Enjoying a few quiet days here, in the lead up to my brocante tour that starts on Wednesday. The sun is shining, the garden and the forest are calling, and I have favoured the great outdoors over a screen and a to-do list.
My autumn garden always is full of dahlias, japanese anemones, hydrangeas and some late roses. Putting them together in this way is quick and a great visual reminder of what is happening in the garden each month, and helpful when it comes to planting for the next year.
This year for the first time in ages I shall be lifting a lot of my dahlias, so it is especially important to remember how each one flowers, and where I would like to position it next year.
This afternoon was particularly balmy, full of soft autumn sunshine and a sweet leafy smell on the air.
I picked a sample of blooms from the garden, then took my camera up with me on the hill behind the house, and found that the afternoon light was predominantly pink.
Sometimes its important to just savour the moment ….
hope you’re enjoying a lovely weekend, thank you for reading me
29 comments
Such gorgeous flowers. Your photo in the afternoon light looks so calm and peaceful. I imagine Normandy being so beautiful this time of year.
Sharon you gardens are so idyllic and lush; we have had a lot of rain so everything is very green and still blooming!! Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Painting Central Park
I have always thought Autumns should be pink instead of reds and oranges. I have to get my fix at your site since everything is California is burnt brown. Maybe we will get rain this fall.
A few quiet days you say? *cocks eyebrow in suspicion* You never have quiet days but oh how happy I am that you did have this one! Just the dose of pure beauty that I needed. Thank you friend.
Bisous…
I had big plans to tidy up my garden, but the rains have come and gone and come and gone. The nice thing is that we still have flowers and green leaves on the trees in Michigan. The Limehouse hydrangeas are starting to turn pink and burgundy. The tomatoes are still coming. Haven’t had to water once this season. Saves a lot of wear and tear on the hose.
Hello Sharon. Thank you for making me smile because of your flowers. They are very beautiful, soft and delicate and made my day. The colors are gorgeous and calming, just what I needed. So glad you sent them. I love to garden also, but the summers here have become so terribly hot that it is hard to keep watering to help the plants and shrubs. Our last winter was horrible too, freezing cold. Sadly, some roses, etc. were lost, but my grandmas hydrangeas that she gave to me in 1971 survived. I was so worried about them. They did not do as well, as beautiful this year, but they survived the winter. I always ask my grandma Seraphine if she can see them from Heaven, how beautiful they usually are. I hope she can. Ciao, Marianne
Sharon, beautiful post, your dahlias are divine!
Such lovely flower pictures, thank you. The colors are so soft and calming.
I am wondering how you mark the dahlias’ places after you take them up? I was looking the other day at the cheap chopsticks that come with takeout sushi and thinking they might be good garden markers: Recycling.
Hi Emm, I don’t need to mark the dahlias position, because I’ll replant them next spring in different spots.
The important thing when lifting dahlias is to identify the tubers so you know their size and colour when planning next years beds
I’ll be posting about this on the blog in November
Sharon
xox
Sharon, the dahlias are gorgeous! I never got around to planting my chrysanthemums this year, so may pick up a few potted ones just to get the autumn color.
ravishing pictures ….. I so enjoy your lovely , interesting blog .. thank you very much
My god. Your photos look like Sonoma County!
Hello Sharon,
Thank you for sharing your garden…it is beautiful! I’m one of the lucky ones to be joining you on your tour. I arrived in Normandy a few days early. ..and have enjoyed very fine weather….rare this time of year I understand…I suppose I may have brought the sunshine with me from Florida! Look forward to your tour but most of all meeting you.
Hi Pamela
Glad you are enjoying normandy before the tour starts, and thank you for bringing the sunshine along! If you can just arrange for it to shine every day of the tour I’d be grateful!
See you on Wednesday
Sharon
x
Love your jardin… The fencing is so charming countryside.
I want wild French growth on my land here fenced in with rustic.
Your book is on its way to me, I am looking forward to meeting all your French friends through pictures and words you gathered.
See you and your French beauty soon.
I have been creating new pieces in my pale French home, a new old Armoire that I gave a historic authentic French treatment to in my latest post is now my new french love….I am excited to add your book to the heap of the piles!
Xx
Bisous
Doré
I do enjoy your blog so much. Here in So. California we are in a terrible drought. Very limited watering and yard and garden are drying because of watering restrictions We had a landscaper do an “English country” garden 2 years ago in our front yard The roses, ferns, hydrangeas , and all the other flowers are drying up. It is so sad as I am 75 and don’t think I will be around when the drought finally ends.
I had the pleasure of visiting Normandy last year in June and fell in love with it! Also LOVE your book, it arrived last week and I am enjoying one chapter a day as an evening treat.
Just lovely!
What a treat, and such a beautiful post….You have an amazing eye for detail and the beauty of nature and the world around you. Your emails always brighten my day. Thank you!
Such beautiful flowers. Here in Northern California our drought continues. We are having warm days but wish for rain, my grass is no longer green. Terrible fires north of Napa. So I welcome and enjoy your beautiful garden. Love your blog and reading about your part of France.
O lucky you to live in a pink light!
You allow my memory of France to return over and over. September was a wonderful time to be there. Thank you for sharing.
Your dahlias are beautiful as always, and the pink light is drop-dead gorgeous!
Pat
I am in the process of expanding my dahlia collection as I seem to have acquired many of the same type from years of saving the tubers. You have given me more inspiration to collect as many different varieties as possible. Looking forward to your November post on dahlia identification and storage.
What a lovely arrangement. Here in the UK too we’ve been having some balmy September days with soft warm sunshine and without that nasty wind that we seem to get so often now. And I’m also happy because finally I have received your book!! Just the thing to be looking through on these autumn days! I’m looking forward to curling up with it and a cup of coffee.
That was just breathtakingly BEAUTIFUL!! That weathered gray with the softest of pale..*hearts!!* franki
Sharon, thank you for the lovely post. So nice to see the beautiful photos of your local countryside again too, I have missed those of late. Like another commenter, I too have LOVED your new book…. and I am trying so hard to limit my reading to one chapter per reading session with my morning coffee … I am savouring each chapter and would love for it to go on and on. I hope book number two is on your radar!! We visited Normandy last spring, but didn’t get to your area. We truly loved everything about Normandy. Thank you , from Canada!
Lynne
Your flowers are beautiful ! I am enjoying the pink skies as autumn nears !
Such beautiful scenery.
Thank you for all of your lovely photos Sharon. You have reminded me I need to plant more anemones! I’m dominated by white, but a pale pink would be beautiful as well.
Caroline