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"Possibility and promise greet me each day as I walk out into my garden. My vigor is renewed when I breathe in the earthiness and feel the dirt between my fingers. My garden is a peaceful spot to refresh my soul." Meems






Welcome to my Central Florida Garden Blog where we garden combining Florida natives, Florida-Friendly plants, and tropicals.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

October's Frosty Visit


Brrrrr... It was a chilly night. Temps plunged to the freezing point overnight. I don't think it lasted long but enough to leave the icy crystals on the vast open fields.

As far as the eye can see, there is a frosty layer of crystals covering what was green grass yesterday.

Does anyone recognize this beautiful setting?


It certainly isn't Hoe & Shovel. Would it be a stretch to say it is kin to Hoe & Shovel?

There was lots of bird activity at the feeders this early morning... not at all bothered by the brisk temps.

Yesterday I arrived for a visit with my dear sister, Marmee, in (Leiper's Fork) or Franklin, TN. Many of you are regular readers of her blog also. Her country homestead is kind of like stepping into another world for this Florida girl. It gives me much excitement to come "north". The colors of the leaves are a treat for eyes longing to see the changes of season and to feel the crisp air of autumn.
My sister is gifted with remarkable natural creative genius. Her interests and keen eye for beauty and uniqueness of design are well expressed in every nook and cranny of her home and garden. I've shared with you a peek of a few of the vignettes I captured on my early morning venture outdoors.

We are off to visit a botanical garden in Nashville today. Whatever exploration the gardens bring us, there is no doubt the day is sure to provide many more hours of non-stop chatter.

31 comments:

  1. How nice to visit with your sister and yesmam she has an eye for putting things together I love looking at her blog! Have fun and please post photos of your visit, ya'll could take pictures of each of you taking pictures.....LOL

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  2. Beautiful! It got quite chilly here in SW Florida for October, but not THAT chilly! How wonderful to have a sister! Enjoy and be blessed!

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  3. We lucked out along the Charleston, SC coast...just above the frost point. time to load iup the greenhouse, the cold temps will be here soon enough....beautiful frost shots...

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  4. Meems,

    Welcome to Tennessee! You must be heading to Cheekwood! I hope the frost left the perennial garden alone. It was in beautiful glorious fall bloom not too long ago!

    Marmee has a delightful blog. Her vignettes are always a treat.

    The day will warm up for you...have a sweet time. You must eat lunch at Bellemeade mansion...Martha's is a treat!

    Gail

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  5. You had me so confused. I wondered if I had mistaken the blog I was visiting;) It doesn't take much to confuse me.

    Anyway, those are great photos. I'm sure my yard looks like that but I have to go to work so early, I really don't know. Dark when I leave.
    Marnie

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  6. Hi Meems....that was so funny......I was reading and thinking they don't have frost in Florida surely........and then I twigged.....you are with your sister Marmee. Hope you find something to do with the lovely gate??
    You are so right Marmee has such a gift for dressing her home....her blog is a delight.....
    Enjoy your precious time together, have much fun.........

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  7. Oh Meems, I was so worried when I saw your title and the first couple of pictures. All I could think was 'all of Meem's tropicals are gone!' Relieved it wasn't your place. Your sister's area is beautiful and should provide you with lots of fall. Have a great visit.

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  8. I was about to say HOW did you get frost down your way! LOL

    Yes, I join the chorus singing praises of your sister's fine vignettes.

    Enjoy the BotGardens (and we expect a photo tour).

    Cameron

    PS Come on over to my blog and tell us how YOU, our Florida friend, overwinter!

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  9. Hi Meems,

    Great photos. What a nice visit you're having with your sis. I wondered how you had all that frost at home.~~Dee

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  10. Beautiful, frosty photos! What a lovely property.

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  11. Beautiful, mystique and 'almost silent' touch over your pictures Meems, very nice/ LOL Tyra

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  12. brr! so glad you arrived safe and sound! isn't it good to travel outside your personal comfort zone and look at someone else's perspective on life? i hope my two girls have a wonderful visit and can talk gardening and decorating to both of your heart's content. never have gotten to the botanical gardens yet, but i've been told you are in for a treat. your two blogs should be full of more awesome pics soon!

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  13. What a tease. I thought there was something awful happening in your garden. Ha... So glad to see that it was your sisters garden and it is supposed ot have frost this time of year. I know just how you two feel. I love to get together with my sister. We keep the air around us warm with all the chit chat. tee hee.... Enjoy your visit.

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  14. Well, I guess I'll have to join the ranks of those who were fooled too! Frosty Florida! Yikes - I'm glad it's not true.
    Lovely photos. I am sure you will enjoy your stay with your sister.
    Hugs

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  15. Have a blast girls. Wish I had a sister to visit. Great pix of Tn. I knew it wasn't Fl. Be safe.

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  16. Now, I'm confused! I thought you said you were on your way to your sisters. Oh, were those her photos? Wherever that frost was, it was pretty thick and lovely.

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  17. oh meems as i write this i see you sitting in my gathering room blogging away. it is so much fun to have you here. i LOVE my house and yard from the prespective of your lens. you do know how to capture the best of things. thank you for such a sweet tribute to our first day of visiting. i can't wait to see your other posts from tennessee.

