Surprise!

It seems like this fall is full of surprises. Yesterday as we were finished walking Annie and were driving out of the park  we stopped to watch a Mockingbird defend a holly tree from a huge flock of migrating Robins. This lone Mockingbird was dive bombing robin after robin that dared to get near the Holly full of red berries. 

 I noticed a tiny bird in an adjacent tree.  Without binoculars or camera we watched  in amazement a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher appeared searching searching for food. It hopped around splaying its tail and wings hoping to stir up something to eat. 

We took our camera to the park with us today hoping that the bird would still be there. Sure enough we refound the little fellow.  It is so overcast it was difficult to get a photo but we couldn't resist trying. The little bird looked as gray as the skies.

In the following photo you can see a glimpse of how blue it can look in certain light.  

In our area these little birds have usually gone South by mid September. 

If you would like to see a good picture of this little bird or read / hear more about it you can go to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds here for more information.

We are hoping this little bird finds enough fuel to get out of town fast. There is snow and general yuck predicted for tonight and tomorrow. 

Sudden Cold

Oops. Didn't get the fountain ready for this weather. I guess I didn't believe it would drop to 20F with a feels like 11F so soon.

Made a believer out of me. 

I hope you all keep warm and have a good weekend.

Fall Color in the Garden

There is a bit of color in the garden this fall. Lots of yellow it seems with a splash of red here and there. I almost have my own yellow arch on the right side as I walk off the patio down the gravel path. 

The predominant color in our garden seems to be golden yellow. Even the fungus is bright yellow.

The last of the blooms in the garden are yellow (Witch Hazel). 

Even when you leave the garden you can find a carpet of gold almost everywhere you go. When the sun shines on it...Wow. 

I hope you all are having a golden week.

New Gate and Fence

We had a big change of the feeling of the garden this week. Our old wooden fence was rotting and falling apart. We were beginning to think that if Annie wanted to she could bust right through the gate to chase rabbits or any other furry creature passing by. I took the following picture shortly before the crew arrived to remove the fence. 

We had already taken down the wooden arch that was by the gate. We moved it over by the patio where the big arch used to stand. It is now it's permanent home. I didn't think I would like a wooden 

arch by a metal fence and gate.

It didn't take the crew long to dismantle the wooden fence. So many of the posts were rotted off. They dug out most of them which was a chore since there was concrete anchoring the posts.

The gate is what I am most happy about. We searched all through the internet and our town looking for just the right gate. We found this one on Etsy. It was made by Modern Iron Works out in Idaho. Yes, it traveled a long way to get to our garden but it was well worth it. The craftsmanship is excellent. I had it custom sized for our opening and it turned out perfect. 

Here is a close up of the gate. It is very expressive with the heron being the focal point and the cattails, frog and dragonflies adding character.

The chain link fence certainly gives the garden a more open feel. I am not so sure I appreciate that. I believe that I will be planting more shrubs in the near future.  I am hoping that the shrubs already along the fence line will fill out below the 4' mark now that there is more light.

Annie who is the cause for all of this change is of the mind that she just doesn't care about what happens as long as she gets her nap in. 

I am the one that can't get used to the changes. To me it is the gate that made it all worth it.

How about you? Have you had any projects in your garden this fall?

Rust in the Garden

There is beginning to be a lot of rust in the garden.

A Few Blooms along with the Arrival of Autumn - October 2018

It sure hasn't felt much like autumn until the past few days. The nights were finally getting cool. Today it feels like autumn even during the day. The wind is blowing in some cool wet air. Brrr. This got me going to bring in the few plants I am saving this year. 

Those of you that read my blog regularly might notice a missing plant. It is the large Staghorn Fern that I have wrestled with the past few years. I finally decided I wasn't going to bring it in this year. As the nights grew cooler I couldn't bear to just leave it out to die so I asked around and found someone that has a big greenhouse that would give it a good home.  This was a difficult decision for me as I had that plant for many years (14). It seemed more like a pet to me. 

 My largest plant now is this night blooming cereus epiphyllum-oxypetalum (above). If I can't pick it up and move it next year I might re-home it too.

Anemone Honorine Jobert

Since the change in weather has brought a bit of much needed rain I seem to have a few blooms for Bloom Day.

Spiderwort Kate

The Asters are certainly performing well. I just love the way this one hangs over the edge of the sidewalk out front. You can see remnants of Russian Sage and Solidago 'Fireworks behind it. 

This white wild aster that just bullied its way into the front bed by the driveway is still looking perky. Someone that was visiting thought I should pull it because it is sort of bossy but I rather like strong characters. This area gets no supplement water so if it wants to grow and thrive here so be it.

The cheeky aster made its way across the drive and into the remaining black eyed Susans that the rain has revived.

The Toad Lilies are blooming up a storm. You can see their poor little leaves are half dried up but the rain seemed to pump up the blooms. I always look forward to them. I have planted several types of Toad lilies in the garden but this one is the only one that lasts more than a season. I am not ever sure of which one it is. I have had it so long and divided it and planted it here and there.

Lastly the surprise of the season, the Azalea is throwing open a few blooms to celebrate the rain.

What is blooming in your garden now? Please do share and head over to Carols May Dreams Garden to share with one and all your lovely blooms.

Wednesday Vignette - Spring meeting Fall

In this vignette you can see that the Columbine leaves are turning the colors of the Aster directly behind it. It must be that the Autumnal Aster is smitten with the Columbine and she is blushing.

For more Wednesday Vignettes go to Flutter and Hum.