It is a bright sunny -8deg celsius here in southwestern Ontario, or 17deg fahrenheit for you Americans enjoying your Thanksgiving today.  May your day be warmer than mine! My hectic landscaping season came to an abrupt end with a snowstorm and plummeting temperatures but such are the vagaries of weather in our times of climate change.  My season was success as a garden designer, head horticulturalist of the grounds of a large hospital and landscape manager of several private properties.  The heat was intense during the summer months and I am exhausted but happy to be writing again and dreaming of visiting a garden or two in warmer climes.

Our fall was late and short but here are some shots of the colours of fall in Ontario and why you should visit us during this glorious time

Fiery reds and golden yellows of our maple trees

Some of the beautiful sights along our country roads

Fall is not only on a grand scale.  Look a more closely and you will see…

Monarchs fueling up for the long migration south

And those lying in wait…

Smoky ink caps and

multi-coloured leaves of cranesbill mirroring the trees on a small scale

Fall is the time of local fairs

Produce on a grand scale!

Traditional competitions like the heavy horse pull.  The horses could hardly wait to start!

Speaking of horses, there is no better time to trail ride than fall, beautiful weather, scenery and no bugs!

If you are not into horses, hiking along our many trails has its own rewards

Sadly all seasons come to an end…from this

to this

The best time to visit us in southwestern Ontario is late September through October.  Fall was later this year because of the heat and suddenly ended last Friday with our first major snowstorm and now frigid temperatures.

Rain for the weekend though…never a dull moment when you’re a gardenista 🙂

Happy gardening or dreaming for the next few months!