“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
―
Albert Camus

Every year at this time, the Sedum Autumn Joy turns this glorious rust color you see above. 

It starts changing in the last weeks of August. As the days and weeks pass, the color predictably deepens.

Farther down the patio fence, you see some plants, like the chartreuse sweet potato vine, at the very peak of lush. 

The peppermint next to it is full of scent and growing wildly in every nook and cranny. The plants and flowers have reached out to one another until they blended. It is hard to see where one ends and the other begins.

This is the time of summer’s last stand. 

Fall has arrived. On the calendar at least. Not in the temperature. 

Not yet.

The Black-eyed Susan is all eye and no flowers. What’s left of the golden flower petals have dried up and turned under.

 

The purple-leafed sweet potato vine curls around the driftwood, clinging to the end of summer. 

The patio garden is going through the motions as it always does year after year. The vines trail and curl and reach toward the sun. 

Very soon the plants will, together as one, wave goodbye and sleep until spring.

“It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon.”
―
Sarah Addison Allen,

First Frost

 

 


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I'm Brenda, creator of Cozy Little House. I live with my cat, Ivy, who keeps me laughing. I graduated from journalism school with a degree in professional writing and won awards for feature writing. I practice gratitude and enjoy my solitude. The glass is always half-full.

12 Comments

  2. We've had the weirdest September so far, it's been ridiculously hot….but it's going to break on Thursday with a high of 60 and night temps in the 30's. That should send us back into fall mode!

  3. Believe it or not here in Western Michigan we have been setting heat records in the 90's. And in the upper northern parts of Michigan it was 90 today.

  5. Your patio plants and flowers are still looking very lush and pretty.

    It's been terribly hot here in Missouri. My plants and flower beds are just about fried. My zinnias are done for and I'm ready to pull them as soon as we get a day in the 80's instead of mid to high 90's. I planned on pulling them during a little cool spell we had a few weeks ago, but didn't get around to it. That turned out for the best because just three days ago a little emerald feathered hummingbird came and visited every zinnia left blooming. I guess he was fueling up for his long journey to his winter home. I hope he makes it back to my zinnia garden next year.

  6. The temps here have been in the 90s to currently 102°F and I live in Canada. Very strange weather. Who says there is no climate warming? Just look at the strength of the recent hurricanes. Anyway, I've been doing my best to keep my gardens green and growing since our growing season up here is so much shorter than yours. I'm not looking forward to the next 3 days at school since we aren't air-conditioned. These temps are wicked inside the schools since if you open the windows for air movement, the pesky wasps and yellow jackets fill the classroom. Yikes! Temps in the 70s are to arrive on Thursday. Huzzah!!
    Jan

  7. Your plants are still so pretty, Brenda. I love sedum although I haven't managed to grow any. Maybe next year. Do any of your plants in pots winter over? I have tho't of planting several things in pots, but don't know if I could get them to survive through the Michigan winter.

    I hadn't tho't of sweet potato vine in a long time. I think I will try to grow some of that next year, too. I like trailing and creeping plants. They help fight off the weeds if you plant them in the ground.

    As always, I love your posts and photos!

  9. It is very hot here, too. I'm getting tired of all the watering and am ready to just let my flowers go. The temps are supposed to be much cooler after Tuesday. Can't wait.

  11. Even though the temperature is high in your area, the greenery and shade makes your patio look cool and inviting. The Autumn Joy sedum is a favorite of mine. Yours looks quite lush and full. We will have temps in the 80s the next few days here in central KY, then it will drop to the mid-70s which will be very welcome.

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