I dread this day each year.

Check that, I dread this day each year x 2.

First off, I don’t like the day after Halloween.

No, I’m not a trick or treating ten year old. And I do not have an unhealthy fear of Movember (I could grow a mean mustache if I wanted to).

The day after October 31 each year represents the end of an era; and that “era” is the Fall. Technically I realize we still have another month and a half of the season, but you cannot tell me that it doesn’t look and feel way different once November 1st hits.

Most of the remaining leaves fall off of the branches overnight. Those wonderful shades of red/orange/gold are cut by like 75%. The air smells different. There is a new kind of chill/breeze in the air.

No thank you.

Here is some photographic proof:

The last surviving bloom in my garden.

The last of the peppers have fallen off and surrendered.

The grasses are moving closer to their winter buff color and were swaying in the wind like mad today.

Now that the few remaining flower petals and color have decided to leave us, all we have until Spring are the seed heads.

The concept of bark is back.

To add to the misery and reason #2 why I hate November 1st this year, is the arrival of Daylight Savings Time. The dreaded early evenings are back. I have to leave work each night in complete blackness.

Yes, the darkness has descended upon us. And this is what it did to me overnight.

And my wife was infected as well.

You have to admit, we are awesome looking zombies.

How things are looking right now:

Awesome mix of color viewed from my garage.

Need I say any more about Panicum ‘Northwind’?

While it is still too early to draw a conclusion, I have loved year 1 of my Pennisetum ‘Desert Plains’. 

Molinia ‘Sky Racer’ has been phenomenal yet again this year, now I need to surround her with some decent companions.

Ninebark ‘Diablo’ leaf color is way cool looking right now. 

As is Ninebark ‘Amber Jubilee’.

Year 2 of Fothergilla ‘Mt Airy’ hasn’t disappointed and I’m thrilled with how well it is holding its leaves to date.

Geraniums (this is ‘Brookside’) are way underrated in terms of their autumn color.

I rescued this Bergenia ‘Rosi Klose’ from a nursery late last Fall and while it has been a bit slow to establish, I am digging the color right now. Fingers crossed. 

Baptisia seeds are finally visible. Now to research the best means to save these and make them viable.  

All of my recently planted Hyacinth are emerging with the warm weather of late but that is coming to a drastic halt this weekend. 

Thanks for stopping by.

John

I ripped out and disposed of all of the tomato plants today.

This is officially the last tomato harvested in 2014.

If you look closely enough, you can find pieces of my heart mixed in with the tomato plant scraps. This sucks.

I will praise autumn and the color extravaganza it provides and will romanticize this time of year and the plant “circle of life”. But just know that deep down I am desperately missing the summer and the warm weather.

It was seasonably warm today; in the mid 70’s. And holy hell did I enjoy it. Yes, there were maple leaves strewn all over the lawn reminding me this was a blip on the radar.

And even the Rose of Sharon was giving out a fall vibe.

But I was sweating like an animal as if it were July 15th and loving every gosh darn second of it. I cannot put into words how much I love getting in the dirt, developing blisters on my palms, blinding myself with sweat and listening to nothing but the sound of the grasses swaying in the wind. My “zone”.

And now we are heading into the “dead zone” for another four months. Before you tell me that we need this time and that we wouldn’t appreciate the spring without the winter, save it. I’ll come around eventually but not today. I want to see all of my coneflowers in bloom, not the spent versions that are currently inside my house as Halloween props (true story).

Deep down I appreciate the wonderful fall  color on my Geranium ‘Espresso’.

And even with the less renowned Siberian irises.

But dammit, I still want to pick weeds and deal with the dizziness that comes with it.

F you Fall.

Sincerely, John.