The seasons are what a symphony ought to be: four perfect movements in harmony with each other. ~Arthur Rubinstein (unverified)
Slowly, the leaves are beginning to don their autumn cloaks of gold and red. The weeping cherry in the center of the circle garden is the first to turn,
followed by the red leaves of our native oak leaf hydrangea.
Much of the garden has barely begun to change color – the oaks are the last to turn as if they are reluctant to leave summer behind. 
The white blossoms of Hydrangea ‘Limelight’ have softened to a rose-tinged hue 
while other flowers and foliage carry on as if autumn was still a distant dream.
This summer, a former student came to visit us at home and we spent a splendid afternoon together. In the midst of his technology filled life, he had become interested in gardening and asked for a tour of my garden. Bill tagged along and as we strolled through the rose arbor into the lower garden, Bill exclaimed “walking through the arbor, now I understand!”
As I turned to him in puzzlement, he went on to say that he hadn’t walked through the arbor into that part of the garden in a long time, having been content to admire it from the deck while playing his guitar. 
Walking into the garden gave him a completely different perspective of what it meant to stand in the space and be enveloped by it. I was deeply moved by his reaction yet it confirmed what I’ve always believed about a garden – to truly experience it, you need to walk through it, not just look at it. Those of you who garden or who hike in nature surely know this difference.
By bringing a soulful consciousness to gardening, sacred space can be created outdoors. ~
My garden has developed its own sense of place over the years – while I made the design decisions, tilled the soil, and filled it with plants, it was in partnership with nature. The garden and I evolved and grew together – I learned its many secrets, it responded to my care and now we are deeply intertwined in this long standing friendship. 
This is where I’ve walked every day for the past 22 years, listening, paying attention, and finding delight. Joined in this quiet endeavor, our efforts have yielded both beauty and bounty in every season. Each time I step through an arbor, walk along a path, cradle a flower, or watch a spider weave an intricate web, I feel a part of the magic. 
. . . the ideal space must contain elements of magic, serenity, sorcery and mystery. ~Luis Barragan, Mexican architect
A few weeks ago, I taught a garden design class and decided that the best way to teach the value of structure in a garden was to make a short video of the entrances of my garden through every season. As I was putting it together, I realized these entrances are really the invitation to enter into the garden.
A garden must combine the poetic and the mysterious with a feeling of serenity and joy. ~Luis Barragan
As the seasons change, I hope each of you finds serenity and joy in the nuances and beauty of nature.
Next year, those changes should be more evident in the number and diversity of insects and birds yet still add beauty and balance to the garden.
Pixie decided to erase the error by breaking her year-long record of no counter-surfing; she was feeling left out of the festivities and grabbed her own piece of cake. 
Honestly, it was a day of hilarity and celebration, from the time we removed the cake from its box and started giggling, toasted the day with Prosecco, reminisced over our wedding album photos, and laughed at Pixie’s antics. Forty-four years of loving and laughing has brought its own point of equanimity to our marriage.
When I awake tomorrow, the earth will be poised on its seasonal moment of balance. May you find joy and balance in your days ahead, no matter what comes your way. Happy Equinox!
My favorite peony is ‘Krinkled White’ whose single flowers expose the inner parts that feed the bees and yet resist falling to the ground after a rain. 
and offer more food for pollinators. 
The single rose flowers catch the sun and spread their sweet scent in every direction. 
She asked if she could help me with garden chores. So grown up.
as it does in flower. 
composerinthegarden 