Fall is Creeping In

You know it's fall when the parking lot trees look amazing.  These beauties were at the Royal Botanical Gardens this Sunday.  Kevin and I had about 90 minutes to spare between appointments and various bits and pieces, so we jumped in the car with Bart to do a quick run about in the Rock Garden at the RBG.

When we got there - we couldn't believe how #1 pretty and #2 empty it all was.  Talk about Ontario gardeners, when the clock strikes late September, it would seem gardening is the last thing on their minds.  Which was wonderful for us, we had the gardens to ourselves.

Yet another spectacular parking lot tree.

Nice and tidy.  Nobody about.

Kevin is a huge hot pepper fan.  He wants me to replicate this little patch somewhere at home.

I like how the grasses are starting to collapse into the pond.  Certainly not as glossy as spring and summer, but I like this quiet look.

At some point all the hibiscus will have to be put to bed in the greenhouse.   You wouldn't necessarily think of them as a fall plant, but they're one of the few tropicals that continues to do really well and provide colour very late in the season.

This is the pathway under the road headed back to the parking lot.  They've planted a lot of new material.  It's all starting to fill in nicely.

Back home, Kevin headed off to his appointments, I took a few photos around the garden.  Mr. Eupatorium coelestinum looking blue and fluffy.

I can't remember seeing this wee creature or its kin in the garden before.  The nearest i.d. I can find is that it may be a Lichen Moth.   Apparently they eat lichen.  Imagine.  (This w/e they'll be calling me Turkey Barbara.)  And, in between moss and lichen courses they like to drink water off the petals of flowers.  (Wine out of a glass for me).  That, or it's something entirely different, and if you know what it is, do let me know.  Please. (Correction:  Thank you Knatolee - It is a yellow collared scape moth - named for its outfit rather than its preferred meal!)

I'm wondering if I'll ever live long enough to see some of this form in the bark on the Gymnocladus dioicus that I grew from seed.  It's now taller than I am, so perhaps if I eat my vegetables, I will.

Don't know what's better the colours of the leaves in the fall or the beautiful blue skies?   Just have to settle for sky here - down by the lake, the colours start at least a week or two later.

This was a bit of a shock.  I've never seen the lake this low.   I know it's shallow here, but generally all you can see is the large black rock.  Everything else is generally under water.

Up on Chartwell, and for those of you who know the area, the yards are fairly big, I discovered a very hardworking grass cutting robot.  If you look closely you can see how he's creating a pretty star pattern in the lawn.  He was very quiet.  Will return at some point to see if he has a lawn blowing robot cousin.

And when I do return, and should I find it there, I'll be able to say with authority that I've now seen just about everything.