The Garden in the first days of September

I know that I should be sad that fall has arrived and the garden season is drawing to a close, but fall is my favourite season. I welcome the days that are now cool and comfortable. The light seems somehow softer and more golden than it is in the summer.

Is it just me of does everything simply glow in the sunlight at this time of year?

In the garden, my hydrangeas are making lots of friends.

The roses are back with a fresh round of blooms.

Sedum are just starting to flower.

I believe that is Stonecrop 'Matrona' above and on the left and Stonecrop 'Autumn Joy' on the right.

The phlox are just starting to fade.

This geranium 'Rozanne' has been blooming steadily since the last time I posted 

on the subject of my garden in mid-August. What a trooper!

This hosta was here when we bought the house. It blooms later than any other variety I have.

In the back garden, there are a number of different varieties of hydrangea.

This is a Japanese Painted Fern in the sunlight.

I am ashamed to admit that I left these poor gladiola bulbs (sometimes called Peacock orchids) sitting neglected in a little pot on the back porch. 

I got them on clearance in early July and then forget about them. Poor things! I finally planted them last week and they shot up immediately. 

Aren't plants forgiving? 

We'll see if they manage to bloom before the frost. (That is last year's flower shown on the left.)

I have a bumper crop of concord grapes and sadly no time to turn them into jam or juice. I may have to give them away.

Except for the tomatoes, my first attempt at vegetable gardening has been at bit of a bust. 

The bunnies got all the peas and beans. 

I forgot to thin my radishes and they turned into weird corkscrew mutants.

The one zucchini I was able to salvage from the slugs had all the taste of fine Italian shoe leather. I am not sure if it was the variety or the fact that I left it to mature in the garden a few days too long.

You might think I would be completely discouraged about vegetable gardening as a result, but the tomatoes have been the garden's saving grace. They have been wonderful!

I have been putting the little cherry ones in all my salads. This is a warm Orzo salad.

I am sorry, I don't have a recipe.  I simply sauté green and red peppers, diced carrots and some onions in a skillet. Then, I add cooked Orzo pasta and about a quarter cup of chick peas (drained and rinsed). 

I toss the pasta as I add a dash of Olive oil and a generous sprinkle of finely grated Parmesan cheese. To give the pasta salad some kick, I add a hearty dash of cumin and a liberal sprinkling of fresh ground pepper. The final ingredients are lots of freshly chopped parsley and chives. 

The cherry tomatoes get mixed in just before I serve it. This warm salad would be great with grilled chicken and roasted corn on the cob.

The larger varieties of tomatoes are just ripening. After a winter of nothing but tasteless hot house tomatoes, each one is a delicious treasure.

Next year, I hope to do better with the rest of my vegetable garden.

Today, I will link to Lisa Gordon's Creative Exchange. To see tother beautiful photography, please click the link: The Creative Exchange. 

On the Thursday the15th, I will link this post to May Dream's Garden's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day (GBBD) and Cottage Flora Thursday at Fishtail Cottage. On Friday, I will link to Fertilizer Friday at Tootsie Time. To see other great garden's please click any of the links.