"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands........" 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Suddenly it is September.................

 

and summer is almost at an end. I love and look forward to 
the arrival of fall, yet, I still feel a bit of sadness to see 
the time pass so quickly.  Now is the time that I start to gather 
the seeds from the flowers that are growing in the gardens.
I paint each particular flower or fruit onto an envelope and place in 
the seeds to be used for next year's planting.  I have plenty of seed
to send to friends and loved ones as well.
You may wonder about the "moon flower" packet for seed?
This is a moon flower in our back yard. It is also known as 
Jimson weed. 
It blooms large white trumpet flowers that are beautifully
fragrant and it only blooms in the very late afternoon and
through the night.

 
The days are still very hot but grow shorter.  The Monarch butterflies
and various migrating birds have made their way here,
stopping to rest, to get a bite to eat, and then in just 
a few days they hurry on their way to wherever it is they are going.
It seems that after Labor day the young people head back to school,
the working folk settle back into their jobs, and the
shores of lakes and beaches are quiet and lonely looking
as everyone has left to get back to"busy" with their
lives. Mornings here begin with a coolness and I am 
lured to just "sit" outside for a bit until the morning sun
burns the chill away.  Soon it will be chilly enough in the
evenings to linger out by a crackling fire to watch the setting sun
end the day.
Here's wishing you pleasant mornings and afternoons of 
these last summer days. 







14 comments:

Nancy J said...

The monarchs know when to migrate and choose a spot to winter over. Here in New Zealand they choose a place with lots of tall pine trees, near the coast, so a lot warmer than further inland. Not quite warm enough for an early coffee outdoors yet, we had 2 Celsius yesterday, this morning about 5 C, and now at 11 a.m. getting very warm. Hope you enjoy the last of those mornings warm enough to sit outside and see the sunrise.

Granny Marigold said...

I haven't ever heard of Moon flowers but yours sure is lovely.
It must be an awesome sight to see Monarch Butterflies in such numbers! And I love your idea of painting the flower/veggie on an envelope in which you then put next year's seeds. Each envelope is a small work of art.

Henny Penny said...

I absolutely love this post! Your painted envelopes are pretty enough to frame; such a neat idea. You know, I've wondered if the Moon Flower was the same thing as Jimson Weed. There are two Jimson Weed plants growing along our dirt road, since all the trees were cut. My Dad used to warn us about Jimson Weed being poisonous, but they are so pretty. Maybe I will dig one and bring it home. Like you, I'm happy to see the arrivel of fall, but feel a little sad that spring and summer passed so fast. You are such a good writer. Love to read your posts.

Lady Locust said...

I absolutely love those envelopes! What a clever and creative idea. They are as beautiful as the fruits and flowers that grow.

Laurel Wood said...

This is such a delightful post. How creative to paint the flower or veggie on the seed envelopes. A few years ago, we grew moon flowers. The neighbor girl loved to come over and watch the blooms open and enjoy the sweet fragrance with me! Just in the last few days, I notice that mornings are cooler, finally. Your butterfly photo is amazing. I have never seen that in person. I am enjoying the last of the hummingbirds. God bless your day. Mildred🍁

HappyK said...

Hard to believe it is Sept already.
Such pretty painted envelopes to store your seeds in!
All the monarch butterflies together like that is amazing.
What beautiful flowers on the moon flower - something I have never seen.
What a lovely post!!!

Prims By The Water said...

I the Spring the Monarchs rest from their Winter habitat while coming North. I love them. Am looking for the cooler temps with Autumn, but not the snow. Janice

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

What an awesome posting. I really love the Monarch butterflies and the moon flowers. What a beautiful posting.

Olde Dame Holly said...

It was amazing to see the bunches of butterflies like that! What a sight. I love your watercolor seed packets, too! Yes, fall is coming, and it is a bittersweet feeling!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Your creative way of marking seed packets is lovely, Kathleen, and do you save them for re-use the next year? Moon flower is a lovely name for a flower which is one I too had never heard of before. The monarch gathering was amazing and lovely to see especially since I have only seen a few in recent months. Fall is making its way to New England as well, leaves are slowly changing and with all the rain this summer, there should be some wonderful fall colors here soon and also cooler temps.

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

Love your photos as always, and how clever of you to paint those gorgeous seed packets. I've tried growing moonflowers several times here with no success at all. Maybe it's tooooo hot!

Bonnie K said...

Your moonflower is fabulous!!! I've always wanted to try growing them. Now you've inspired me. Thanks for swinging by my blog. I enjoyed your comments.

Marie Smith said...

Thank you for visiting my blog. I thoroughly enjoyed yours. How lucky to see the monarchs, but it’s not luck..

Rose said...

I love fall...lovely photos here. I have never seen that many monarchs together! And I love your paintings on the envelopes for the seeds.