Outrageous oranges

This year's satsuma crop can only be described as outrageous.  It was just as if our little tree felt badly for the abysmal crop of three last year and wished to make up for itself.

I picked 77 oranges right before the first frost.  Although they are not pretty like the ones you might purchase at the grocery store, there is nothing quite like the flavor of a fresh orange picked from your own tree.

Ready for frost

For gardeners in central Alabama, the first frost of the season is a major event.  I've spent the last several weeks making plans and preparations for that date when most of the green, growing things will say "good-bye" for the winter.

Tonight is the big night with temperatures forecast to drop into the upper 20s for the first time this fall. It was hard to imagine this fact yesterday afternoon while it was in the mid-70s, warm enough for shirt sleeves and for our tortoise to play in the backyard while I worked.

However, we are ready.  The fruit is all harvested, the remaining veggies are all picked, and the tropical plants are relocated to their indoor winter windows.  My two-year old grandson, James, was quite delighted to be told that he could pick the peppers and toss them in the bucket.  He proudly counted them as he dropped them in.

We are ready for frost and the beginning of winter.  (Of course, we live in Alabama so winter for us will be frost today and 65 degrees for Thanksgiving!)

Homage to royalty

While choosing flowers to make a bouquet for my daughter, I noticed that there was a cluster of late-blooming purple cone flowers in the back corner of the garden.  I headed over to cut them to mix in with the red roses, ivy, and diamond frost. 

Suddenly, a large brown butterfly flew over my shoulder to land on the blossoms.  Much to my amazement, I realized that it was a monarch butterfly!  I haven't seen a monarch in my backyard in many years.  I immediately ran back into the house for my camera, praying that his (or her) royal highness would wait for me to return.

Not only did she (he) wait, but she posed long enough for me to take some lovely photographs.  I continued to watch her as she tasted several flowers in my backyard before flying on.

There was no way I was going to cut those cone flowers after such a royal visitation.  The bouquet will look just fine without them.