MY FAVORITE SEASON

We're headed into my favorite season here in the Hill Country. The plants (and the people) are so much happier, now that the night temps have finally dipped into the 50s and 60s. I decided to take a walk around this morning, to see what changes that had brought about.

The Inland Sea Oats are covered in their drooping seed pods, which remind me of woven rattan mats. The are one of the few plants that have done well for us in the shade of our oak trees.

The succulents are reaching their zenith, multiplying in size, taking on a blush of color, and sending up blooms just in time to succumb to the first serious freeze that comes along.

The Mexican Sage (Salvia leucantha) is beginning to bloom. There are two varieties -- a solid purple , and this one with the white protrusions, which is by far my favorite. Trouble is, you can't tell them apart unless you actually see them in bloom. Nursery workers will tell you "I'm pretty sure these are the ones with the white", but even they won't know for sure until they see them in bloom.

I've added a few pumpkins here and there, to fill in some empty spots near newer plants that haven't had time to spread much yet. Would have added a lot more, but after so many years of working in a nursery that sold every variety of gorgeous pumpkin each fall, and getting them for next to nothing with my discount, well, it just kills my soul to pay ten bucks for a fancy pumpkin at the grocery store!

The Perilla 'magilla' looks like stained glass, when backlit by the early morning sun. I have no idea why the deer devour coleus but leave this plant alone, when they look so much alike, but I'm ever so grateful for that small blessing.

Most exciting of all, I just spotted the first glistening ruby plume on my muhly grass, which means before long, we should have gorgeous mounds of smoky pink in the lower beds, and the field of assorted grasses out front will resemble the rolling waves of amber grain they sing about.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love, love, love fall?