On All Hallow's Eve

I wish everybody a terrific Halloween.
And while enjoying trick or treating, costume parties and other festivities of this evening,
may we also try to remember the departed ones, especially those dear to us on All Saint's and All Soul's Days.

Blooming Friday

mauve autumn asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) in our garden

Autumn asters or New England Asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae , formerly Aster novae-angliae) are perennial plants that are easy to grow. You plant the roots, preferably in autumn (but you can also plant them in spring) and the following year (or even the autumn of the same year if you planted them in spring), you’ll have a profusion of lovely mauve flowers with a yellow central disk that resembles the sky on a sunny cloudless day.


They bloom well from August until November or even December if the weather is clement. And when winter comes, there’s no need to worry about them as they are quite hardy. Just don’t forget to put some compost every spring so you’ll continue to have these spectacular flowers year after year.


I love looking at these flowers as they are quite soothing, not only to the eyes, but also to one’s spirit. Maybe it’s due to its color, or maybe because they flower when the frenzy of summer is slowly subsiding into a more tranquil autumn. Or maybe because they appear when the air is filled with the sweet scent of ripe apples and crisp red leaves lazily falling down on the ground. Whatever the reason is, one thing I’m sure of is that these asters are one of my favorite flowers.

see my other blooming fridays
see other blooming friday participants

Blooming Friday

raindrops on a rose

Aside from falling leaves and red-orange color, autumn also means rain showers and a last hurray for roses.

And seeing raindrops on roses makes you forget about gray skies, decreasing day light and fading warmth of the sun.

see my other blooming fridays
see other blooming friday participants

Raindrops on my Head

raindrops on a leaf

Some trials are just like rain showers .They can get you wet and soggy, make the road you’re walking on muddy and slippery. But if you stand still long enough, the rain can take away the salt in your tears and wash away the smudges of mud on your legs and feet. And when it stops, your eyes are clear and your limbs washed clean. Then you can see everything more clearly. Things are sparkling as they catch the rays of the emerging sun, your surroundings take a more vivid hue and the air smells sweet and pure.

As The Leaves Fall

a spider web on a dewy morning

It seems this blog has been gathering cobwebs these days --- no updates. Well, with the extended summer season we had, and the seemingly endless things to be done or fixed, especially in the garden, there’s just not much time left to sit down and write something. Or if I had the time, it’s either I couldn’t come up with something to write or there are a lot of things I’d like to write about that I don’t know where and how to start.

autumn in the mountains

But the warm season has ended and we are now well under autumn, so I guess I have to "restart" blogging... even about mundane things, just to, at least, give me a sort of momentum in updating this site. And since it's autumn, I might as well start by talking about it.

oak leaves

I believe autumn is the best time to see the leaves' beauty --- there are less flowers and colors to compete with their allure as they turn from green to yellow then orange and finally to brown as they fall to the ground. Even with the drop in the temperature, summer seems to extend well to the first two "ber" months with the leaves' warm colors of orange, red and yellow in varying degrees. And with the morning mist, the air gets filled with a note of magic and mystery… as if an enchantress has cast a spell to make time stand still… even for just a moment.

misty morning in the Pyrénées

Well, autumn might herald the coming of the cold months, but it lends an atmosphere of nostalgic and enchanting beauty. I still prefer warmer days, but as far as ambiance and colors are concerned, I believe autumn is the most beautiful season of the year.