The most lovely time of year in Texas is Fall. Or maybe Winter. Or maybe Spring….
But certainly not Summer.
I think that is why the loveliest time of year begins whenever Summer ends…..and that’s Fall.
Fall fills my soul with complete joy. The renewal of my garden heart. The happiness in everything I hope for, and the delight over the bulbs and flowers I long to see. The Oxblood Lilies, Spider Lilies and Sternbergia have bold shades of Fall colors. The Garden is vibrant and full of majesty.
It doesn’t take much to make me a happy camper. Give me a shovel, a bag of compost and a new bag of bulbs, and I’m happy as a lark…..except in the Summer. On a hot summer day, I can be found sulking and pouting like a child who doesn’t get their way at the candy store. I am grumpy and irritated that I am unable to tend the gardens the way I’d like. When I am in the gardens, I spend all of my time trouble-shooting, desperately trying to keep my flowers alive. Every single year, I secretly worry that it is the very last time it will rain. Summer in Texas is a hard time for a gardener.
But then, like a cool drink of water on a hot day in the garden, the rains come. The gardens come back to life. The Fall Bulbs bloom and life is restored. The gardens become like a magical oasis for birds, butterflies and flowers. I am, once again, reminded why I spend so much time tending flower bulbs.
Fall has once again arrived in the gardens. I am grateful and loving every single moment.
Happy Gardening, my friends.