These waning days of summer have their impact on the garden. The Cranesbill geraniums have quite outgrown themselves, the Monarda have finished their bloom, and the daylilies are getting to that point as well. On the other hand, the Echinacea are still going strong and the Japanese anemenes are coming into their own as late-bloomers. The Ligularia beside the large shed is finally blooming, the Morning Glories are soldiering on, the black-eyed Susans in their own glory and the annuals keep putting out their blooms.

Not much to complain about, given the minimal effort that goes into the garden upkeep. Once a week there's tidying up to be done, cutting back and restoring some semblance of order. Aside from that the garden pretty well ignores this gardener's ministrations and gets on with its summer business of glorifying the landscape.

The results of which we're more than happy with. First thing in the morning, last thing at night before hauling ourselves up to bed, a peek out the glassed front door onto the garden, flush in the dawn of sunlight, or bathed in the glow of the porch lights greets us with the colourful array of flashy tones, textured architecture and overall cohesion. It's a wonderful vision to greet the day with, or take up to bed with us.

Hard to believe it will all soon be drawing to a close. I'll have to decide whether I want to plant any more bulbs this fall for springtime enjoyment. For some reason or other I don't have, and never have had, all that much success with bulbs. Although if you count begonias as bulbs, harvesting them in the fall and overwintering them to be replanted in spring has always been rewarding. It's all the others, tulips, daffodils and the like that don't seem to appreciate being planted in our gardens. With the exception of the always-flourishing grape hyacinths.