I know that bindweed is the curse of farmers for getting into crops and interfering with the mechanical integrity of farm vehicles. They have the capacity if left undisturbed to grow massively. In the last several years I've seen a mini-proliferation of bindweed in our gardens and usually pluck them out as soon as I notice them. Yet I recall once in Georgia seeing lovely little pink blooms on a bindweed plant that had curled itself around a gate. So occasionally I allow one to reach maturity. Inevitably I yank those out too, since none have ever blossomed for me. I was surprised to notice finally yesterday that I'd overlooked the presence of a bindweed vine for far too long. It had matured to the point of hosting hundreds of seeds and I was horrified. That I'd overlooked its presence, that in so doing I'd permitted it to mature to that point. My husband carefully dispatched it.

The garden has moved into its autumn presentation. Many of the annuals continue to produce flowers and that has continued to result in a colourful little landscape for our personal enjoyment. From time to time I've had to move through the garden snipping back here and there in an effort to control the exuberance of some shrubs and trees. Keeping it all neat and tidy doesn't take all that long, but it does take persistence.

Yesterday my husband wielded a long-handled, sharp tool to pry out of the cracks of the brickwork that he had built around our front gardens decades ago, quite a few too-enthusiastic heuchera that keep establishing themselves between the cracks. From time to time I do carefully remove them to transplant them into the garden and they grow to full maturity there where they belong, only to send off children and grandchildren back onto the brickwork where they thrive just as the originals did. It takes some work to keep up with them.

We don't mind -- in fact encourage -- mosses to grow in the cracks and they too sprout tiny, lovely little blooms in summer, the most delicate flowers imaginable. But weeds also sneakily make their way into the cracks along with Canterbury bells which like the heuchera enjoy liberally sprinkling their seeds and colonizing areas they aren't meant to be in. The same for California poppies. My husband removed them all. Hard work controlling the persistence of plants to  move on and out of gardens. Particularly on a day like yesterday that clocked in at a very hot 32-C degrees.

Otherwise, there's no reason for complaints. The garden pots remain flush with blooms, and the garden beds have done justice to the seasons' expectations. We're no longer receiving the plenitude of rain that we've been treated to this past summer; instead summer has finally caught up, although it's now the beginning of autumn and we've enjoyed two full weeks of hot, dry weather, and the gardens continue to hold up wonderfully well.