How many teams have we watched and how many stories have we read about the lineup that shows promise at the beginning of the season,  looks like a champion a month before playoffs, and then, oh no! stumbles in the end and goes to ignominious defeat? I’ve played on teams like that, and can report there’s no glory in it!

You know I love to garden, for many reasons, one of which is that when a garden fades at the end of its season, it maintains a different sort of beauty .

We stumbled into fall a few days ago here in northwestern New Jersey. You must look closely to notice. Goldenrod shows bright yellow up to head high in greeny fields (BTW, it’s ragweed, not goldenrod, that makes you sneeze.) Spearheaded ash leaves began falling weeks ago, helped along by Ida. Red and sugar maples are blushing in the treetops, and, if you believe old farmers’ tales, we’re in for a rough winter because our squirrels have very bushy tails. What’s not to love about this time of year!

Here are pictures of the garden now. I hope you enjoy, as I do, the subtle beauty, the remembrance of past beauty and promise of wonders to come. There are goldenrod, sunflowers, asters, hydrangeas, phlox, colchicum, coneflowers, and autumn sedum.

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