I saw a flock of birds today...

I think Autumn is at and end now, the days are getting colder. My Swallows left in middle-April and the call of the Red-chested Cuckoo is quiet. I'm looking forward to their return in spring. And will enjoy the birds that stay for winter.

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And slowly Autumn creeps in...

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Dear Miss Peachy... (a letter to my Peach Tree)

Dear Miss Peachy,
I think you are highly confused or there is wishful thinking on your part. We're heading into the cold of winter and there are still autumn leaves clinging to your branches and you are already shooting out new buds! This spells disaster as I've seen it before - a couple of years ago you did the same thing, resulting in no fruit that season. 

 

Besides your regular watering you receive, we have had good rains this past summer and you were heavily laden with fruit. I think you just want to impress me again with your abundant offerings, but you do not realise the price you are going to have to pay when the first frost appears. 

Oh dear Miss Peachy, please know that I will still love you during your bare-branches-of-winter period and I hope you have a nice, well-deserved rest during the cold spell!

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Late-Autumn Portrait

Soft golden browns foretell 

the aging of the year.

Leafless branches curve their shapes

against the autumn sky.

In their naked majesty 

trees proclaim their individuality.

These muted colors, not the pastel of spring

but the palette of autumn

echo the early twilights, 

the cloudy dawns. Rain

dampens and drowns, 

pressing leaves against the frozen ground.

One morning, winter's white sheets

will wrap the earth

preparing it for its seasonal burial.

Now fall fades to sleep

stirring restlessly 

as it turns its way to slumber.

by Pujakins

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How I do love the earth!

How I do love the earth! I feel her thrill under my feet. I feel somehow as if she were conscious of my love, as if something passed into my dancing blood from her.
- James Russell Lowell

Summer is at an end and we're enjoying Autumn with her balmy days and odd showers.

In South Africa, Autumn starts on the 20th of March and ends on the 1st of June, when Winter starts. It's almost 3 months of the most gorgeous weather, with cooler temperatures perfect for gardening and other outdoor activities. Winter is usually short-lived, June and July, with August bringing the winds that clear the landscape of all debris, ensuring a clean slate for Spring which officially starts on the 1st September.

Let us rejoice in Earth's unending beauty. Let us protect her from harm. Let us remember her strength. Let us remember her fragility. Let us act in ways to respect and love her.

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April inspiration - Falling leaves

As the nights grow longer and a chill fills the air, when the moon hangs heavy and low, you can be sure the time of enchantment has arrived, the time of the falling leaves. 'Tis a season of magic and of harvest, festival and feast.

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I watch for the signs of this season

Autumn is such a  joyful time in the garden.  Every year I watch for the signs of this season with delight.

First comes cooler temperatures and before the leaves get time to change colour, the Swallows are gone. The garden also slows down, seeming to settle into a quiet period of thought, as if planning the grand spring show, planning reassuring delights after winter's short but harsh reign.

I join my garden in pondering the next season, taking on a few cleaning-up jobs. This was once a White Karee that stood tall and its big shady canopy provided wonderful shade in the garden, but for the past several years it has struggled to put out any leaves. This week, with a few cuts of the chainsaw, it met with an end.

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The feeder is full

Lovely Autumn days here in South Africa and the birds are having a jolly time in the garden! Their chattering is a constant reminder of how full of joy life is, and gratitude for the sunshine we so take for granted.... 

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The feeder is full 

Overflowing with seeds 

Little birds gather 

Up high in the trees 

Jump, skip and hop 

They fly down to see 

A glorious feast 

Offered to thee 

Chirping and singing 

They fly away quick 

Swooping and flinging 

They peck and they pick 

 Puffed up and content 

They return to the trees 

Watching the feeder 

For the return of the seeds 

- Written by Sarah Sabatini 

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May Gifts

Inspirational words on a textured back-ground by Kim Klassen 

May. A soft syllable, a gentle name for the best month in the garden year: cool, misty mornings gently burned away with a warming autumn sun, followed by breezy afternoons and chilly nights.  

Aaah, the changing seasons! How I LOVE May! Balmy Autumn days, sitting out on the patio with a cup of tea watching the birds as they revel in the perfect weather! And this is the one month where we seem to be one with the rest of the world - while the Northern Hemisphere is rejoicing in spring, it seems as if we, here in South Africa, have been given a second spring, gently easing into the colder months to come. The discussion of philosophy is over; it's time for work to begin! 

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Autumn's whisper

Each flower is a soul blossoming out to nature.
- Gerard De Nerval

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Anais Nin said, "A leaf fluttered in through the window this morning, as if supported by the rays of the sun, a bird settled on the fire escape, joy in the task of coffee, joy accompanied me as I walked." That's how I felt as I walked through my garden this morning. We had beautiful rain last night and everything was sparkling and clean.

Autumn has begun to whisper to all the trees and flowers, reminding them ever so gently with a little nudge here and a word of encouragement there, that time is getting short and that they must hurry with their last blossoms. I've potted some of my Nasturtiums to take them inside so that I can enjoy them a bit longer, keep the feeling of summer a bit closer. It's also time to bring my Bonsai and any other frost-tender plants inside, so I'm enjoying getting the Flower Room ready for their arrival.

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