Seasons Change

The window box had a facelift today.  The temperature was a balmy 79 degrees but the  red and white geraniums were replaced by the colors of autumn.  I started this tradition about 12 years ago, pictures for the homecoming dance were taken in front of the house and this was the backdrop; ah that was lifetimes ago.

I love to use the hydrangeas inside through the summer and as filler in the window box in the fall.  It amazes me how big they get, some the size of giant pompoms, others only six inches across or so.

I used to go and buy about $ 20.00 worth of squash and gourds.  Then I wised up and started using the faux stuff!  Reusable and much more economical since I pull the same bag of goodies out each year!

The Ash trees provided free fun for the little people.  A lot of jumping, throwing and falling ensued after the leaves were raked into a play pile!  When I was a little girl my mother showed me how to make 'leaf houses'; a square outline with a pile up for a chair, a bed, a couch.  We played outside for hours, not inside with a controller in front of a 60" television...back in the day.

Remember the window frame Mr. Wonderful built and the flea market chicken feeder turned planter?  The coleus loved the spot in the shade and grew into glorious colors.  This will be a repeat next year, I love how the colors look on the side of the hip roof shed that holds mower and bikes and yard supplies.

This garden around the pagoda (a nod to my Korean children's connection to Asia) in the backyard was planted with petunias but the ageratum were volunteers; they must have seeded themselves last year when this garden was part of the red, white and blue salute too.  I love that they grew bigger than any of the ageratum plants that I bought as annuals this year!

The heat of summer encouraged a lot growth (and a lot of watering flowers!), I finally got tired of dead heading the millions of petunias and let them go two weeks ago.  Initially the bunnies have a picnic but they must have found other things to graze on by now, they seem to be leaving them alone, I took the little fence off when I decided I was finished with deadheading flowers for an hour every night after supper!