It’s no secret that Fall is my favorite season. Chalk it up to being an “October Baby” myself (at least, that’s how I’ve always justified it), but it seems that everything just feels right in the Fall. Unfortunately, Fall also feels like the most condensed of the seasons – like you have September/October and it’s done, even though it technically goes until December. As soon as the ghosts and ghouls vanish back into their crypts on the morning of November 1, that typically signals the beginning of the “Holiday Season” for me, and thoughts of winter soon emerge… and being in Northern Illinois, a November snowfall is not uncommon. I always feel as if I’m trying to cram as much Autumn goodness as I can into Sept/October, and one annual ritual is the changeover from Summer Flowers to Fall Mums.
The girls and I bought our Mums at Home Depot this year (I’m surprised they don’t know us by name there yet), starting off with a beautiful purple hanging basket that Addie picked out straight-away. Being little speed demons, both girls appreciate the double-seater “car carts” that they have there…
Back at home, both girls were eager to help Daddy out in unloading the Scion. Though it wouldn’t necessarily be the use you’d think of for it, our Complete Choo Choo Train Combo Wagon (which my friends at Step2 sent us awhile back) makes a fine Garden Cart for the three of us. It’s just the right size to haul some flowers (and kids) from the driveway to the backyard. Once we got back there, Addie was quick to start pulling the Summer Petunias from the landscaping around the Step2 playhouse (which their Auntie Jill bought them as a combined birthday gift this summer).
Once the little ones and I got the backyard done, it was back around to the front of the house for round 2. We re-did the Great-Grandparents’ washtubs (a seasonal tradition: See 2011 and 2012) and did more mums in some of the flower beds.
And here we are, October 15, and we’re not done with the Fall Planting just yet. Since I took these photos, we’ve decked-out the front with Fall and Halloween decorations, some locally-grown and purchased pumpkins, gourds, and straw bales, and now we’re gearing up for at least one more Fall Planting project. We’re going to plant Fall Bulbs for the first time this year… 200 of them, to be exact. They’re already here, and waiting for us in the garage. Stay tuned for my two-part blog on that experience… one this month for planting, and another in the Spring of 2014 when they bloom. Time and weather permitting, we’ll be loading up the wagon again later this week.
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