Did I just say garden?
Garden in November?
I know, it is all so strange to me, this garden journey, but yes, I wonder, would you like to meet me for a stroll in the lingering summer garden, on this lovely November day?
(I am listening to this)
(Click on any photo for a larger, more detailed view)
I feel slightly bewitched by it all. As well as tricked, for, when have summer flowers lasted so long? The last couple of weeks have found me frantically capturing every moment of the day in the garden, my walk through, and what I see.
With 10,000 recent garden photos, and mine poor eyes after looking at all the photos, I dwindled the choices of what to share down to 300. And then, down to 50 from that. An incredible endeavor, truly.
For some reason, I had a huge tug in the depth of me, desperately wanting to share the last garden moments with you. But most importantly, wanting to share it the way that I see it. From my height, my view. My most beloved spots…
..
The cool weather is coming, in fact, the winds and cold rain visited us with a fury night before last, leaving snow way up on the mountain. And still, the garden is in its full glory. Fuller and happier than it has been since spring.
Without knowledge of which morning I shall awaken to find the garden asleep for fall/winter, I scramble to savor each moment.
But today, today I decide to give in. I am not giving up on the garden, but I am giving in to the course of nature and an impending visit from father winter during fall, who will quietly put the garden to sleep for a few months.
Shall this be our last garden stroll of the season?
I have not a clue.
But, if you would take some time to wander with me, I would be tickled beyond belief….
There are critters and creatures everywhere.
Butterflies and bees have fluttered about in great quantities.
Sometimes, I just stand still, with butterflies whipping around my head.
I try to make a memory…
I walk back and forth through the arbor, trying to memorize the colors, the feeling in my soul. I have a hard time. Memories are not sticking, my mind feels full, and it can't choose what memory to keep. If I close my eyes, I can see bits of the garden, but thankfully, a photograph will always let me step back in when the summer flower season comes to an end.
It seems that the dinner-plate dahlias are not ready to give in to cold weather. With a handful of buds and blooms, they keep on. I have to find a happy balance in my soul between not being ready for this year's garden to take a nap soon, wanting to soak it all in before then and excited hopefulness for next spring…
Just be, I whisper.
Just be…
There are still pumpkins and cosmos growing in the garden outside the cottage. Twin pumpkins, growing bigger everyday. Unplanned last minute punkin babies, which I am thrilled about.
I try to photograph the butterflies.
They are so quick, so fluttery…
The buzzing of the bees is so loud.
I am beyond overjoyed that they have a place to eat.
I stand amongst them, preparing in acceptance to get stung.
But, they don't sting me.
They fly all around me, my hair, my arms – ignoring my presence.
Pumpkins and flowers are a wonderful combination, me thinks…
Down the porch stairs I go.
We have wooden stairs on one side, concrete stairs on the other side.
Different side, different flower faces.
Choose your side and plunge into the flowers, I shall see you there 😉
I suppose part of my frantic desire to capture every last drop of garden goodness is that, I didn't plan the flowers.
Or did I?
I planted hundreds of seeds.
I didn't have any expectations.
Many didn't happen.
I surprised myself with my daily, unwavering dedication.
No secret gardener, just me.
Every morning since March, I have been out there.
Watering, trimming, caring for growing things in the desert.
There were pumpkin patches and vegetable gardens too (as you may know).
Then, the garden decided to show me which flower seeds would flourish.
And so, I listened, and watched, and learned…
My garden hummed a tune of flower names, telling me which seeds would work best. After so many years, I found a combination that my garden loves. Zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, sweet williams, calendula, nasturtium, coreopsis, evening primrose, sunflowers, verbena, dahlias, hydrangea (in the shade), morning glory, and always roses…
The zinnias are really the amazing surprise this year though.
Blooms that last weeks.
Colors that astound.
Happy in scorching sun.
How can I thank them?
Is there a way?
I wonder?
I can't thank them enough…
The butterflies have adored them as well…
They really put on a show, wowsa!
I stand, silent, camera in hand, snapping 100 photos of one butterfly.
Every move…
I have not put away all of my Halloween goodies.
Pumpkin faces linger…
I have changed orange lights to white though…
So pretty….
I hope you brought some tea or coffee, or anything you like to sip? And that, you are enjoying your garden stroll with me…
I could stand here forever…
Simply gazing at these candy colors…
The time of day changes the garden dramatically. Morning brings yellows and faded tones, whilst evening brings a fantastically bright glow of color…
The zinnias below are wine red in person.
Must save lots of those seeds…
Zinnia seeds form at the end of the spent petals. I just love that. I start with the petals underneath the flower, and find a seed attached to each petal I carefully remove.
Seed gathering has been a bit of a constant. I can't wait to see what happens next year…
Did you know zinnias were so pretty?
I will admit, I did not.
