I’m really enjoying being outside on these lovely autumn days. From my morning walk around the yard with Shep to evenings on the deck with my husband, watching the leaves fall and getting some much-needed gardening done is a pleasure.

I was delighted to find the season’s first blossom on my camellias. This has always been an early bloomer since I planted it in my front yard decades ago. Many more buds promise to give pleasure for several months.

On Tuesday, I went to a local garden center and found way too many things I wanted. I got a trunkful of bedding plants that will keep us in flowers until late spring. But that means work now preparing the beds, deciding where I want each type, and planting them.

I dove right in Tuesday afternoon since the bed under these windows needed less weeding. Snapdragons went to the back, then mixed pansies, and dianthus at the front. It may not look like much now, but you know I’ll show you the results in a few weeks.

On one end of that same bed, blooms are breaking forth on a lush bleeding heart vine. This is providing some extra nutrition for a few hummingbird stragglers.

On Thursday I attacked a back bed, which needed a little more work. There used to be a tree in the center, but Hurricane Sally knocked it down in September 2020. Since then, I have used the stump to support a big planter filled with lantana. (The top of the bird bath was destroyed by Hurricane Zeta the following month. What a year 2020 was!)

I discovered the stump was rapidly decaying due to carpenter ants and other natural causes, so the heavy container had to be relocated.

After weeding and trimming back some floppy firespikes, I planted purple and white pansies and white violas. You see the spikey foliage in the center? Those are purple Louisiana irises, which will be pretty above the pansies.

The hot colors in this small bed strip are also looking good now. The deep crimson Red Cascade miniature climbing rose nods in the breeze over the orange, red, and yellow lantana spreading below it.

Many of you are fortunate to have gorgeous displays of autumn leaves in your area with genuine autumn temperatures, while some of you are experiencing spring in the southern hemisphere. Some of you are getting some drought relief with much-needed rain, while others are seeing their first snowfall. As October slips away, our mid-eighties temps will give way to sweater weather next week.

Just when we wonder if we will make it through “this one,” something can change. Looking back on tough times, even if it seemed pretty bad then, we can say, “Well, we’re okay now.”  Even the awful times can be valuable in our journey. Hopefully, we develop qualities along the way like perseverance, steadfastness, strength of character, courage, and faith.

Ecclesiastes 3:1  There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven (NIV)

God doesn’t waste our hard-won victories or our crushing defeats. Trust Him. Tell Him you want to know Him more intimately. Tell Him you want to see it through His eyes and trust Him.

I’ll see you in November.