The Flowers of 2005

October and November inevitably bring cool nights and frosty mornings, gorgeous leaves on the trees, fall decorations on the porch and the sound of the marching band off in the distance at the high school football games. The down side to this crisp fall weather? It's time to say good-bye to my gardens and potted plants, time to get down and dirty and clear out all the flowers that I've worked to cultivate over the past 6 months. I so much look forward to the warm weather every year, from pansy season all the way through the mums of fall. So emptying the containers, pulling out the annuals and trimming back the perennials is a chore that I don't look forward to. It means that winter is really coming, cold days and even colder nights are just around the corner ... and I just start marking time until April rolls around. I love the colors, the shapes, the smells of my flowers - I get a cheap thrill out of arranging and re-arranging the pots on the deck and on the front porch, and yes, I love to go to the garden stores to shop for even more flowers than I already have. One of my favorite things this season was the new window box that Chris made and mounted up high on the brick wall above the driveway. Just beautiful - a perfect bithday gift! The geraniums in the box are still going strong because the warmth of the brick and the morning sun keep them thinking it's still summertime. Gotta love it - flowers blooming in November! Here's to the flowers of 2005!