I had no clue.
I never really even saw many, or knew much about them.
Just bought some zinnia seeds on a whim, and the rest is…
The morning glories, such a beautiful blue, crawling all over the place…
The front yard…
Then outside of my office, and across the courtyard on the gallery…
The gallery is covered. This morning I see hundreds of blooms waiting to open with the gentle morning sun…
You can hardly see the windows, I love that!
Also, outside of the gallery are cosmos bigger than my hand. I never saw such huge cosmos myself. The purple colors, which meet up with the bright orange marigolds, are super delicious to me…
Oh look, more butterfly love.
What colors/types of butterflies do you see regularly wherever you are in the world?
I have about 5 types that I see all the time in my garden…
And, I am sort of starting to be able to tell the difference between butterflies of the same type that hang out here. Mostly because of their wing injuries. One is missing a little spot in one place, others in another….
Sometimes, they all swirl around, mad & frenzied.
But, they don't appear in my photo, darn 😉
I love this little greenish yellow guy below.
Is he a moth or a butterfly?
I must look into this.
Either way, I love them the same…
Pretty.
Lovely butter…
Candy petals…
So blue, so bright…
Flutter flutter…
Oh, caterpillar!
He had about 10 siblings with him…
Ohhhhh, I almost forgot.
We had massive sunflowers this year.
I have collected 15" diameter sunflower heads, filled with seeds for next year.
This one was much taller than the house…
Orangette (watching her for seeds)…
The lemon tree got caught up in a soirée of super tall cosmos and zinnias. Hope he doesn't mind too much 🙂
So………
On a November day, the sun, still warm, beckons us into the garden…
Where you might meet up with any manner of creature…
And, where butterflies dance, still…
Where all we can do is be thankful, for the last flower garden days of this year…
And, spend as much time frolicking amongst the goodness, as we can!
Thank you so much, for taking a stroll with me, through so many photos. I hope you had a lovely time, and that for a moment, you really were here.
Love, Vanessa
ps: I feel so guilty! I didn't mention the thousands of birdling creatures that visit every day. Birds are fed in the center of the garden, every single day, by Mister Lovee. He even has different bird feeders for different seeds, based on which birds eat what. All sorts of beautiful birds gather round and sing extra loud all day long. We love them so! I would love to see all the different birds you see where you are.
duly transported ;D
Wow V! I just love all of your flowers and I wish I had the energy to grow all of those beauties!!! You inspire me so much! Maybe I should begin a little garden of my own…wink wink 🙂 Lovely lovely! And I enjoy all of the little fluttery butter creatures flying about. They are so energetic and beautiful. Sigh. Methinks it is time for a little trip to the nursery…:)
Cannot believe it! Your dedication is astounding, and I hope that when/if I get my own little garden going, it will be as beautiful as yours. Thanks for letting me take a little stroll with you 🙂
Hugs and hexes,
Jessica
A Woodland Fantasy
P.S…I saw that you mentioned your cottage. Are you planning on doing another post about the teensy house? Pretty please with sugar on top?
Missy V, that green “thingy” is a discombobulated moth who wants to think he’s a butterfly!! Oh! what beautiful webs you weave with your garden flowers and pictures. Such a delight to visit you. TPL
Miss Vanessa,
I am always amazed by your stunning photos!!!! The lens you have is incredible to be able to capture stills so close…of course, your composition is untouchable!!!! You are truly an artist in every inch of your being!!!! I am so glad to be a part of your world even only if in Blog and cyberspace land.
Much Love and
xoxo too…..,
Dena
Oh gosh. I am elsewhere when I see your beautiful garden. And in November at that, most places have already had snow! I feel like I am in a Midsummer Night’s Dream. What I wouldn’t give to be able to stroll around such a floral paradise with soft piano music playing, pretending I am Titania. You must feel that way, as though you are the queen of the fairies 🙂 I sometimes think you just might be, delivering us all some of your magical world on a regular basis.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful home, enjoy the decadence and butterflies while they last, for Christmas is coming!
Lots of Love,
Jenn
well hello stranger,
i’ve come to be greeted by my favorite flower. i LOVE zinnias. my house has been filled with pink zinnias all summer. now, they are gone, but every year i have a zinnia patch just outside my kitchen window.
how are you? i’ve been thinking about rhonda roo.
xoxo
kj
Sweet Vanessa…
What more can I say ~ “thank you”!
xoxo
Kim
Gerushia’s New World
You’re garden is absolutely divine! Thank you so much for sharing it with us! You’re butterflies are so beautiful too, but what creature wouldn’t want to reside in those amazing colours! Much love xx
I’m amazed how your garden is still in bloom and full with butterflies! What a lovely autumn! Home at my place everything is dull and brown. We should have snow by this time of year.
