HOW CAN IT BE? SUMMER HAS FADED INTO WHAT WE CALL FALL HERE IN WISCONSIN

Rudbeckia sees summer out by brightening up a dark corner with Black Ninebark bushes and Hillside Black Beauty - Sambucus in background.

Ever hear the words "It looks kind of seedy?"  Well, that is what my gardens description is beginning to look like.  The vibrant colors reflecting the summer sun on a sleepy warm day are now going to seed.  No matter how much dead heading (removing seed heads on flowers) that I do , the beautiful flowers refuse to bring back their budding growth.  instead things look seedy!  Like the pink cone flower in lower picture.  The rudbeckia, a smaller version of the above picture is what I call Black Eyed Susies, is still going strong for a few more weeks

                                                    

Teddy Bear Sunflowers brighten up a spot in my Vegetable garden.

Phlox, more Rudbeckia,   still sprinkle a little color in the fall garden.  The Dasie and gay feather in the lower picture are now gone but the potted containers still hold their own. 

Our many trees that we planted the past 25 years are giving up their fresh look too.  I see shades of Carmel, dusty browns and pale greenish gray leaves falling.  The exciting blush of Wisconsin's fall leaves have not begon and already the Cottonwood trees are nearly bare of growth. I gaze out the many windows in our house and see a peach tree bare of fruit, crab apple trees laden with their red berries that will gift the tardy Robins a late meal because they have failed to leave for warmer states like the swallows that now line the telephone wires getting ready to migrate to a warmer climate.. 

Bonariensis Verbena are almost as tall as I am and the cosmos are sprinkled in between.  They are annuals and will seed themselves in spring but oh do be very careful because they come up late and if you are too thrifty with your weeding you will dispose of them before they can arrive the next summer.  Leave that area for last in spring cleaning.  I let the stalks stay up all winter ensuring that the seeds will fall and replenish my next batch of Bonariensis Verbena .

Today our farrier for the trimming of the horses hooves came.  He is the best farrier I have come across in the 18 years that I have had my horses.  My old mare Refa was in pretty bad shape before Mark R. Albright (markralbright@yahoo.com)  (cell: (920)379-5003)  started to trim her feet.  She was very sluggish and in a lot of pain.  I had thought I would have to put her down (meaning vet giving her a shot to end her life) but Mark has done remarkable things with her.  She can again gallop, and often trots happily out to the back pastures as if she is a youngster again, when I let her out of her stall.  Mark is so patient with my older horses, even my Moose who hates his feet picked up. 

Refa waiting to go out to back pasture.

Mark Albright trimming Ginger our pony's hooves.

He has a gentle spirit about him which my horses can sense

and it calms them as they get worked on.  Mark is from up by Green Bay but drives even to areas near Milwaukee because he is so good at what he does.

Wishing you the ride of your life this week!

I leave you with this quote ......

Kate

"Finish each day and be done with it.  You have done what you could.  Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in;  forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense"   RALPH WALDO EMERSON *****