The fall equinox arrives on Tuesday, September 22, this year. Fingers crossed we are at the start of true fall weather. I have had enough 90 degree days to last for, like, forever. But with the wild swings of climate change, who knows? Come to think of it, who knows what the future will bring … ever?
Enough philosophy. The past-bloom Queen Anne’s lace is gone. Same for the cleomes. The ones that went to seed are filling my compost pile, and a few young ones in the corner front bed will cling to life through the winter to jump ahead next spring. Once again the front of our church looks like sane people gather here. 😉
I am excited to report that my two-year hunt for dwarf Maryland hollies is at an end. I tracked four of them down at an arboretum on the Eastern Shore, and my long-suffering driver took me to pick them up last Friday. Native, berried, and only four feet tall at maturity. They are going to fill some obvious holes in the plantings. Serena is going to be so happy! She has gently asked, “What about that empty space right in the middle?” a time or two over the past two years. Done, Serena!
A surprise benefit of last Friday’s road trip was a delicious crab house we didn’t know about on our way home.*
Our fall bulb order is in and will arrive early next month. I am happy that my Louisiana son-in-law is coming for Thanksgiving. I like him very much and would be happy to see him any time, but he does plant bulbs so beautifully. And since Mark has been such a frequent digger of holes in the past few months, it will be nice to relieve him of this bulb duty in 2026.
It is sad that the figs are over now. We have been told that Kinderhaus’s redesign of the church’s side yard will begin this fall, and the fig must go. Stay tuned, because Cleveland Park Church really, really needs a fig in its life. We will have to find a way!
Happy fall, and happy equinox!
-Mary Jane
- * If you are reading this, I will share the name happily with anyone who asks.