This Grandmother's Garden: Autumn

Showing posts with label Autumn. Show all posts

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Giving Thanks Is More Than A Holiday

It's How Happy People Live

Friday, November 22, 2013

Taking Time to be Thankful...

Light from above

reflections of divinity...

a gentle reminder of a season of Thanksgiving.

Autumn View from my Back Door

Taking time to be thankful this morning.

I've been blessed with so much.

Today I am thankful for sweet blogging friends...

you make me smile and bless my life.

Enjoy this short video...

it will make you smile.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Gratitude

join me?

All content created by Carolyn Bush | Copyright © 2010 - 2013
All Rights Reserved | This Grandmother's Garden
Highland, Utah, USA

Friday, November 8, 2013

Tis the Last Rose of Autumn...

Tis the last rose of "Autumn"
Left blooming alone;

All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone;

No flower of her kindred,
No rosebud is nigh,

To reflect back her blushes,
To give sigh for sigh.
~Thomas Moore Irish poet

Tuscan Sunset in Golden Autumn

The morning air has been crisp and cold

for some time now.

Not many blooms

from my window view.

Aromatherapy Rose Dancin' with the Burning Bush

But a brisk walk in the chilly air

revealed these sweet survivors

down my Rose Garden Path.

Hmm... must be a pocket of warm there

to entice these beauties to dance

in this Autumn glow.

Cherry Parfait Rose in Golden Autumn

Gather ye rose-buds while ye may,

Old time is still a-flying.
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.

~Henry David Thoreau

All content created by Carolyn Bush | Copyright © 2010 - 2013
All Rights Reserved | This Grandmother's Garden
Highland, Utah, USA

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Quick! Grab the Camera!

The clouds were gray and dismal...

so thick that there was no trace of the beautiful mountains

that tower over our gardens.

It was morning...

but there was no light.

I just wanted to crawl back into bed.

♦♦♦

Then quite suddenly

the sun began to break through the clouds.

Long beams of sunlight

swept across the landscape illuminating the shadows

and bringing bright color to our view.

It was glorious as the dark shadows

began to flee away.

Surely one of those

Quick! Grab Your Camera

kind of moments.

Wish you could have been here.

All content created by Carolyn Bush | Copyright © 2010 - 2013
All Rights Reserved | This Grandmother's Garden
Highland, Utah, USA

Monday, October 21, 2013

Capturing Autumn's Golden Light

The first ray of sunshine

peeked through my office window

and I knew time was of the essence.

Grabbing my camera and a jacket

I flung the door wide open

and ran out into the chilly air.

Autumn's Golden Light

is tiptoeing through my gardens...

and I so want to capture her.

Autumn Confetti

Branches ignite into flame

as sunbeams slip in from behind.

And if I'm not quick

I'll totally miss this magic moment.

Flame Maple

I carefully place my lens...
the sun shines through each leaf
to capture the radiant glow.

Illumination

The gentle touch of Midas...

begins to illuminate my world

with soft tones of a golden Autumn.

Glorious!

Capture complete... and isn't it glorious?

I'm quite sure the leaves wait patiently all year long

for this illustrious event.

I know I do.

Oak Leaves on Fire

Morning in my gardens is always magical

but Autumn mornings...

Autumn mornings are simply divine.

Don't take my word for it...

try it out for yourself!

All content created by Carolyn Bush | Copyright © 2010 - 2013
All Rights Reserved | This Grandmother's Garden
Highland, Utah, USA

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

October Blooms for GBBD

Bright and early this morning I went outside with my camera

ready to capture images from my gardens

for this Garden Blogger's Bloom Day.


Black-eyed Susan ♦ 'Red Rocks' Beard Tongue ♦ Pink Double Knock Out Rose ♦ 'Bandito Rose' Lantana ♦ 'Quick Fire' Hardy Hydrangea

Daisy ♦ Snapdragon ♦ Geranium ♦ Prairie Mallow

Don't let the pretty pictures fool you...

Autumn has definitely made her presence known

in my Utah Gardens.

The days are way too cold not to wear a sweater

and we've had enough frost that many of our blooms

are just gone for the season.

The images above are survivors...

single blooms nestled here and there

in a warmer micro-system near the house.

The warmer temps there

enticed them to bloom.

Not all the flowers fare so well

from the frosty air.

The blooms and buds are damaged by the frost...

and most turn brown and die.

But sometimes frost will only touch

a portion of the bud...

and though a little mis-shapen...

they are still beautiful to me.

Can you tell which side of this dahlia

had freezer burn?

Leaves are definitely turning in my gardens

and are beginning to fall.
I love this time of year.

Summer and Fall seem to have a tug-of-war
with cold, frosty mornings
then warm sunny days.

Then Old Man Winter will occasionally sneak in
to cover my gardens with snow.
Early snow always melts
and the gardens live to dance a little longer.

