Autumn is Here

Well the air is chilly, the leaves are turning colors, the sun is brilliant, the daylight comes later and the evening is coming sooner...autumn is definitely here. Early morning temperatures have been in the upper 30's this week so yesterday I moved all the plants in the greenhouse...begonias, Boston fern, topiaries, agapanthus and agave to name a few....I was surprised the Christmas cactus was laden with big big pink buds...now in the greenhouse it will really push. I took a few pictures that show the garden is waning...perennials are dying back and shrubs are bearing berries for the birds to enjoy...grasses are going to seed and the birds love it. Squirrels are dashing about gathering acorns and bearing them everywhere. Even the Eastern White Pine tree's needles are turning yellow...one doesn't think about pines turning color in the fall but they do right along with the oaks, maples and all others.
I planted a few mums and flowering cabbage just to give a fall touch to the garden.
Pretty mum in an antique granite urn...there is a matching one on the other side of the bench. You can see that the oriental lilies are fading...I cut it back about 1/3 in August and soon I will cut it back more...
Look at these acorns...they are thick this year...we haven't had this many in years...sure makes the squirrels happy.

Another shot of the acorns...
Some cabbage and mini pumpkins mixed with the boxwood in the old cement urns....
The lily of the valley has gone to seed around the old oak tree...I never planted these flowers...they found their way here a few years ago and completely surrounded the base of the oak and look lovely as if planned to be there.
Wonderful toad lily plant...these are marvelous fall "gifts"...just when all else is going to sleep these flowers pop out...orchid like flowers line the branches and are a treat to look at.
Closer look at the toad lilies.

Blue hydrangeas turn the most gorgeous antique blue-green in the fall...this photo truly does not do this flower color justice...the white annabelle hydrangeas go to a mauve-green and are equally as lovely...

So autumn is here and it is a very welcome sight....

Elizabeth