuratively. I tend to get frustrated with things that I create be it the garden or the dollhouse or a homemade greeting card. I am too critical of the things I do, so today as I photographed the front courtyard, I was really quite surprised and pleased and said to myself that the little garden looks really good.

Just over the brick wall is the new garden that we built early in the summer. It has struggled with the heat and it has been hard to keep enough water on the new plants mostly because we have the gardens on a timer. Rain would help so much. We planted six dahlias, too--late. Too late. Four poked early leaves out; rabbits ate one; one just disappeared; the third is still growing--maybe it will flower, but probably not; and one bloomed and then faded because it has been so hot and dry. I love these dinner plate sized blooms. I'd like to plant a garden full next year. I think I'd like them better than the cabbages that the rabbits ate because we didn't have a dog to scare them away. But, hey, we have a dog now.

 The little water garden the summer looks so good at summer's end with its crystal clear water, finally. No scum. No algae. How'd that happen? And it is isn't leaking. You can't see them but there are 7 little gold fish that we caught in the big water feature in the back yard. We will probably have to catch them before the pond freezes. And the water lily bloomed. It's pink.

Even the bin weed the I can't pulled out looks almost good climbing on the little wind chime. 

The fruitless strawberries take all summer to fill in then die back in the winter. I get tired of them and think about redesigning the entry. I didn't have the energy this summer, and I'm glad that I didn't. 

The clematis continues to bloom and fills her corner. I cut it her back quite a bit this spring, but not enough. I'll try to prune her earlier next spring--just like I promised this summer.

I've picked a lot of tomatoes, green peppers, Anaheim, and jalapeños and taken them to my daughter' where we made salsa on two different days. We varied the batches all the way from one with only green peppers (for me), one with just Anaheim, and one with just jalapeños for my son-in-law who likes it hot. I still have plenty of tomatoes and Jen has her tomatoes and peppers, too. I have already told her that she's on her own. We still have a lot of tomatoes to pick. I am waiting just a bit longer then I am going to try to make spaghetti sauce. Do you have any really good recipes? 

Then there's Miss Lily who decided to make marmalade after she saw the current Paddington Bear movie. She didn't even know what it was, but her mother went along with it. She helped prepare the oranges and even filled the jars with the hot mixture with Paddington supervising. (My friend gave me the bear after our trip to England when we took the train at Paddington Station in London).

 He doesn't replace Boone, but then we didn't expect Brody to that, but he does do some of the same things that Boone loved. The chickens are great fun to harass and bark at. Here he is pointing at the rooster. While hens do their Chicken Little impression and run for cover when they see Brody approach, the rooster stands his ground. Brody does his pointer thing and barks a lot, too.

His first encounter with the horses didn't go so well either because he had never seen a horse, but Boon had the boys well trained, so they are not scared of Brody. He doesn't know that it's really not wise to walk under a horse and hopefully he won't meet any other horses who don't allow dogs such such liberties. He is slowly getting over his timid ways, but still household sounds scare him and he sets his feet and refuses to go to his outdoor kennel. The Head Gardener has to carry him. He is learning not to jump on me and we think he is making progress asking going outside when he needs to. We just have to make sure to listen to him.

Thanks so much joining me. I'm not as diligent as I should be--could be--used to be--at posting, but I'm not going to stop simply because I'd my my friends, so I do appreciate that you drop by just to see what I'm doing--if I'm writing about it. 

Join me over at Life in Normandy. It'll be fun.