This past October was a gift; sun, rain, or some cloudy days, but there was plenty of growing in the garden. November… well, that will be a different story as a cold front is heading down from Canada and we will be getting the first frost this week.

For now, yellow and orange coneflowers are still in bloom and the ageratum provides puddles of blue. Even my Kniphofia and Veronica are still blooming as well as other assorted annuals. But I must face the fact that the outdoor gardening season is ending.

Six weeks ago, I took four cuttings of a copper-colored coleus; they rooted and are growing. In a few weeks I will be able to take cuttings from these plants and by the end of winter I will have a substantial number of new plants to put in the ground once the threat of frost is gone. But that’s (eek!) more than six months from now; let’s not even go there.

The indoor plants which “vacationed outside” for spring and summer have been brought back indoors. Begonias and succulents are back in the basement where they provide a colorful back drop in my plant room. As this is also a hobby room, I should be able to keep my spirits up during upcoming dark and dreary days!

Because of October’s mild weather and rainy days, the new garden out front thrived. The grasses continued to grow and as soon as my (Dutch-grown) bulbs arrived, they were planted. Next spring this garden will be multi-colored vision; foremost green from the ornamental grasses, but with white and pink Veronicastrum, yellow, orange, and red coneflowers, blue ornamental onions, Camassia and grape hyacinths, and bright red and orange celosia (to be grown from seed this winter). Considering this is my sister’s memorial garden, and Truus liked her flowers in all hues, I think she should be able to spot this garden from up there. This garden was started as a labor or love, but it ended up being a healing garden for myself.

And so, I slide into late fall, observing, a bit of puttering and diving back into gardening books and magazines for inspiration for next year!