The final act of a glorious show!!

It is always a li'l sad when the glorious show of the flower kingdom is nearing the end. One sits transfixed, through act after act of gloriously coloured flowers; each spending their time dancing in the sun and then delicately sashaying to the wings so that the next group of the floral troupe can take centre stage. Then the curtain call. One last resounding applause in acknowledgement of the  players who have displayed their pretty best. All performing on cue; giving all and sundry much delight, then departing  to rest, recoup and slumber for a while; in readiness for an even better and grander  floral show next year.

Though the curtain call is not far off, the Autumn act is still performing it's rhythmic dance. Autumn in our garden is still producing masses of gorgeous flowers for all to enjoy, for just a little while longer. The Autumnal days have been ones filled with sunny warmth, but the early mornings and evenings are beginning to get just a wee bit chilly. It won't be long till Jack Frost finds his way to our neck of the woods and sends the flowers scurrying to their garden beds beneath the earth.

Autumn is a lovely time of the year here in Tassie. It reminds me of the end of the beginning. The final act of a glorious stage production. Spring is the awakening of new floral life after an icy sheathed, Winter garden. It is the season where you see everything come to life after the malaise of Winter. Then Summer arrives, bringing much activity and thriving growth which gradually moves into Autumn, where the trees gather from the wardrobe department, the most glorious leaf-inspired dresses of burnished yellows, ochreous oranges, gorgeous reds; all gently falling intermittently to the soft ground creating a crunching, crinkled carpet of variegated loveliness.

Autumn/Winter trees provide a visual feast of wonderful bare sculptures and silhouettes against our country landscape;  waiting for the spring so they can come back to life. I love this cycle of  the seasons.
 

 My favourite, Hydrangeas, are still gifting me pretty blue mop head flowers, but they are gradually turning into gorgeous autumnal shades.

The gorgeous dance of the Cosmos has been spectacular. The best we have seen thus far. They have provided months of saturated, delicious, pink (and every variation in between) colour, stretching up to the blue, blue sky. For just a couple of packets of seeds, they having given oodles of delight for months on end. The Cosmos have grown to a height of over 2 metres!! Unbelievable!!

  

 Oh goody goody gum drops.....the woodcutter has been working hard (gosh he labours tirelessly) ....this wood will be needed sooner rather than later.

 

Sweet smelling, sweat peas, trailing up to the heavens; dosey doe-ing with the Cosmos. I have been filling our humble li'l ole abode with small posies of sweet peas for months. Incredible!

Pretty, pretty Anemones.

Huge delicious, pink Liliums. These seem to grow like 'Jack in the Beanstalk' up to the heavens.

 

 

The beautiful, red Poppies have finished their dance, retiring to the wings, dropping seed for Spring/Summer.

 

 

 

 

Zinnias come into their own in Autumn.

 

 Sprawling Dahlias are still dancing ever so elegantly.

 

The last flush of Roses. Goodness me, Miss Maisie again.....always a willing model for these photo shoots!!

 

 Dainty, orchid-like impatiens pop up everywhere creating a beautiful floral carpet.

 

The Strawberry patch has continually produced bowl after bowl of delicious strawberries for months.

 

 

Miss Maisie, (again) my shadow, investigating the raspberries.

 

Our seasonal garden provides much delight. It is the gift that keeps giving. Living here in this rural outpost one can't just pop out to the local florist to buy a floral-filled bouquet to perk oneself up. Aaah such is life......but.....each morning I wander around the garden and pick flowers to decorate rooms within our humble abode, or indeed to give a splendiforous bunch of flowers to a friend for their birthday or perhaps, to gift someone who is having a bad day. A bunch of flowers is perfect for putting a smile on someone's dial. Such a small gift speaking many a heart felt sentiment. This container of happiness has morphed into quite a few bunches of floral deliciousness.

  

Isn't this vase of Dahlias just beautiful!! They are off to cheer up a teacher at Pete's school who is feeling a li'l "how's your mother", after dealing with some kiddos who have been a pain in the right royal unmentionable!!

 

I use a plethora of receptacles for vases. Here I have popped single stem Cosmos into an assortment of  the palest of blue wine bottles. Lovely in their simplicity!

For the past few months my husband and I have been 'playing convicts', arduously fossicking rocks from a nearby rocky outcrop (with the blessing of our farmer neighbours....you really didn't think that we would pilfer them....did you) and lugging them home to line the pond's walls, which my husband has been tirelessly working on. He has been slaving for yonks, unearthing trailer load after trailer load of  buried junk; car parts, rusty steel, concrete et cetera.


The previous owner seemed to have a penchant for concrete. It seems that he lurved to plant concrete everywhere......yukkity yuk!! No glorious green as green trees, sucking up all that yukky carbon dioxide to replace with good clean oxygen, so that we might breath a li'l easier!! No siree....it was a concrete jungle for him!

This area was an eyesore. Hasn't my li'l garden gnome done the most stellar job building 'his' pond and creating a beautiful oasis filling it with floral life!! It will be a picture come next Spring!!

 

 

I sit in this swinging seat, overlooking the pond enjoying many an hour or two, knitting, stitching or reading a good book. A friend commented to me the other day......"As I drove by the other day, I saw you sitting in the swing with a lace tablecloth overhead......only you would think of doing this in this rural outpost!!" Indeedy yes, what else would I possibly use a lace tablecloth for!!

A tea cup filled with the sweetest of fragrances, sweet peas to cheer your day. I am off to enjoy a quiet interlude beside the pond, knitting awhile in my garden seat. Wishing you all the most wonderful day!!