My autumn is misty and grayed in the mornings, and as I sip my coffee I view the diagonal sifting of the leaves from the overhead trees. It seems as lazy as I feel on these mornings, languid and savoring the details of my existence.
The mornings have been filled with mists desaturating the colors of the Autumn blaze, but by the very contrast the upclose colors fairly vibrate. Two of the brightest plantings at this time have been the purpleleaf sand cherry which is almost a ruby-fuschia, situated near to the Hansa rose which is a clear golden yellow. Their competition in color is the sweet gum showcased against deep dark Norway spruce. The golden glowing hostas are now crimped in brown edges from the ever harsher frosts, although the warmth of this day is the fleeting Indian Summer giving its last kiss to remember for the year.
The mists will soon become blusters and the gray of this morning will soon be Novembers blanket throughout the day. Putting my gardening year to bed, that I might dream through the midwinter’s freezing sleep.
I know I must work while I may…. although the garden will accept the trowel long into December, I am not at all sure I want to defiantly garden during that chill this year. Although November may well see me hurriedly bury the bargain priced bulbs, like a squirrel caught unprepared. The gardener squirreling away the dreams for spring!
Fall is given to savoring and soaking up the tastes of harvest, the comfort of warm stews, the sweetness of apples, the fires against the cooling of the season, the woodsmoke and the fragrant decay of the leaves. When the skies are blue they are piercingly so, when the sun is shining every color vibrates in competition. Knowing that it is so brief calls me to enjoy….. sit and enjoy, even if it is only a few moments.
A few moments before I remember that I have the yard furniture to still put away, the leaves to rake before the wind blasts them all about the yard, the last of the year chores to ready the yard for holidays and snows and cold.
The delight of the diversion is nice while it lasts. So very nice.
