Falling Leaves Moon - October 2021

Gorgeous, gorgeous moon in the sky these last few nights. The sky has been clear and the moon looks huge as it rises.

I've seen a few white tailed deer and hope they are avoiding predators - which is why I am calling this  'Falling Leaves' moon instead of 'Hunters.'

Rob and I went up to the French River a couple of weeks ago to visit Art and Chris when the fall colours were at their peak. It was warm enough to hike with only a light jacket. Two nights in a row we saw three deer make an appearance at the end of the driveway. It was good to know they were nearby, eating the fallen acorns that were so plentiful this year. I thought since the camp was far from the city this happened all the time, but it is not so common. The third night I stood still at the end of the driveway waiting, but didn't see them. 

Later that night, Alex sent video of a deer that visited our street - right across from our house in the city. 

Deer must be plentiful this season. Up north they were feeding on the bounty of mushrooms and fallen acorns. Maybe the trees got together and decided to feed them? I hope it isn't a sign of a tough winter ahead.

Come Spring

 Planted tulips and allium, looking ahead to spring and hoping the squirrels leave them be:

• Eight Je-Taime tulip planted between the sage and red barberry in the front (late spring)
• One Beau Regard allium is situated in the back of the bed, just right of the peony. Hope it gets enough sun! It is the allium with a bloom as large as your head.(early summer)
• Five Graceful Beautiful allium planted in the back by the garden entrance (early summer)
• Five Graceful Beautiful allium planted next to the purple monkshood (early summer)
• Ten Grand Perfection tulips in the pollinator garden (mid spring) These are supposed to start off red with yellow streaks, and the yellow changes to white.
• Ten Hakuun  tulips in the pollinator garden (mid spring) These are supposed to bloom at the same time as the grand perfection, and they are planted close to complement each other

Beau Regard

Graceful Beauty

Grand Perfection

Hakun

Late Bloomers

The front garden continued its show from September into October.

The hydrangea is so gorgeous with the autumn sedum and wooly thyme at its feet. 

I planted salvia in late June and it continues to astound me. Showy purple plumes invite the bees and pollinators for miles around. This is supposed to be perennial, here's hoping, as last year's varietal didn't come back as promised.

Daphne also kept its bloom through summer into fall, although it had more perfume early in the season. So glad I transplanted this to enjoy more light. An added bonus is that I get to see it when I walk out the front door.

Purple coneflowers and astors in the front blossomed and then died back very quickly, while the rudbeckia spread recklessly. 

Calla lilies definitely did not get enough sun where I planted them, but the dahlias prospered. The white dahlias' visual appeal isn't long lasting because when they brown they look half dead. Next year, orange! Porticulata is also on the nursery shopping list; the annual flowers all year with a minimum of fuss.

The pollinator garden got end of season attention when I dug up a fair bit of sea holly and moved the lambs ear. The sea holly was falling onto the sidewalk and taking over. Digging it up was a bit of a chore, the roots are tenacious. We'll have to see if the lambs ears can stand up to their new neighbours. I may be weeding more in that corner next year.

The anemone only started to open its petals the second week of October. We planted in spring but it didn't even bud until September. Probably too busy establishing its roots.  Before our front garden was torn up for city work there were plenty of purple anemones there, and when I looked to replace them this year it was hard to find a nursery with any in stock.  

A trio of white is blooming at the entrance of the back garden: impatiens, phlox, and mandevilla. Earlier in the season, a rabbit or groundhog chewed the phlox to half its size, so it is good to see it is resilient.

Early summer I transplanted mandevilla into the ground when I brought it home, and then it spent two months on its roots without flowering - next year I will look for another white one, but keep it in a pot so I can enjoy the flowers longer. 

Also in bloom: nasturtium, monks hood, snakeroot, autumn cyclamen, and foxglove that was planted in mid-August for Alex' wedding. Backyard colours are still predominantly green, with white and hues of red, pink and purple. Fall colours will be changing that palette soon enough.

Must order more cyclamen for next year! They look so exotic poking up through the leaves of violet.

Are You Understanding?

Three days of online classes with Zubin, with the emphasis on playing and exploring using different asana.

"Are you understanding?" a frequent question.

"You are not just the shadow, or external view of asana. What is happening on the inside, what is happening with the breath? Are you understanding?"

"Think of the different dimensions within yourself - past, present, future - all being expressed in the asana. Are you understanding?"

"Body, breath, mind do not need to be separate areas of study. Try to incorporate each of these three in the asana and do not overuse one at the expense of the other. Are you understanding?"

Pondering on each as I am doing the asana, asking the question of myself. Am I understanding? This is not a static answer but understood in the moment.

Since the intensive I've been playing a bit more within the poses, just for the delight and exploration. For example, in ardha uttanasana, with palms on the facing wall, walk in a bit so your heels come more under your torso than under your hips. Something I haven't done in awhile is bow pose, rocking over to one side and then the other, just for fun. Awakening.