As I work in the gardens this fall the beauty of the autumnal colors is breathtaking. I stop frequently to try and soak up the golden light from the lower-in-the-sky sun and the yellow foliage. I pause to appreciate the ‘Golden Delicious’ pineapple sage that is just coming into flower, and the Frosty Knight Lobularia that has sailed through three hard frosts and is likely to be flowering for Thanksgiving. It’s a time for counting blessings and for acceptance of change.

When you live in the northern parts of this country winter is inevitable. Soon we’ll first appreciate the beauty of the frost and first snowfalls…later we’ll grumble or curse it, and long for spring. But right now, as we straddle the period between the green and white seasons, I’m hoping to do more than tolerate the winter season. I’m making my plans for how to best use it. There are books to write, websites to re-design, and projects to create. There are closets to clean or reorganize. Ditto gardens. There are community actions to cultivate.

The gardens may be going into dormancy, but that doesn’t mean the gardener needs to do the same.

As the Golden Delicous pineapple sage comes into flower the Arnold’s Promise witchhazel and the Clethera also turn golden, and the roses put out their last flowers for the season.