Enjoying The Garden Harvest...

Now that the heat has disappeared and temperatures are back to normal, I’m harvesting and enjoying all kind of tasty treats from our kitchen garden. The squash, tomatoes and lettuce have all thrived and bring me a smile with every bite!
I’m also doing some gardening projects like pruning, trimming, cleaning and generally making room and getting the gardens ready for a new season of inspiration. I have all kinds of new ideas and thoughts as I sit outside drinking my morning coffee in the garden. Sitting, observing and listening to nature unfold is a true joy. Listening to the birds and bees and watching a hummingbird zip by reminds me that day by day, season by season the garden is changing.
Oh, I don’t see the magic every morning because sometimes my head is full of other things! Electronic devices buzzing, deadlines and meetings to attend…so it’s those moments of inspiration that really speak to me and that I can celebrate. Here are just a few of my morning ‘inspirations’…
Morning coffee inspiration #1: This year, harvest and dry my hydrangeas. Our hydrangeas were absolutely spectacular this year. I’ll be creating a wreath for a friend and a swag for my patio door. I want to keep those gorgeous blooms and color in mind as long as possible.
Morning coffee inspiration #2: Refresh my summer pots and create autumn pots. The summer annuals in my pots are done but I’m not ready for colorless pots yet. In our nursery we have flowers that are cultivated to intensify in color during the cool nights and warm days…we call them autumn ‘magic’ because they are just so special. I’m using a combination of red and orange Mums, some autumn ‘magic’ plants like Verbena, Sunscape Daisies and Nemesia, plus grasses to spice up my pots and keep the color coming until the snowflakes fly!
Morning coffee inspiration #3: Create a festive autumn front door this season! Yes, my front door will have the things you can imagine like corn stalks and pumpkins, but this year I’m giving it a twist. I’m using two black porch pots filled with autumn Pansies and Million Bells, purple and green Kale, then adding some grape vines intertwined with faux berries. The corn stalks on each side of the door will be accompanied by pumpkins of all sizes, preserved leaves, gourds and any other fun autumn inspiration I can find!
Autumn is a time of inspiration…new colors on our trees, new schools, new flowers and new ideas! I hope that you too can be inspired by the changes that happen throughout the fall and have some fun while you embrace nature changing around us.
... Frances Grossman