Faded Glory

Well, the flower garden is noticably beginning to fade now, looking like some sort of aged movie star who is well past their prime. Never mind though, it's still got it's charm (granted you have to see it in person to perceive it).
There are some flowers here and there that are continuing to put-up a brave face.

The view from the gate looks sort of hazy and that just sort of adds to the feeling that this year's flower garden is almost history.

Looking eastward in the direction od the "old" veggie garden

Looking westward

The most complimentary angle for the garden at this time of year

Honey bees on the Helenium kanaria


Chelone obliqua ---we call it "Turtle bloom"

My partner's favourite corner--not very charming now. It is too bad that it had been raining so hard about an hour before this foto was taken, as so many of the bloom petals were knocked-off the Larkspurs

You can see a sort of Panicum, which we call "Gierst". It was a blow-in, but I left it amongst the Lucifers and other flowers because I found it rather ornamental. I had to pull out a couple of others already, as they were beginning to drop seed.

A closer look

 

Oh, if we have that much left we'd never call it faded.

 

Autumn is kind of depressing isn't it?
You still have some very lovely flowers there Sjoerd
We call Chelene "Turtlehead".

 

Peppersage, those are my thoughts exactly. It still looks good to me.We can always look forward to next year and photos of 'garden 2009'.

 

Your blooms are so very breath taking as always.Your garden is magnificent.

 

I wish I had that many flowers left, but I didn't plant that many to begin with so I don't. I have more luck with things that plant themselves. I don't plant hollyhocks or morning glories or sun chokes or any of the other wildflowers that are all over the place. I'll have to see if I can get the fence line by the lower driveway tomorrow. Fall comes even if we are not ready for it. dooley

 

I can see that it's fading, but it's still so very lovely! It's really sad when the Lucifers and Chelone only have a bloom or two left on top, isn't it?

 

Thanks very much, folks--Yes, I find autumn a little sad on the one hand and on the other, I appreciate things that went well.
To compensate in this slightly sad time for me, I busy myself with the preservation of the veg and fruit for the coming months. That gives me a real boost! --
I take pics to remember the flowers, and I have a freezer full of veg that went well.
Aside from that, the gardens must be cleaned and made winter-ready...so, I can't complain, really.

Droopy hit on something when she pointed-out the poignance of the last blooms on a plant. The last bloom speaks volumns: not only does it herald the end of a blooming season, but it testifies to the success of the plant during it's season of beauty. It also conjures-up the memories of the work and nuturing that went into guaranteeing it's success.

 

Your garden is lovely!
I can see why you enjoy spending so much time there.
The shots with the yellow flowers and bees
was particualy stunning!

 

Thanks Toni--I'm looking forerward to them too--(Already). hahaha

4-G--Thank you so much for you nice comment. I really do spend more time there than at home during the summers.
I liked those bees too. I actually took the foto because we have seen very, very few honey bees this year and the Heleniums were suddenly loaded with them for a few days, in spite of the inclimate weather.

 

I do think an autumn garden has it's charm. I love the fading flowers at this time of year, and the dew on them. I love walking around a garden early in the morning at this time of year. I also enjoy the cleaning up, in a sad kind of way. I do leave a certain amount of perennials standing all through the winter to protect the crowns and the ground. That grass in the lucifers...isn't that the type that you buy in pet shops for budgies??

Anyhow Sjoerd, your garden looks blooming wonderful to me!

 

Thanks EJ--I also leave most of my perennials standing throughout the winter for the same reasons.
That Gierest may well be a type of bird seed that can be bought in the pet shops, I don+t know. What I DO know is that the birds and garden mice are wild about it. :-D

 

Am I supposed to feel sorry for you, Sjoerd? And those photos of your vegetable abundance - really! I'm sad when plants die, but how glorious it was and will be.
Gardengater