Fresh snow in the mountains above us

is a stark reminder

that Winter will be here to stay
way too soon.

♦ ♦ ♦

Join Carol at May Dreams Gardens

for more October blooms

all across this beautiful world.

Highland, Utah, USA

Friday, October 11, 2013

Don't Ya Know I've Had a Hard Day?

I'm feeling a little ragged

around the edges...

Raggedy Annes

Spent my whole day updating my template.

The pastels of Spring

just weren't speaking to me

anymore.

Pretty in Pink

I really like to change this blog

with each

changing season.

Don't even know

what happened to Summer...

I blinked

and she was gone.

Just an Old Zinnia

Thought I'd have it all up

and running

by noon.

That was long before I realized
Blogger is now

new and improved.

Last Leaf Hanging

Don't they know

that if it's not broken

they shouldn't try to fix it?

Changing the header was easy...

but the blog colors?

Oh my...

they'll just have to stay pastel

until I figure it out.

Done this dozens of times before

Never have I had

such trouble.

Enlightening Leaves

I've read too many tutorials

on how to fix Bloggers bumbling

and I can honestly say...

None of them work.

Maybe fresh eyes

another day

will solve the mystery.

♦♦♦

Update: Fresh eyes in the morning...I figured it out.
And I love the new Autumn look...
what do you think?

Highland, Utah, USA

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Come Find Inspiration With Me

Sometimes I need a little fresh air

to clear my mind...

Autumn's Gold

and a little space

to forget about present cares.

Sweet Reflection

Time to look back

and reflect on where I've been...

The Road Ahead

and inspiration to look ahead

so that I may once again move forward.

Autumn's Refuge

A place to find solace
and direction.

Red Leaf Waiting

A connection to the Spirit...

Harmony

that my soul may be filled
with harmony

and peace.

Crystal Clear

And sweet assurance that
God, indeed, is in His Heaven.

Mt. Timpanogas September 2013

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber."

Psalms 121

I invite you to

Come listen with me...

I promise your heart will be touched

as you experience a sweet connection with Heaven...

and you will find inspiration
and harmony
and peace.

All images taken on the far side of the mountains behind my home...
it's so beautiful up there!

Highland, Utah, USA

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

What Matters Most

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

For all of this I am grateful...

Take a quick minute and enjoy this short video.

May it remind you of what matters most... to you!

♥ ♥ ♥

Thank you dear readers...

your comments are the sweet nectar that keeps me posting.

Be sure to leave a link in your comment so I may visit you.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Blooms! Blooms! Are there any Blooms out there?

What could possibly still be blooming in my gardens?
It's GBBD and I woke up early to find the answer.

Last week's snow has melted

but the night-time temps are still below freezing

and the Highland winds have now left our trees bare naked.

Could there be any blooms out there?
O-h-h but it's so frosty cold.
Be brave.

A rose that's just hanging on...
but still
oh, so beautiful.

Close-up of the sugar coated frost-ing
this morning brings.

"If you can just hold on a little longer dearie...

you might become a plump little 'rose hip' like me."

Hmm... that little rose may have missed her chance.

It will have to warm up a whole lot for that to happen.

The pom-poms of the Sea Thrift aren't easily swayed by the cold.

They'll be blooming till their buried
and will be one of the first to bloom again next Spring.

The Quick Fire Hydrangea has long ago lost it's rosy color

but it's golden tones will last well into the Winter.

They are definitely some of the bones of my garden...
I've planted them everywhere!

As are the Limelight Hydrangeas.

The sun is up now and the frost is melting quick.

Did you catch the sparkling crown on these dainty blooms?

Oh my! What do I spy?

This sweet little violet alive and vibrant
near the foundation of our home.

Must have found a little sunbeam that enticed it to bloom.

Sweet Alyssum is always a stalwart.
Always the last living bloom in my gardens.

Hearty burgundy mums

still find enough warmth to keep them alive.

And this Echinacea will live to dance another day.

♥ ♥ ♥

Before the last snowfall I spied a little Scabiosa
just beginning to bloom.
With already a dozen or so frosty nights,

I smiled at this little blooms fortitude.

All the other blooms in his garden were long gone.

I'll take his pic tomorrow, I thought.

Then tomorrow it snowed and snowed and snowed

and I never took his picture.

But since our snow melted....

Look who I found!

Don't let the color fool you.
He is literally frozen stiff.

What a brave little bloom he is.

So happy to join Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

Head on over to see Carol
and all the others who honor this day.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

When Winter Collides with Autumn

"Today is the last day of Autumn in my gardens... I feel it in my bones. That plus the weatherman is forecasting a big change for tomorrow... snow and snow and more snow with temps dipping into the low teens. Looks like Old Man Winter is gonna stay this time. Enjoying the last bit of color in my gardens."