Today I got off a bit early from work. It's so nice to be home when the sun is still up, but today it was warm too. What a blessing! This time of year as the garden dies down, the countryside greens up; the opposite of Summer. It's a comfortable back and forth partnership. My attention now is so much more on the natural countryside because it's so beautiful. Plus, my garden needs work and I just don't feel like it. I'd like you all to know what it's like to really be here, so, in keeping with Town Mouse's idea, let's take a long view.
If you were to come for a visit here in Bootjack, you would drive several miles down a dirt road. If you were a skillful enough navigator, you might find our driveway. You might not.
Looking to the left, Oak Woodland.
Keep going and looking left and there's our little house sunk in a cut in the hillside.
Look down the hill left again and you see into a tangled and beautiful wood.
Look up the hill and you see old, hollow, bat filled trees.
And "Manboob Rock". Christened by my daughters long ago for obvious reasons.
Left again, our house sits cozy in the hillside.
Left again and you meet the Fearsome Four. Why is there a thriving garden here smack in the middle of deer country? These girls, that's why.
To the right now is the vegetable garden. I've lost control of the situation here. That's okay. It's going to freeze hard Thursday. I'll bring in as many tomatoes and peppers as I can save.
A view of the house from behind the vegetable garden standing at the top of the back slope. The pomegranate grew like crazy this year.
To the right again from the very utilitarian and frugal gravel pathway, my bed of roses! This is their best season. In the Spring they're encrusted with aphids and in the Summer they are fried to a crisp.
Looking straight out the back, catalpa trees and the perennial border from seed. Everything knitted together for the first time this year. What a pleasure not to weed.
Same border looking North.
My Swamp Magnolia grew 3 feet this year! This is in a North/West facing corner that is under water half the year and hotter than Hades the other. Could this be an underused tree?
Continuing on counter-clockwise, the back slope becomes shady and there is a thriving berry patch.
Look down the hillside and there are so many distinguished old trees. It's humbling.
Around the house and left again, here's the front bed all cut back for the Winter. This is the one thing I've done so far. Good start!
Now right. Back at the bat tree.
Right now along the front walkway. This is right outside the big front window.
I walked to the end of the pathway and turned around to get a photo of the Fall roses as you walk in the gate. I started these from cuttings.
Walk down the path and to the left, the front garden is going to seed. I love the black Rudbeckia seed heads, the blooming grass, and the red maples. My old, cheap camera really doesn't do this justice.
Look right. The hydrangea blooms are the most vivid pink. See the twisted trunk?
It's a bay tree!
Happy Halloween!
