While it Lasts

It's been a pretty good year for gardening, here in Southwest Michigan.

We've had a cool summer, for the most part (although . . . not today).

And plenty of rain.

So things have been green . . .

and lush . . .

all summer long.

At this point in the garden season, though, things are starting to look . . . well . . . tired.  Green, yes.  But you can see that the party's almost over.  There's a certain fading that happens in late August; a golden tinge.  Fall is coming.

Over the weekend, I was thinking about some of the things I've enjoyed most about my garden this year.  This year, it's been the little things that have given me the most gardening pleasure.

My little fairy places . . .

tucked away, here and there.

And my hops.  (Which really do grow like mad -- and are actually producing . . . hops!)

And all of the bees and butterflies my garden attracts.

Although I'll be out in the garden for the next couple of months yet, I can feel the changes in the air -- and see them in the green . . . the worn-out and fading green.

I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts!