An Autumnal Day

Yesterday was one of those days where it's easy to rejoice in the day the Lord has made.  The weather was moderately humid in the morning but as the day wore on, it got progressively cooler and more pleasant.  I put Andy to work trimming the rose of sharon bushes and burning bushes in the garden next to the swing set.  Actually, he offered to do it and I was happy to let him.  I'm more comfortable with his level eye than mine.  I saw a hedge of rose of sharon bushes in someone else's yard and liked the look of it, so am trying for the same effect in our garden.  Andy got them pretty straight except they seem to get a little higher in the center.  But I'm not complaining and I'm not even going to try to straighten it out, because I would probably make it worse.

He was brutal on the burning bushes but that's ok by me.  I had originally asked him to dig them out and move them to a different spot, but he said he couldn't do it.  The trunks of the bushes were too thick and the roots were too compacted in the soil, he couldn't get the shovel through them to dig them out.  So the next best thing was to prune them way back.  Now I have room to plant something else in there.  Hmmm...I'll have to think about that.  It will need to be something that is drought tolerant because our sprinkler system doesn't reach this garden.  Any ideas???

When we cleaned up from this project, we decided to drive over to Cinnaminson Nursery to buy some trees.  I have been wanting to plant a "hedge of protection" in the front yard to help block road noise, as well as provide some privacy from the houses across the street.  We bought 4 big western red cedar trees that are already so big that we had to schedule them to be delivered.  They were too heavy for us to take in Andy's truck.  They will be delivered in about 10 days.  While there we also bought 2 photinia bushes to plant on the border of our property and the neighbor's.

Photinia is a popular evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves, white flowers and young red shoots. The best known of the photinias is Photinia × fraseri ‘Red Robin’ which is often planted as a specimen shrub or as a fast-growing, dense, evergreen hedge and can grow to be 12 to 18 feet tall and 8 to 12 feet wide.

Everything in the nursery yesterday was 40% off so that was a bonus!

 I'm counting on them growing fast and filling in this space.

We were also able to mow the lawn, and I was very happy that it was cooler.  There was a nice breeze blowing and the humidity was gone.

Last week I had bought some yellow and blue/purple violas.  They look like mini pansies but are perennials.  I planted them on the back wall of Mom and Dad's apartment.

I had been procrastinating about planting anything there because the garden is a little too narrow for bushes, but I think this is the perfect idea for this spot.  They look so cheerful and pretty.

I know I've posted pictures of our beauty berries in previous falls, but they are just too beautiful to resist posting again.

As much as I love the cooler weather and all the lovely colors of fall, I have a touch of sadness because winter is coming.  I like the change of seasons and am thankful to live where we do, BUT if I have a least favorite season, it would be winter.  Browns and grays are dull and lifeless and boring to me.  But even in these days, I will be glad and rejoice in them because every day is a gift from the Creator of all things.