Love & kisses! You just made my night infinitely better. The people I work with can make me so angry sometimes, and I was hoping & wishing with all my might that you would have something new here to show me… and you never disapoint. ^-^
Your blog, your pictures, your words are balm to my spirit. The beauty of the flowers, butterflies, bees & puppy adorableness fills me up & overflows, leaving me smiling & feeling lighter. =D
Your flowers are amazing, especially those dinner plate dahlias! And that sunflower!!! And all those color of zinnias… =D It’s like living in a faery dream. ^-^
I love bees… I love when they buzz around me, land on me, pause in their nectar sipping to give me a wink & a wave. ^-^
I worked at an apple farm a few years back, giving out samples of apples & cider. I was surrounded by bees all day. People were afraid I’d get stung, but I was in loooooove. I’ve never been afraid of them, but I grew terribly fond of the tiny, hard workers that Fall. Our love affair is still going strong. ^-^
Wishing you the most wonderful days ahead, surrounded by flowers & butterflies. ^-^
XOXO
With my coffee in hand, I could stand in your garden forever too. Just stunning.
Thank you for the stroll.
Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!
I’m still getting watermelons from my garden, if you can believe that! And lots and lots of flowers and baby pumpkins on my vine.
But the long, dry summer and now fall we have had has prevented most of my flowers from surviving.
Thank you for sharing yours!
From this view…All is right in the world.
Nature is perfect, that can be counted on. When days are dark, you have captured the balance. Beautiful and thank you.🖤Debi
You have brightened my day by showing me all your beautiful flower friends. It’s dark and winter is coming quickly here, so for a minute you gave me brightness!!
Truly beautiful Vanessa, and so amazing is your garden of LOVE. I so understand how to capture the beauty as it surrounds you and changes from day to day could overwhelm, when you want to savor every picturesque vision of loveliness. I am thinking about all the happy critters especially the butterflies enjoying a bit of unexpected heaven on earth. This gives me such peace today as a stew over a busy crazy month of November. Cheers to you, as we enjoy our cuppa and the visions you so kindly share. <3
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful garden!! I too love to stand among the bees. We have a few ornamental pear trees that blossom in the Spring and there are so many bees in them you can hear the buzzing across the yard. I truly miss them and the birds in Winter.
Take care and Thanks again!
Tracy M.
You have simply amazing gardens with such wondrous flowers. You have captured them well. I could look around and not see the same thing twice.
Our flowers are gone, but not forgotten, thanks to yours I have to wait until spring for mine. Your photos make me feel that they are not gone forever. They remind me of things to come. Hello from Michigan.
thank you for sharing.
I wish I was a butterfly in your garden… it looks like a dream.
Oh! Thank you for such a wonderful stroll through your flower and butterfly garden.
I love the morning glories…such a beautiful shade of blue. What a fascinating mystery to find a zinna seed under each petal as they fade. You have been blessed beyond measure with your enchanting flower garden…with much hard work from your magical hands. Such bliss!
Thank you from the depths of my heart for sharing many photos from your fairy land of flowers~
Miss Teresa
I enjoyed every last scrumptious moment! Over the weekend I was doing some zinnia and marigold seed collecting myself. A couple of years ago I planted some Grandpa Ott morning glories (purple) because that is my husband’s last name and I liked the cute factor. Well, Grandpa has taken over the fence and puts on a show year after year – he reseeds himself! He even showed up in my little veggie patch and I didn’t have the heart to pull him out. I mean he is so diligent in blooming, I hate to discourage the old man!
Hugs,
Lisa
Oi! My Beloved Friendling, I have been here 4 times today and each time I’ve been interrupted by life…my life. But now I’m in the lab at school and had to pop in just 1 more time for all the lovely bountiful beauty in your world. SO MUCH WONDER to be sure.
Me thinks the butterflies are there for YOU. Of course the flowers draw them too, but me thinks they are whispering sweet words that only you can hear.
Oh, did I tell you, I imagined my stroll with a cup of steaming lavender and mint tea…silly girl…of course I imagined one for you too so we could stroll and sip and wonder in amazement.
Much love to you,
cori
Wow! Doesn’t look much like November….looks like Spring to me…..amazingly beautiful!
i just love and adore your blog! been visiting for a long while but have never commented. wish i were your neighbor. haha :):) your garden is so wonderful and your art/photography, etc so inspirational. thank you for sharing!!!!
Beautiful pictures of your colourful garden.
Great to see the pumpkins still peeping.
Ohhh swoon, all those colours are dancing around my heart just oozing flighty joy.
I have just come in from the garden, and being spring, the inspiration that screams to me from your flowers is mind blowing,
grow little seeds grow,
we could be there too!!
much love
sheree xxx
What a wonderful trip, meandering thru the loveliness of it all! I could feel my breathing become deeper and more relaxed just looking at all your colorful blooms..and my heart made happier by your reminder to “just be”…
Thank you…..
