The flip of a switch

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This is a deck planter photographed this week that won’t be cleaned out just yet. The ivy geraniums were amazing this year.

This past weekend I was enjoying summer. I didn’t (and still don’t) want to pull the summer annuals in the front of the house. Then just like that, Mother Nature pulled the plug. We had some “crisp” nights in the 40s (around 7 degrees C). We turned the heat on.

It turned a switch in our minds too. We need to start prepping the deck for winter. Put away the (rarely used) umbrella and start to clean out pots and planters. Our indoor plant that spent the summer at “outdoor camp” came in last night. It does not like temps under 50.

This transitional time is always the most challenging for me. Too cold in the morning results in clothing that is too hot in the afternoon. Never quite comfortable. Yes I know about layers but my freezing morning butt doesn’t believe it will ever be warm again. Then around 3 p.m., it’s wondering what I was thinking when I got dressed!

I’m starting to think about pumpkins. Last week it was way too early for them. That all changed in the blink of an eye (or is it a blink on the thermometer?).

One sure sign that I am ready is I’m sick of watering my pots every day. Every. Single. Day! I’m already planning changes to my garden next spring. Changes to make it easier. Less work. If only I could get the weeds to slow up…

52 thoughts on “The flip of a switch”

  3. That basket planter is gorgeous-no wonder you’re not ready to pull the plug. I spent the weekend in the mountains being a ‘leaf peeper’ for the changing aspens while attending my nephew’s wedding. It was 35ºF early this morning! But it warmed up nicely to the mid 60’s with gorgeous crystal clear blue skies.

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    • Only the earliest trees have turning leaves. We won’t hit peak until around the third week in October. We are having the cooler temps but nothing in the 30s yet. The planter exceeded my expectations this year!

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  6. We’re still having weather extremes so I DO wind up changing clothes (or at least tops since I always wear jeans) in the afternoon…..what works in the morning cool definitely causes me to feel overdressed by noon-ish. Anyway, I’m with you on thinking ahead to just how much outside planting I need to do in order to keep myself from watering constantly…….Most of my outdoor stuff is on the back deck and front porch – no more “trips out to the garden” to water. I used to have extensive gardens which required extensive time – I’m really no longer able to sit/bend/squat enough to maintain big gardens. Mother Nature is in charge of most of our yard these days!

    Hugs, Pam

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    • We did new plantings last year and some this year which required watering. Except for July, we had enough rain that we didn’t have to water too much. Everything on the deck is in pots so that has to be watered every day. It’s not overwhelming but I don’t do pots on the patio (under the deck) and next year I’m going to take out the shrubs-flowers around the patio and plant grass. It will make weeding a lot easier and make access to the patio (which is the real problem) easier too. I remember when I moved to my last house. We had built it so it had that bare look. I had 10 pots on the front porch and 10 by the back door to give it color. It would take me an hour each day (and I was working then) to keep everything watered.

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  9. Same thing happened here -from too hot to cold. I like it cold though. And it is never too early for pumpkins in my book. 🙂 Please tell Morgan the lazy Tooth Fairy finally got her package mailed today.

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  10. When I had a lot of flowers, my exuberance for the garden when I rolled it out over Memorial Weekend and how I felt by Labor Day weekend were definitely not the same! I’d rejoice when we had a good, steady rain which meant I could have a reprieve for a couple of days. I only watered the yard/garden a few times during the June drought – the rest of the time we’ve had a lot of rain. I can put the hose away now – this handyman does not flush out the gutters like the former handyman did. I often remove the hoodie or cardigan after my first loop walked at the Park.

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    • Yes there is a difference in attitude between setting up the garden and hoping for that first frost so you don’t have to water anymore! We are starting to slowly dismantle summer here. My husband likes to wait but it gets dark early and we aren’t using the deck much. I’m all about doing the work before it’s freezing cold!

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  11. That is so true about our crazy current weather. Yesterday and today I left the house in a long-sleeved tee, a hoodie and a windbreaker. Despite all of these layers, I will still freezing. 40 minutes later I was pulling off the windbreaker and hoodie like an over-heated lunatic. It’s hard to get it just right!

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  12. We had a problem with weeds growing between our base board and next door’s fence, so we put salt down. Seems to have killed them off and nothing will grow there, so no good for plants you want to thrive. Lovely planter!

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  14. Yeah, with the lack of rain, lots of watering was required this year. With my begonias and roses bursting with blooms, I’m not ready to take them away yet. BTW, I have some bulky cardigans I put on in the mornings over short sleeves and jeans. Sometimes though, if it gets hot in the afternoon, I switch to shorts. However, my body is always warm. If I’m cold, I’m either sick or it’s freezing out.

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  15. The 40s are winter for us! I am ready for even 70s to be cooler. Your flowers front and back are beautiful. I am tired of watering my pots every day too and vow to get rid of some but can’t seem to. Good luck on making it easier next year! Thanks for sharing your bit of fall!

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  17. Its been unseasonably cool here, as well as overcast! Usually September is our hottest month, but I am enjoying the 60-75 degree weather. Not getting pumpkin spice just yet, though.

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    • I knew who this comment was from immediately! That is perfect weather! My next door neighbor usually comes here for the summer. This summer she stayed in Florida. Not sure why or if this will result in a permanent move but it must have been a good summer there.

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  20. I completely relate to the struggle of transitioning from summer to winter. It’s always a bittersweet feeling when Mother Nature decides to turn down the temperature.

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    • Yes. On the one hand I enjoy wearing different clothes that haven’t been out of my drawer since spring. On the other hand, some days it requires a change in the afternoon because it gets too hot!

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  21. I hear you about the watering. In the spring it seems delightful, but as summer progresses I like doing it less. A neighbor across the street has put out her usual huge pumpkins and hay bales display. It does look charming in that fall way I like.

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    • By end of summer, my interest has waned although I love the beauty. Thinking of looking for fall display that is wooden or metal so that I can plop in from year to year with little fuss. We’ll see.

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  22. Commandment #11: Thou shall pull no beauty provided by God and Mother Nature until its beauty is no longer visible by more than one set of eyes.

    I’m happy for the weather transition, as it lessens my electric bill from running the air conditioners. Mid-fall is my favorite season. Mid-fall is defined as being more than halfway through the burst of color in the trees, yet still not so far that the beauty of those colors has all fallen to the ground and has become a plethora “crunchy” matting on the ground.

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    • I try to put off pulling the beautiful stuff until I worry about it being too cold to work in the dirt. Mid-October at least. In the meantime, I have two planters on the deck (without geraniums) that are starting to look straggly. They can get taken care off. I like a nice fall. I don’t like a surprise snow in October or a killing frost too early. We get what we get!

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    • I like the briskness of the mornings. Love crawling into a hoodie. I’m not a fan of 75 degrees at 8 a.m. Although that feels wonderful as a high right now, it’s not refreshing in the morning. I am happier on my walks too.

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