Waning, tilting and glowing
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 
I'm showing you only the best bits of the beds & borders near my home and completely skipping over my own garden. The kindest thing I can say about my balcony is that it's in transition. The plain truth: it's dry, brown, messy, drooping, wilting and waning. It's still edible, though, but would satisfy only the smallest appetite with one or two ripe cherry tomatoes every morning and a few eggplants and peppers slowly expanding in length and girth. I'm noticing subtle changes in colour and light, too, as the sun follows a lower path across the sky and now brightens the back corners of the balcony. My favourite color-and-light times are late morning and afternoon when the heuchera glows burgandy.
Last Saturday morning, which was still August and still technically summer, the light and the air evoked a feeling of "tilting toward autumn", a reflective state-of-mind-and-spirit, a mix of wistful, hopeful and nostalgic. (Thank you, Lucy, for inspiring the "tilting" phrase and perspective with this recent, gorgeous post.) Many, including myself, think of September as a second new year and a time for a fresh start.
But before I can start fresh, I need to clear some interior and exterior space. So this Labour Day weekend I will be on the balcony, restoring it to order, openness and life. Fern's excellent posts on end of summer tips and fall vegetables for container gardeners will guide my to-do and to-plant lists. I'm also going to go treasure-hunting near the recycling bins for one of these.
I'd love to hear your goals and plans for the new gardening season, which may be fall or spring depending on the hemisphere you call home.
Reader Comments (7)
We're dipping our toes in spring over here. The early signs are there, notably the wafts of jasmine as we walked about the suburb last night. While we were away our passionfruit vine has sprung into life, sending out shoots and grabbing onto the back fence, from multiple angles.
I have gardening plans, but then I often have gardening plans - it's whether they actually happen or not. But at the moment I want to fill one container with leaves - lettuces and other assortments for salad. And another of cherry tomatoes. I think at the moment I'd be happy with that.
so, so pretty. the echinacea is beautifully shot. mine have sang their swan song and now stand raggedy and ravaged by those pesky Japanese beetles. simply lovely images yet once again :)
Even a handful of balcony produce is a wonderful bounty!
Well, my sorrel is coming along very nicely and I've sown more in the hope that it is long and lush and ready to sour soups and sauces when we come home.
I have also, with a sense of hope rather than, well, sense, planted peas which should have been planted earlier because I will not be here to tend them through the dry spells that are already here! We're away for nearly a month at the end of September and they will all have to fend for themselves.
I've found that winter is our best growing period in Aust - rain, cooler days and not too much frost. Summer is another story, though last year my tomatoes thrived in 47 degree celcius heat. Now THAT is a plant built for survival.
How I've rambled...lovely post. May autumn bring you lots of goodies.
@Kathryn I love the way you described your passionfruit grabbing onto the fence -- so vivid. I think you told me you planted it soon after you moved into your new home, yes? Your garden plans sound manageable and rewarding. If I had to limit myself to two crops, they would be salad greens and tomatoes.
@Allison I've been enjoying your garden photos and stories on your blog this summer. So glad I discovered it via Twitter.
@Lucy You're welcome to "ramble" in my comments any time. I look forward to your blog posts about sorrel. I'm going to try and get some sorrel seeds this weekend -- I"ve never grown them before but there you go, inspiring me again. I hope your peas grab hold of something and thrive while you're away -- like Kathryn's passionfruit did. Yikes - 47 degrees - I don't think I'd survive that. I barely made it through mid-30 degree heat in July.
Lovely to hear from all of you. Yes, may the new growing season bring you lots of goodies.
Lovely photos! You're right that in-between season pots look messy, but it's fun making a fresh start. Even at its peak though my balcony is only ever up to the smallest appetite!
Hi Arwen. I find this in-between time so difficult. I'm going to pop over to your blog now for some inspiration.
really lovely shots. i dream of having a garden of my own someday!