Thanksgiving Gifts

It's Canadian Thanksgiving weekend.  I took a walk through the park next door, and was awestruck by the abundance of colour, and shapes in the garden.  The Maple tree on the path leading to the garden, is ablaze with colour, even though its leaves are still green.  How could that be?  Fiery orange leaves and deep purple berries of Virginia Creeper vines, have intertwined through the green leafed branches of the tree.

Take a virtual walk with me, and enjoy the gifts of the garden...it will be a feast for the eyes! 

Carefree and breezy Japanese Anenomes - the essence of a late Summer day - continue to thrive in abundance.  These add so much life to an Autumn garden.  Their bright pink and yellow faces, seem to laugh at the coming Winter.  

The Daisies aren't ready to say goodbye to Summer either.  The buds promise that they'll soon burst open by the hundreds.  

These days, the buzzing of the bees is a little quieter, although they can still be seen drifting from flower to flower.  This pale honey-coloured bee was silently working on a blue-centred African Daisy.

We don't think of yellow Irises and deep blue Lavender as part of a Thanksgiving bouquet.  They're usually found in an Easter, or Mothers' Day arrangement.  Yet, here is a shorter variety which grows strong and vibrant in Ocober.

Here's another Thanksgiving surprise... this candy cane striped Dahlia reminds me of Christmas!  What a festive garden! 

The Dahlias have really thrived this year, blooming from May through the Fall season.  The ones in the park next door, have produced bloom after beautiful, healthy bloom of brightly coloured flowers.  There's so much variety too...

The once billowy, angelic looking Paniculata Hydrangea have turned to shades of pink and light maroon - their tender petals, now dry and paper thin.  

A rock star in rock gardens, Sedum Cauticola is only starting to bloom now.  A native of Japan, this plant produces thousands of tiny starbursts of pink flowers every Fall.   

There's such a variety of colour, size and shape of plants in the garden at this time of year.  The muted colours and soft feathery stalks of Japanese Pampas Grass, add contrast and interest in the garden. 

Even the remains of Black Eyed Susan flowers are oddly attractive in this garden...

Thank you for taking this lovely walk with me.  Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.  Oh, look!  The garden has a bouquet of roses for us!

Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.