Wow.
I was moved to tears. I am amazed by the beauty of your garden and the way you capture it. Thanks for sharing a peek into your world. Thank you also for being such a great host for all of the bees and butterflies (and other little creatures!) who are so lucky to visit. I see fewer and fewer butterflies each summer here in my part of Kansas, but probably see Monarchs the most.
I look forward to seeing you capture the beauty of winter again too, as I guess its return is inevitable!
Oh the butterflies….some things are beyond words…thank you for sharing a window into your world!
I’m in awe! Such a magnificent garden. A treat for the eyes and soul. I especially love the Morning Glorys! Blue flowers are such an unusual treat. Vanessa, you have such a way of bringing peace and contentment by sharing your pictures and feelings with us! Thank you so much!
Now about the butterfly/moth question. I remember going to a butterfly nature place with my daughter when she was younger. If the antenna have little knobs at the end, it is a butterfly. Here’s a link with some other differences that help identify. http://insects.about.com/od/learningaboutinsects/a/butterflyormoth.htm
You are such a lucky girl to have such a beautiful garden in November!!! You should see what they did to our garden. BRRRrr frightning! hugzz…peebee
I read in a Fancy Nancy book that ussually butterflies- when standing on a flower- have their wings up, and moths have their wings down; I’m sure, however, there are exceptions to this rule;-)
As for thanking the Zinnias, you already are. The Universe is becoming conscious of itself, of it’s own beauty, through you.
Thank you for letting me into your garden, your beautiful world.
Lucky you to have such a beautiful garden and space. It is gorgeous!
Thank you ever so much for the most excellent stroll through your awesome garden, it made my day.
Have a great day.
Always, Queenie
Your gardens are always so beautiful. How lucky you are to be surrounded by such natural beauty every day! Just be, and enjoy!
Thank you for that wonderful stroll through your garden – my hunger for beauty has been sated for the day.
Yesterday I saw this post but didn’t have time to savor it. Today I revisited it so that I could take my time and really enjoy reading and soaking up the stunning visuals – It’s a marathon of beauty!
Thank you for taking us on that lovely (possibly) last walk through the garden, it is as gorgeous as ever! Also, thank you for all your pumpkin advice. I got two little white darlings off my pumpkin plant. Success!
Thank for for sharing your graden. We do grow zinnias, too. My hubby plants them in little seed planters during the winter. I’m collecting sweet pea seeds, marigold seeds, and zinnia seeds from my garden.
One of the things I love about living in the south even when the trees are brilliantly wearing their fall coats my roses and flowers are still blooming.
I wish growing season was just starting instead of ending.
Your Garden is Magnificent and I’ve so enjoyed taking a Stroll with you through it and enjoying your amazing Photography to capture the Essence of it forever. I planted Zinnias for the first time this year and they seem to thrive so easily in the Desert, so now they will be a staple to our Garden too.
Blessings from outside Phoenix… Dawn… The Bohemian
Oh Vanessa! What an amazingly beautiful post!!!! I SO love your gardens. Since the snow pretty much killed our gardens for the year, it was such a TREAT to see your sanctuary and the beautiful butterflies that come there still!!!! Such color – I think that is one of my favorite things about flower gardens. Color bursting everywhere – like a floral rainbow! hee hee hee xoxo
Breathtakingly beautiful! – Oh my! – Thank you for the tea and the stroll through your desert garden. xo
It’s very beautiful. One of the best things about a flower garden is the colors. It’s a spectacular sight, vibrant and lively, and it’s all done by the efforts of a person – and more importantly, Mother Nature. It’s kinda like a ship where the person is the captain steering the garden toward a certain direction.
So fabulous! So fun! Really enjoyed my visit to your garden.Especially in northern IL , -6° outside burried up to our eyes in snow. Yes Sunshine gorgeous flowers & butterflies was the best medicine for me. I must commend u on the spectacular job you have done at making your blog visit photos, narration and garden so artistic, tasteful, beautiful & unique. I too am very much a plant lover. Wish we were just gardens away so I could share seeds and plants with u. But I know u must be in a warmer climate. Where do u live? Chris mills Thanks for the nice visit.I have my garden fotos on Facebook I’d love to show u too if u want let me no so I can figure out how to befriend u. I can tell u r amazed by zinnias. I have never stopped being amazed by them in all my garden years!!!!!!! Now I would love to c u get hooked on bulbs, especially dahlias and saving new dahlia bulbs each year. Good luck. Happy gardens. I am. cemills56@yahoo.com. aka Chris mills fella plant lover.
I came to see your garden via the link you left in Alicia P.’s comments. So glad I did! What a beautiful display! So inspiring, and your narrative is absolutelycharming!