Last week while sitting outside I happened to look up at the Pecan Tree and was thrilled to see Pecans ready to be picked.  The timing was perfect, the outer green shells had opened like the petals of a flower (first upper left photo).  I ran inside for this colander and grabbed a tall stepladder on the way out.  Every branch I could reach was enough to fill this container.  There are still plenty left since the tree is very tall so I’ll need a taller ladder to harvest more.  I rinsed this batch and laid them out a dish towel to dry.  These are the best nuts, they have a paper like shell that makes cracking them a breeze.  I’m so thrilled to have harvested a few before the selfish squirrels had a field day.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind sharing since there is more than enough to go around with the wildlife & us.   Plus it keeps them from digging up my flower bulbs over the winter.    Oh if you want to learn more about this tree you can check out  my fellow VA blogger  Janet @The Queen of Seaford’s post Tuesdays Trees-Pecan carya.  She does this post weekly about a local tree and it is very educational.  Or you can check out a post I did last year about this wonderful native here.

note:  by the way I changed the theme of my blog to reflect the season.  oh and the pecans were tasty, tried some last night.  yum! 

The green leaves of summer have changed into their autumn finery with hues of gold, bronze and red.  Before long they will blanket every surface of the garden. 

Hydrangea blossoms fade to paler versions of their former selves or take on new identities altogether…soon they’ll turn brown and blow away. 

Just like the leaves of the trees swirl and dance in the air with the slightest breeze through their branches.  They look like falling stars against the blue, blue skies.

It wouldn’t be Autumn without the blooms of Chrysantheums.  Their colorful faces are cheery on gloomy days.  Another glorious season to enjoy before Jack Frost puts the garden to bed for a long winter’s nap.

Yesterday morning  in the garden I spotted this Monarch butterfly happily skipping along the bright purple blooms of Salvia ‘Mystic Spires’.   Considering the day started off with temps in the upper 40’s I was a bit surprised to see this visitor so late in the season.  Of course I didn’t have my camera with me so I had to capture this winged beauty with my cell phone.  It took me several shots before I was able to get a decent one of his gorgeous wings.  Unfortunately he wouldn’t spread them open to give me a better angle.  Considering I didn’t see too many of these this past summer it was a nice way to start the day! 

I planted onions last spring in 1/3 of this bed and harvested them early summer.  Last month I noticed this small cluster popping up after clearing out the remaining spent tomato and pepper plants.  They are loving these cooler temps and extra moisture.

Here’s what else is still going strong in the veggie garden this month.  From upper left-right across: ‘Black Seeded Simpson’ lettuce, ‘Celebrity’ tomatoes, bellpeppers, ‘Purple Podded’ bean seedling and ‘Roma’ tomatoes.  I’ve cleared out most of the summer veggie crop but these few plants are still lingering on a bit.  I’m harvesting what I can for the moment.  The bean seedling probably won’t do much beyond this but I’ll leave it for now.  If anything the roots will add some much needed nitrogen back into the soil.