sage love...

one of my favorite fall blooming flowers...Mexican sage.

i have just gathered this beauty TODAY!

and only because my hubby complained that it was hard to mow around.

sorry dear.

so i thought i'd bring it in the house when i realized HE had actually MOWED it DOWN.

sheesh!

it was my fault...i mentioned the other day that i rarely stake my plants.

i'm too lazy and quite frankly, you never see stakes holding plants up "in nature".

most times i don't like how they look.

Mexican sage is a super easy to grow herb.

the hard part is remembering to plant it in the spring, knowing that it's going to be good. really good when fall comes.

it can also be hard to find, as nurseries tend to sell flowers that are in bloom for instant gratification. and these babies don't bloom until it cools off. as does the equally stunning Pineapple sage growing in the background there.

in the spring these plants, well ,they just don't show well. but in the fall...

come to mama!

i have major love for Pineapple sage as well!

although, red is not my favorite color...but the hummingbirds...well they LOVE IT and are still visiting this baby as they have been migrating through.

Mexican sage dries very well too and keeps its color for years!

i promise.

i know, cause i hold on to stuff.

guess i'll keep the hubby too.

somebody has to mow the lawn.

art at belle luce

i am quickly posting this morning as it has been a whirlwind weekend and today promises to be busy too! yesterday was oktoberfest in germantown, followed by an evening of live music under the stars. i will post some great doorway shots from germantown soon...

please enjoy these photos of some artwork displayed at an estate called belle luce,

which i think translate well in b&w.

quite beautifully really...

and lastly, one of my own paintings of a stormy sky ...

interesting to see in b&w...

please shoot over to see other b&w participants at
http://nadafarmlife.blogspot.com/2009/10/carving-out.html

and have a wonderful inspired filled sunday!

easin into the season...

here in the midsouth, we are just starting to sees some fall colors.

it's basicly mostly a lush green here, with just hints of golds and reds...

so i thought i'd better show you what's bloomin now before it's too late...

i took these photos over at C's beautiful home.

i take care of the gardens and holiday decor at this location, sort of a home manager position really, but i call myself "the gardener". that suits me better. Mr. C calls me "the master gardener" with an emphasis on master...you're funny Mr. C.

the "endless summer" hydrangeas are just now looking good for their second bloom of the summer. i love their soft, subtle shading. endless summer, i think not...should be called "twice bloomer"...

mandevilla are gorgeous and i hate to see them go with the first frost. they add a tropical feel to this large courtyard . pink "knockout roses"
line the breakfast room windows and above the pond, a fantastic addition to any garden.


i believe i have planted twelve pink knockouts in this garden. large drifts of color and the repetition of elements thruout really pull a garden together.


continuing with the pink theme, i used a lot of pink geraniums this year...i may winter them over in the garage...

you can just pull them out of the soil and hang them upside down.

in the spring, plop them back in the soil.

i tried this...it works!!

it's hard to believe that this lush almost tropical looking paradise will soon, very soon be so different.

out front... i used layers (drifts) of color for a big impact. the loropetalum in the back layer is starting to turn some really pretty colors, and echoes the colors in the lantana. the purple setcretia ties the whole look together and will reappear next year.

the bradford pear espalier by the pool is still holding on to its green color, but very soon will be changing colors and dropping its leaves leaving a crisscross skeleton (which will be lit with twinkle lights for the holidays). the underplanting of hostas will soon be nipped by the first frost. (thank you little bunnies for snacking elsewhere this year.)

wow, the japanese maples are starting to change colors. my, my, you can't beat orange and blue for complimentary colors!!

lantana is short for this world... hate to see it go too.

cheerful pumpkins have been placed out front.

although i love the change in seasons so much, it's sad to say goodbye to all my work . labor of love actually, but that's one of the reasons i love to garden...

ever changing,

often surprising,

always inspiring.

thank you mother nature...........

it was a very good growing season.

this gardener is very happy.

p.s. my header is a photo from last year taken at radnor lake ...

we are not actually that colorful yet.......

hole in one!

my hubby got a hole in one!! look there... in today's paper...

he did it! his second hole in one to date, but this one was at the golf course that we live on...

almost in our backyard!

here's the view from our kitchen window...

see the golf course back there?

there it is, just passed the bird condos...

huh?

bird condos, you ask?

yes...bird condos. hey, those fall blooming asters are floppy! i shoulda staked them, but i rarely stake my plants. too lazy i guess. and really, i like the way they have fallen over and framed the condos just right for my picture taking.......... and this post isn't about gardening its about my golfer hubby..........

anyway, i am so proud of you babe (in more ways than i can count)!

way to go!!
so what does he win for getting a hole in one? he gets to "buy a round" of drinks for everyone in the clubhouse! it seems to me it should be the other way around?
isn't that odd? boys.....need i say more.

and if you are wondering...no I don't golf, but i love to go along just for the ride and to peek into my neighbors backyards. er...... ah...... what i meant to say was i love to go along just for the ride and spend quality time with my hubby. yes...........that is what i meant.

love you, babe