Autumn. It doesn't officially arrive until next month, but for the seasoned gardener, it's already here.
Gone now are the hot, hysterical blooming days of summer, and soon to come are crisp nights, balmy temperatures, azure skies, and a cooler calm that takes the place of summer's fevered pitch. Autumn's botanical palette is rich; sweet autumn clematis, sumac berries, goldenrod, the salvia, asters, perennial sunflowers, all against the backdrop of birch trees and maples and the glow of a different light.
As autumn sweeps in, so does a particular melancholy, reminding us that death is certain and the chill and bones of winter are ahead. But for the gardener, autumn also brings a sense of accomplishment, and seeds of hope for the coming year.
