Good morning Natalie ~ Your post was very descriptive and nicely put. I also love this time of year. Finally, for us down here in tropical s.e. FL, we get a break from the summer's blazing heat and the awful humidity. Although, this year it is still warm and humid, but it is much better than a month or so ago. I can now get out and garden more comfortably, and look forward to the next 5-6 months of wonderful gardening weather, before summer's heat and humidity are back, along with hurricane season. Happy holidays everyone ~ FlowerLady

Great pics, Alison. I've been wondering what Josee would look like--and if it will really re-bloom. So Beauty of Moscow is not the pale pink shown in catalogues? It looks more like a pinkish-lavender. I've got a new deep purple (like Welch's grape juice) blooming heavily this year. It is lovely but doesn't have the scent of the old bushes that came with the house. One of those older ones mostly died last year, but it had also put up a new trunk & that is blooming too.

spedigrees, you have my grandmother's dishes! Those are lovely squash. I went on squash bug patrol this morning. Found a couple of striped cucumber beetles and one dead squash bug. There were three lives ones this weekend (of course, no longer alive). I try to grow organically so I've been scraping eggs and bugs into a bowl of soapy water. A dark zucchini, Raven, has pooped out after only a few squash and I'm not sure why. Right next to it, 3 Costata Romanesco zukes are going strong. My garden keeps getting bigger. One thing we don't grow that we love is corn but figure the raccoons would win out. I was happy to stop at the local farm but last year the latest in the kid run corn business, only grew one variety of a super sweet corn. Near the end of the season it was just too big plus I missed the varieties they used to grow like Silver Queen. I'll be trying a new farm stand. I like being able to pick just the amount I need but also having a bit too much that forces me to try some new recipes. Made a great zucchini banana bread this weekend (bought bananas and they were getting over ripe). Plus there's the ready snacks as I weed or just walk around checking on things. If I didn't have pea fences, I would have to put something else up so the birds would have a perch. And maybe next year I will remember to seed lettuce every few weeks!

Love the tableau with the angel. How peaceful-looking. Also love the red wagon & the huge pretty hosta next to it. I see you have several. Have you tried any of the ones with blue leaves? Your grass looks wonderful, too. All the grass around here is crispy & brown from drought & heat, and not soft like that no matter how green. Thanks for the mini-tour.