Friday, September 24, 2021

Five on Friday: Early Autumn

 


This morning I awoke before the alarm clock. Cool air blew gently across my face and I pulled the covers up and snuggled in. Choosing clothes requires thought - long sleeves needed in the morning, but by late afternoon, something cooler appeals. I am glad to slip my feet into cozy fur-lined slippers early on, but go barefoot by noon. 

In the garden, cosmos hid the dahlias, so I ruthlessly cut most of those feathery plants down to their stalks. The dahlias thanked me by producing even more blooms, even though I'm not too fond of orange. 


Pablo Neruda, the Chilean poet wrote Ode to Tomatoes, in which he writes, 

"the tomato, 
star of earth, recurrent
and fertile star, displays
its convolutions
its canals,
its remarkable amplitude
and abundance,
no pit,
no husk,
no leaves or thorns,
the tomato offers
its gift
of fiery color
and cool completeness"

These days, most meals feature the abundant tomato in some shape or form. Cherry tomatoes, simply roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper, then topped with crumbled feta cheese and browned in the oven, finished with a generous sprinkle of fresh, chopped basil, make a wonderful topping for French bread. It disappeared in a hurry!


"The air is crowded with birds,
beautiul, tender, intelligent birds
for whom life is a song."
George Henry Lewes

When I stepped outside this morning to see what I could see in my garden, a most melodious chorus of birdsong greeted me. Wittering and twittering from hedge and eaves, white-crowned sparrows filled the air with cheerful noise. I see them perched by the blackberries in the afternoon.

Our neighbour's thornless blackberries hang over the fence, and since I've cut back the cosmos, I've been picking berries, sweet with summer sun.


Not all is tawny golden. A fresh growth of chives is producing flowers, and marigolds and poppies have seeded themselves in the vegetable garden. I fear those tender little plants will have a rude shock in a month or so. 

"

"Go out, go out I beg of you
and taste the beauty of the wild.
Behold the miracle of earth
with all the wonder of a child."
Edna Jacques

These mornings tiny beads of dew sparkle on the zinnias. It is so lovely out there and so compelling. The sun urges me to soak in as much warmth as I can in preparation for the grey days to come. 

I've begun the garden clean up - pulling up the squash and green bean vines, weeding, always weeding, and picking tomatoes. This morning laundry and housecleaning will keep me occupied for the morning, but I hope to get out and work in the autumn sunshine this afternoon. 

Happy Weekend, dear readers. I hope you find time to enjoy this beautiful season. 

18 comments:

  1. What a poetic, lovely post. Those orange dahlias are stunning. Our tomatoes didn't produce well this year and I hate that we are having to buy them already. I was noticing just this morning that the front of myself that faces the morning sun is warm yet the back of the house in the shade is quite cool. The weather is certainly changing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a treat to see the White-Crowned Sparrows. I wonder if they're gathering together before beginning their migration. We've had far fewer birds this summer, much to my disappointment. I wonder why!
    It seems impossible that it's time to start tidying up the garden and flower beds. Can it be just a matter of days until we turn the calendar page to October?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely post. Neruda's words make tomatoes more beautiful. I think fresh blackberries have as much wow flavor as wild strawberries.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ohh. I Iost my comment. your photos and words are soothing.
    I'm busy dividing peonies for the coming year.
    Soon the woods wi11 get their turn. With a steady s1ow burn . And a new path for a winter fire pit.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You describe so beautifully how you enjoy the days in the garden <3 I find the orange dahlias wonderful. I have started the cleaning job too, weeding and cutting down perennials. I love to tidy the garden in the autumn for the spring.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Such a poetic post, uplifting and relaxing. The clear up at this time of year is always a chore for some reason but needs must.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tomatoes with evo and roasted in the oven are so good with quinoa. It is a new favourite here.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It sounds like a lovely fall day. Here it is still hot and humid. We will start to cool down a little next month.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh no! I can comment, but my comment disappeared! -sigh-sigh-sigh- Your blog does not like my comments. -grinnn-

    Quickly, I will try again...

    Beautiful all... Photos... Quotes... Your own descriptions and words...

    Thank you...

    🍁🍂🌻🍇🌻🍂🍁

    ReplyDelete
  10. A beautiful post. It was lovely to enjoy these precious autumn days through your eyes.
    Amalia
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dahlias are at their best now. I brought a few heads of Labyinth in and they are very cheering.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Even though it's not much cooler here, it feels like a switch was thrown! The air is so much drier. Enjoy the last of your garden and pretty flowers! And have a good weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  13. You have the most delightful flowers in your garden. Of course the tasty food you show is mouthwatering.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lovely post, Lorrie. Your dahlia is glorious - such amazing color. I especially love all your beautiful quotes. The words of Edna Jacques are my favorite. We are enjoying cooler weather and sleeping with the windows open - a delightful treat. Have a beautiful day and week ahead!

    ReplyDelete
  15. This time of year is lovely with all the abundance of flowers and veg. Lucky you to have the thornless blackberries growing over your wall. My son delivered me six jars of blackberry jam they had made from their plant while we were away. Lots of dahlias here too. Such a beautiful flower. B x

    ReplyDelete
  16. Autumn is such a beautiful season! We took a drive this afternoon, came home and walked around the neighborhood, and then strolled around our yard and sat on a backyard bench, soaking up the sunshine and the warmth-without-humidity. Little autumn beginnings are everywhere . . . the blushing shades of the fading limelight hydrangeas, the autumn joy sedum, the pyracantha bush laden with orange berries. Such wonder!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your dahlias satisfy something in me, who just can't find a place for them anymore in my own garden. I'm so glad I can come here and see those beautiful blooms!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Your floral shots are stunning!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comment. I read and value each one, cherishing the connections we can make although far apart. Usually, I visit your blog in return, although if you ask a question I try to contact you directly.

A Wander Through my Mind

  Nothing is so beautiful as Spring -  When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush; Gerard Manley Hopkins When I opened my bedroom...