At last, at last, cooler weather has arrived. Ahhh. It’s time to return to the garden for the next six months or so of outdoor weather (aside from “cedar fever” allergy season, which starts around Christmas and lasts well into March; I recommend lots of allergy medicine and soldiering through).

One of the last of the summer bloomers, the twisted flowers of Turk’s cap put on a show in the back shade garden. Traditionally red, a creamy white variety can also be found.

Turk’s cap

In the front garden the Autumn sage, or Salvia greggii, are a mass of bright pink blooms. (In the background is the new, two-story addition to a neighbor’s house.)

Autumn sage

By late October the fall aster has joined the show. The bees love this stuff. I can just imagine all the honey they’re making off my fall aster.

Fall aster, Mexican daisy, and Autumn sage

View from driveway: Mexican bush sage sends up its fuzzy, purple spears