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  18. Did Tenne see what Akan saw? I just had to say that and I knew right away that wasn't your home. It looks just beautiful. Are you freezing?

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  19. darla, We have each taken loads of photos. Not much time for posting but it is our aim.

    patricia, I think we had close to record breaking temps in FL. We are blessed to have each other. Thanks.

    Compost In My Shoes, The coast serves us well, too, keeping temps a little lower than inland. Good thing you have a greenhouse for later.

    Gail, I'M HERE! YAY! It was a perfect day. It reminded me of the beautiful winter days we have in FL. The perennial garden was a little bitten here and there but overall it was still quite alive... I was kind of surprised. They said they didn't cover anything either. AND BUTTERFLIES everywhere ... which also kind of surprised me. I have so many photos and no time to publish any yet... too much fun! See you soon.

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  20. Marnie, I admit it was kind of meant to throw you off but not for too long. I hope you didn't lose too much around your beautiful gardens... Isn't this kind of early for a first frost for you too?

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  21. Hi Cheryl, You are so right. If we have frost in my part of Florida it is quite unusual. And this time of year it would be disastrous. I might have to come back in the spring to work with that lovely gate. That's not a bad idea at all.

    Beckie, You are so right. There would be lots of weeping and gnashing of teeth if frost fell on my tropicals in October. :-)

    Any fall color is a treat for me. We have seen a good bit although I'm told there have been better years for it in this area.

    Cameron: The botanical gardens were so much fun to walk through for their beauty but even more so to do it with my sister was a blast. I hope to give you a photo tour if we have any down time. So far we are staying pretty busy. I'll head over to your place soon as well... even though I didn't even know the term overwintering until I started blogging. I overwinter just like I oversummer. :-)

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  22. Beautiful Meems! When I saw your post title I was surprised to think you had frost before me. Marmee's garden is lovely. Have a wonderful visit!

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  23. Dee, I guess it is the season for great fluctuation in temps from night into the day. The daytime temps are like a perfect Florida winter day. AND the sun is shining like in Florida so we are all happy.

    Nancy, Her property is about 7 acres and out in the country. I am in heaven.

    Tyra, Thanks... I like that description. You picked up on the quiet of a dawning morning I suppose. There was just me and the distant sounds of cows mooing but with the closeness of birds chirping about in the branches.

    SG: aka mom, You know so well how we jibber-jabber endlessly about decorating and gardening and everything in between. We haven't yet slowed and keep saying... "now finish that story about such and such..."

    Lisa, Didn't mean to scare you. :-)... You know my Fl garden well... it would not be a happy day if there was frost on my ground. We are well able to warm the air around us as you say!

    Wendy: We are cramming a lot into the 5 days I am here. And we are having a blast. Thanks for coming along.

    Aunt Debbi, Thank you. There are lots of gourds, squash, pumpkins, hay... all the things October is made of.

    Lola, It would be hard to fool you since you are north of me even. Having a sister is a most precious treasure.

    Sue, Didn't mean to confuse. I arrived Wednesday and Thursday morning there was frost everywhere except under the tree cover. I walked outside very early Thursday morning to take photos of the fields of frost and quickly got distracted taking photos of her remarkable fall decorations and focal points in her yard. There is frost on the ground again this morning but I'm looking at it through a window. :-)

    marmee: I was actually going through the hundreds of photos I took at Cheekwood. Never did get around to blogging last night in our few minutes of free time. But sitting by the fire place on a cold evening in your adorable farm house sure makes me dream of living somewhere else. Right now I should be getting ready for our busy day...

    Anna, Always good to have a visit from you so I can chuckle. No, I'm not freezing --- I am LOVING this cold weather actually. Wish I could have this kind of weather and still have MY garden. Ha.

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  24. Hi Linda, That's kind of funny... you haven't frost yet but you have had snow!

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  25. I have a friend in Louisiana who wrote me yesterday about frost so I thought "maybe" it was possible! lol Tricky you. Have a great visit with your sister. I've never visited her blog, I'll have to check it out.

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  26. Amazing. It was cold even down here. Really great shots.

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  27. How wonderful for you to be able to visit with your sister & experience different weather at this time of the year. Enjoy the Botanical Gardens. :)

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  28. Layanee: Thanks. We are having a wonderful "sister time together."

    Kathleen: I know, not exactly fair right? It has been especially fun for me... relaxing, catching up, seeing all the great places there are to see here... it is almost over and that makes me kind of sad.

    Robert: Yes, that last cold front actually made it down our way... so nice for Florida.

    Raquel: The gardens were a thrill for me to see what was growing in TN... surprisingly there was still a lot blooming and much still beautifully growing.

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  29. Beautiful, beautiful images, Meems. I can see how you would love it there, so different that your paradise in Florida, yet a paradise all its own.

    I remember that Amy Grant used to live in Franklin. Not sure if she still does, now that she's with Vince Gill. I'm a big Amy fan, so I should know that, shouldn't I?

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Have a blessed day,
Meems


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