Fall is Here!

The air is cool and the leaves are changing. This is the first fall that we've been in our home here. So, it has been very exciting to see what colors the leaves were going to turn, and what colors some of the plants were going turn as the fall crept in. 

We have decorated our front porch a bit, so we properly welcome "trick-or-treaters" on Halloween. We have had a Halloween candy stash around the house because Holly bought some early... that stash has dwindled... I guess it's still too early to blame it on Brooklyn...

Our backyard plants have been a total surprise. The Nandinas have turned red over the past several weeks. The mums which don't show any blooms in this picture are blooming purple flowers. We were assuming they were going to be yellow like the ones in the picture below, alas, they were not. The Ivy on the fireplace has really done well for just being in place for 3-4 months. The Atlas Cedar survived a transplant earlier this summer and is looking healthy. It has grown quite a bit since spring.

The yellow mums have done quite well, but there are a few that survived one of my sprinker "dig-ups". I trust they will be much improved next year. The Native Grass has turned out beautifully - we had no expectations of it heading out, but it has been a pleasant surprise. The Holly Bushes are starting to produce the holly berries. The Sunset Maples in the front yard are starting to change, and remind me of the foliage in Maine and Vermont.

We have spent quite a bit of time working with the yard to turn it into an area that brings peacefulness to our home. I walk out into the backyard in the mornings with that first cup of coffee and it tends to start my day off all the more relaxed in spite of what may be on my desk at the office.