We are getting lots of beans, every day.  I'm not sure if it's an agricultural or a horticultural term, or maybe just a country term, but the collective noun for beans is "a mess."

 

Now you know, we have ourselves a mess of beans.  

 

 

WISH YOU WERE HERE!!!

 

Here are a couple Black Gum trees starting to show their fall color.  They are generally the first to show fall color.  I love it when they turn red.  The trees can grow as tall as 60 feet, but in our area most of them are much shorter.  

 

Be on the lookout:  if you see some shiny red leaves among the greens, it might be Black Gum, Nyssa sylvatica.  

 

 

HAPPY ALMOST FALL!!!

 

I love "Before and After" pictures.  Problem is, I never think about it until the "after" part.  Then I wish I had taken a picture "before."  So yesterday when we were having lunch on the porch and Jon mentioned that those hills would soon be showing fall color, I took this "before" picture.  Because in a couple weeks it will start changing to glorious fall.  I will show you again when it does.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING !!!

 

I love this time of year!!  The native Clematis is blooming all over the place.  It drapes itself over anything that holds still for long:  small trees, shrubs, weeds, rocks, fences.  It is gorgeous up close, but this is probably how you are going to see it:  from the car at 45 mph.  If you can get up close, be sure to lean in and enjoy its fragrance.  It's lovely!!!  Definitely worth stopping and checking it out.  

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

While we were waiting for our paint to be mixed, we wandered around the garden center.  Look what we saw!!!  I just love this color Echinacea.  The flowers are dark red and they were in big terracotta colored pots.  Fabulous!!!  Actually the plants were planted in black plastic pots (with holes in the bottom), and placed in these orange plastic pots (with NO holes.)  Perfect for placing on your patio or deck for the fall, then planting them in the flower bed later.  I forgot to check to see if they are perennial or annual, all I know is they pleased my eyes!!!  And I thought you'd like to see them too.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

When we were at Home Depot last Friday, we saw their Maple trees starting to change color.  There are about 10 of them in the parking lot, and they are beautiful right now!!!  The tops of the trees turn red first, and by the time the leaves at the bottom change color the leaves from the top are on the ground.  So, IMHO, now is the best time to go look at the Maples at Home Depot.  They are prettier in person than in any photo.  

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Jon picked 15 pears the other day.  They are ripe, just hard as rocks.  That's OK, a few days on the dining room table and they will be ready to eat.  I'm thinking about digging a few beets and making my beet salad.  Ripe pears are part of that recipe.   You can find it in the recipe section, under salads.  Nope, it is under vegetables.  Not sure why I put it there, but I did.  So...

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING !!!

 

I'm not sure what this blossom and bee think they are accomplishing this late in the season.  It takes about 90 days for a Butternut to grow and get ripe.  Let's see, that would be December first.  I don't think we have time.

 

Don't care, I just love watching them try.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

The cucumbers are still producing fruit.  We picked one the other day that was 18 inches long!!!  And they are so beautiful.  The leaves are starting to fade, but the cucumbers are still great.  

 

I love going out every morning for my daily inspection.  There is always something to make me smile.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Look at this beautiful bowl of raspberries.  This was our trade for the apples.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!