Welcome to the first day of fall! We, in the Pacific Northwest, are fortunate to have four distinct seasons. I say we are fortunate because not all parts of our country (or world) experience the changing colors of fall foliage; misty autumn rain falling softly, frosty winter mornings yielding to sun-breaks, early spring walks on the first dry day in weeks or the pleasure of relaxing in the warm summer sun with a good book and a cold drink. As summer wanes I have time for reflection and harvest. Winter will give me time to plan and prepare for spring. Spring is a mad dash to plant before summer comes again and when summer comes I just try to hold on for the ride! I know many folks morn the end of summer and dread the coming months of short, wet days ahead but think of the alternative – you could live somewhere else and would likely still end up complaining about the weather.
When I was a child my family moved to Florida; never having been there, I looked up Florida in our encyclopedia (the internet was a few years away yet) and reading that it was called “the sunshine state”. I remember seeing pictures of palm trees and white sandy beaches and thinking what a paradise it would be; we would swim in the ocean every day, pick oranges from the backyard and love every minute of our new, tropical lives. Of course this was not quite the way things went; time passed and we became accustomed to the weather. No longer amazed by another beautiful, sunny day we chose indoor activities to avoid sunburns and insects. I remember how odd it felt to un-wrap Christmas gifts in shorts and the year we found a scorpion on our Thanksgiving pumpkin pie that was cooling in the garage. When my older sister reached college age she declared to our family that she would be going to school somewhere with “seasons”; she went a little overboard and moved to Wisconsin where she still lives today but I think that her statement resonated with us all – we were missing the seasons. Shortly after my sister’s departure we all left the sunshine state and headed back west.
Oregonians rarely allow a beautiful day to go un-noticed and often make the most of it in any and every way possible. One sunny day during the rainy season can keep us going for days and be the topic of conversation among both friends and strangers; a conversation full of smiles as we recall the glorious moments of warmth and light. Looking back, it seems so obvious to me now; only with winter can we truly appreciate summer and vice versa. As the sun sinks in the sky and the leaves turn shades of gold and orange be thankful for the seasons – even the coming winter; it’s our version of paradise.
Looking for a way to chase away the gloomy day blues? Despite the weather, there is always something to do in the garden! Join me each weekend in the garden centers for garden inspiration, tips and workshops. Click here for our upcoming classes & events schedule.
Welcome to the first day of fall! We, in the Pacific Northwest, are fortunate to have four distinct seasons. I say we are fortunate because not all parts of our country (or world) experience the changing colors of fall foliage; misty autumn rain falling softly, frosty winter mornings yielding to sun-breaks, early spring walks on the first dry day in weeks or the pleasure of relaxing in the warm summer sun with a good book and a cold drink. As summer wanes I have time for reflection and harvest. Winter will give me time to plan and prepare for spring. Spring is a mad dash to plant before summer comes again and when summer comes I just try to hold on for the ride! I know many folks morn the end of summer and dread the coming months of short, wet days ahead but think of the alternative – you could live somewhere else and would likely still end up complaining about the weather.
When I was a child my family moved to Florida; never having been there, I looked up Florida in our encyclopedia (the internet was a few years away yet) and reading that it was called “the sunshine state”. I remember seeing pictures of palm trees and white sandy beaches and thinking what a paradise it would be; we would swim in the ocean every day, pick oranges from the backyard and love every minute of our new, tropical lives. Of course this was not quite the way things went; time passed and we became accustomed to the weather. No longer amazed by another beautiful, sunny day we chose indoor activities to avoid sunburns and insects. I remember how odd it felt to un-wrap Christmas gifts in shorts and the year we found a scorpion on our Thanksgiving pumpkin pie that was cooling in the garage. When my older sister reached college age she declared to our family that she would be going to school somewhere with “seasons”; she went a little overboard and moved to Wisconsin where she still lives today but I think that her statement resonated with us all – we were missing the seasons. Shortly after my sister’s departure we all left the sunshine state and headed back west.
Oregonians rarely allow a beautiful day to go un-noticed and often make the most of it in any and every way possible. One sunny day during the rainy season can keep us going for days and be the topic of conversation among both friends and strangers; a conversation full of smiles as we recall the glorious moments of warmth and light. Looking back, it seems so obvious to me now; only with winter can we truly appreciate summer and vice versa. As the sun sinks in the sky and the leaves turn shades of gold and orange be thankful for the seasons – even the coming winter; it’s our version of paradise.
Looking for a way to chase away the gloomy day blues? Despite the weather, there is always something to do in the garden! Join me each weekend in the garden centers for garden inspiration, tips and workshops.
