Rainy with a chance of sun...

We are experiencing rain with intermittent sun...literally!

I told myself get outside while it's not raining and catch a few pictures! Everything always looks so pretty after a rain.

My grasses are topped out!

My flowerless Endless Summer hydrangeas on the right...healthy and strong...ho hum.. I will have to wait until next year for flowers!  The Limelight hydrangeas are doing just fine.  I'm going to be snipping some of their loveliness to enjoy indoors!

They are ready to bring in and start drying!

The ferns are about done.  They've been fabulous this year...and no that is not a giant snake...it's a hose!  Funny thing is it's a black hose with a soft yellow stripe and at times it does look like a snake!  

At the edge of the woods are some wildflowers blooming...one of which is responsible for my plugged up head right now- darn Goldenrod!  

The other is (Actaea) Baneberry or Bugbane...

I always thought it looked poisonous and after reading up on it I found out the whole plant is poisonous- the berries are the worst, if ingested. It can cause a sedative affect on the heart and cause immediate cardiac arrest! It doesn't bother the birds which are the primary seed disperser.  The Indians used the roots for pain for female problems in women.  Sounds to me like it would numb you!

I meandered towards the fountain area but from a different point of view and snapped a quick shot.  All the impatiens are heavily weighted with the rain.  The grass is loving it!

Everything is still green and growing. Doesn't quite look like fall yet does it!

Wouldn't you know the Sweet Autumn Clematis is blooming and it's raining!  I actually took this a few days ago...

This is it today! Copious amounts of flowers for a change! This is the best year for these that I've ever had..wouldn't you know it's going to be 

raining for several days!

See what I mean!  I had to share our forecast with you!

Not 10 minutes after I took these pictures it was dark and gloomy again! It's definitely intermittent today!

Just a few days more and it's officially fall!

Saturday September 22 to be exact!

My autumn display on the deck...love these crazy shaped gourds and colorful pumpkins!

How's the season in your area?  Any signs of fall yet?

Frost Has Finally Hit!

We've had a beautiful long fall season with great temperatures!

 A hazy sky...The sand dunes in the distance with

Lake Michigan barely showing at the top and

Crystal Lake showing in the foreground.

I have to prepare for winter now.  Time to
empty all the planters and get them stored
in the garage.  

I hate to see the season end.

All the lawn furniture will be tucked away 

in storage because we get so much snow. 

I am late on trimming back plants, but it's

been a nice long autumn and I chose
to enjoy it!

My hydrangeas were still blooming
and so was my grandiflora rose.  

It's all going to change rapidly now since

 we finally got our first frost.

Last weekend I planted 80 tulips bulbs, and
three lilac bushes.  We also planted 3 more
maple trees along our property lot line.
They seem small now but someday

we will thank ourselves for doing it!

A few weeks back I captured this scene on our driveway under the ash tree.
It always has beautiful golden yellow leaves- I just wish it would last longer!
In a few days it was all done!

I hope you have been enjoying your Autumn
and your gardens are ready for winter's nap!
I'm looking forward to seeing
my new tulips next spring and smelling the lilacs!

Spring into Summer 2010

 I took a steady amount of pictures this spring and summer of my gardens.  I put this video together from some of those pictures I captured.....turn on your volume and listen to the music too!

 
This is so compressed it's best viewed this way rather than full screen....
This was created by using pictures I took with a digital camera and applied them to a program called iMovie on my iMac computer- the quality is much better than it shows here, blogger compresses it so much it's a little fuzzy looking. 
Music is from a CD called Garden Thyme, song title is Heartline

The wind down....

Just can't help but take more pictures....It's been a great season and this fall has been beautiful...these are the last of the pretty colors around here...