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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.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

The Softness of the Autumnal Sun


The October garden is grateful for the subtle changes this new season brings.

Take a walk through the pathways that lead to some flowers and many plants and you can almost hear the sighs of relief.


Summer is intense in this garden with long days of endless sunshine.


Shaded canopies of live oak trees do their best to protect and filter out most of the direct rays from a well meaning sun.

Our days ever so gradually growing shorter, as the south pole tilts away from the most brilliant and largest star in the universe.

It is the closest star to our earth and without it we couldn't exist. Even so, almost immediately, with even the first indication we are shifting seasons...

there is a sort of collective sense in the garden that "we all made it" once again and now we look forward to cooler temps and less humidity.
These are the days when gardening seems like a breeze. Like this is surely what everyone was meant to do.

Days when all day long it's just me and the garden ... we are in sync ... we are hitting our stride together...

...diligently digging, trimming, pulling, moving, tweaking, planning, and planting.


Our colors don't change way down here in the south with this welcomed autumnal softness. But we do our best to supplement that deficit by adding our own forms and colors for year round enjoyment.
The temperatures have dropped to almost record lows in places everywhere. Snow in Chicago. Yikes.
At Hoe and Shovel we are breathing in the the brisk coolness with happy abandon.
Thanks for taking a breather with me today. Meems

23 comments:

  1. I am grinning to myself as I look at these beautiful photos full of such amazing forms and colors. I have had many of these plants in my home during long winter days. I will not think about you and your garden when I see them.

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  2. Ahhhh, a breath of fresh air, and sweet relief from oppressive heat and humidity. These must truly be reward days for your tenacity and sweat equity through the summer months.

    Your garden looks amazing as always Meems. The soft autumnal sun compliments it very nicely! The colorful foliage adds interest everywhere.

    Surprising nonetheless, the snow was a a fast-disappearing novelty here, thankfully! Thanks for the mention, Meems!

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  3. Beautiful, just beautiful! You are truly and inspiration to me. Thank you for sharing!

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  4. Meems -- how large is your garden? Are those meandering paths? I love all the foliage and flowers. Cameron

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  5. Ah Meems, I will be relying on you and other 'far south' bloggers to give me my doses of blooms and foliage. Your garden photos are so lovely. I recognize many from plants they sell in my area as house plants.
    Marnie

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  6. Today is a great fall day down here ... our first. They are calling for a record low of 47 degrees tonight.

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  7. Lisa: I hope the plants you have will keep you in good company during your long winter. It seems it has come in a quick blast.

    Linda: I like that: sweat equity. It's kind of gross but it's is defiinitely the truth. And now is when all that work pays off with lingering color and foliage still thriving.

    Good thing you were ready for the cold weather with you handy-dandy basement light and set-up.

    Darla: Gosh, you sure make a girl feel good. Maybe some time you will be down this way and we can dig up some pass-a-longs for your garden?

    Cameron: Nowhere near as large as yours. Just less than an acre. I like to think of the pathways as meandering. I have created them curving throughout the thickly planted areas.

    Marnie: Thank you. Some of my plants are sold as houseplants, too. I just choose to put them in the ground where they get much larger and I think, they are happier. Inside the house they don't seem to like the 24/7 air-conditioning.

    Robert: Today is a splendid day. The best so far this season. I envy your job allowing you to explore the outdoors everyday. Typically I'd be outside gardening allllll day in order not to miss a minute of it. But... I am packing and preparing to head out of town tomorrow. Yesterday was near perfect and I did get to be in the garden alllllll day so I'm trying not to lament.

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  8. I am pea green with envy at how ALIVE your beautiful gardens are. Just wonderful, Meems.

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  9. Hi Meems, thanks for taking on that stroll and sharing that soft light with us. There is a cold wind blowing here in TN and the sun is shining but it feels frigid. You leaf textures, shapes and colors are masterfully executed to create such a mosaic of lovliness.

    Frances
    http://fairegarden.wordpress.com/

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  10. Meems, I'm just sighing a sigh of pleasure at that lovely walk in your warm sun with all the lovely plants. It's cold and windy here and everything is brown (and red and yellow). Your words were like a song on the breeze - soothing and happy. The words and photos took me to my gardening happy place

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  11. Lovely as always meems. Today the walk and conversation felt like a gentle meditative guide. I felt my breathing slow and my body relax!
    A nice cleansing breath and I am off to post! Thank you, Gail

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  12. Your garden looks wonderful so easily flow the plants together. You have a grand variety of growing treasures. Happy autumn days Meems.

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  13. Is that summer sun "well-meaning"? I'm not so sure, Meems! But I'm glad you're enjoying the cooler days in the garden, as I am. Your garden is lovely.

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  14. Oh you can send some of your sunshine up our way anytime you want! We don't have snow yet - but cold temps and lots of rain today.
    Love your soft autumnal gardens. Must be a relief after the summer.
    Love & Light

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  15. My coleus and other plants were doing so well up until the last few days. Just like that, they are finished, now that it got down to the 20s last night. I am very sad, and it was a little hard to look at your pics at first, but then, I decided it was good to be able to enjoy them. I'll be back for more!

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  16. your garden is full of fall colours. i love it. i hope you won't miss it too much. i love the sun shining on all your colourful plants they all look as if they are glowing. see you soon.

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  17. So beautiful seeing so much color this time of year.
    Wonderful photos !!

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  18. It was nice taking a breather in your very alive garden.
    Here, it is pretty cold and windy. When outside doing a chore, i have to keep running in to get warm.

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  19. It's such a great time of year for us down here. I'm glad your out enjoying it as well.

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  20. Such lovely gardens meems. The paths are so intriguing. They beckon for one to come further into the garden to see what other treasures lie there. I enjoy each tour through your garden. Do be careful.

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  21. Meems - Question about your Ti plants. Do yours die back in the winter? Mine always do and it takes them until October to get them back again. This year I dug them all up in hopes of bringing them in and having big plants to put out in the spring. Just wondering if you did anything special with them. Yours look so nice.

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  22. wicked gardener: I am so sorry somehow I missed replying back to so many commenters on this post. I think maybe because I went out of town and lost track.

    But you asked a question. Did you know its hardiness zone is 10 and above? So you are working overtime against your climate. Down here it is rare if we experience freezing temps... I mean really rare. Also because of all my shade I almost NEVER have frost. Anyway, no, my Ti plants don't die back and fortunatley they look healthy all year long.

    Right now is when I am cutting out the tops and making more plants for spring.

    I think it is fun to push your zone but sometimes it means smaller plants. They still add a very bright spot of color don't they?

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  23. Oooooh. It never even occured to me to take cuttings! Thanks Meems!

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Have a blessed day,
Meems


September 2010

Back Garden: October 2010

Louise Philippe: Antique Rose

Tropical Pathway