Reflections

Autumn 2019 has officially arrived.  Time to reflect on the spring and summer goings on at The.  Acres---not that things have quit blooming.  There is still plenty around--the monks hood and fall crocus haven't bloomed yet--not to mention a few re-blooming iris.  But some musings on the last year are in order.
The weather was enigmatic.  All spring and early summer it rained and rained and rained.  I don't think I actually cut the grass until mid-May.  It was a hay field by then.  Tried to mow several times, but got stuck in the mud over and over again.  I wonder if the saturation of the soil had anything to do with the almost total absence of Japanese beetles this year.  Usually i have to battle thousands.  This year barely any showed up--a dozen at the most.  Did they "drown"?  Hope so.  I didn't miss them except in my paranoia that they were just going to arrive late this year.  I also wonder if the iris crop had any connection to the rain.  I had a great iris year which you know makes me ecstatic!  But it's puzzling.  Iris--at least the German ones--are not fans of wet feet.  Yet, they bloomed everywhere.  I expected a small bloom time--so many beds had been redone last fall, and iris usually take a couple years to bloom.  But not this year.  Whatever the reason a re-run next year would be fantastic.
I will give my Gardening Angels credit for five works of art at The Acres in 2019.  They planted one completely new wild flower up near the house--a tall bellflower.  It looks nothing like a bell, but it is tall--and a lovely blue.  Supposedly it's biannual so I'll have to wait two years to see if it returns--or, dare I hope--spread.  A second thing of beauty was The Bog.  There had to be at least two dozen cardinal flowers in there this year.  Now, that's spreading.  They mix in the crowds of hibiscus--from white to dark read, and with the yellow sneezeweed.  You have "to see it to believe it."  Third masterpiece--they brought back some poppy mallow--beautiful.  I have had some before but not for a couple years.  This time it bloomed literally all spring and summer at the crook in the driveway near The Ancient One.  And it was surrounded by a dozen bluish purple lobelia.  Lovely--wine read and purple blue go good together.  Fourth was the blooms on the white magnolia in the trees.  In the past it's been two or three blooms at best.  This year in the midst of the monsoon--loaded!  Finally, I'll give them credit for a brand new iris in Bed F.  Very little has bloomed in there for a couple of years, but this year a majestic iris bloomed that I didn't even know I had.  All in all, it was a good year for the Angels.
Work-wise I only added one new bed this year--up front; very small.  But I re-did a lot of beds, and still have a few more to go before winter gets here.  Should be fun and always adds to the expectations for next year.
The second half of summer has been the exact opposite of the wet spring and early summer--no rain whatsoever.  The Wild Area didn't mind--and I don't know yet who did, but I'll find out next spring.  Right now, The Wild Area is the show--waves of yellow goldenrod, islands of purple and pink New England Asters, a border of hundreds of heath asters, and small clumps of pink thistles.  Add a touch of blue lobelia, lilac bee balm, yellow sneezeweed, and darker pink coneflowers and you have another masterpiece--one I'm blessed with every year about this time.
All this to say that it has been another marvelous year at The Acres--weird weather and all.  Lots of walks yet to come--the leaves will change, the late flowers will bloom, the goldfish will re-appear for awhile, and snow walks will be here soon.  Too much beauty is impossible.  Thank you, Lord, for a lovely old age.