Bloom Day Is Tomorrow

And for the first time in a long while, I'm not excited about it.  This is a tough time for me to get in the spirit of things, gardenwise.  There's a serious disconnect between the garden I have in my mind and the garden I have in my backyard in late September and October.

Datura.  Is this a summer flower or what?

My mind says Fall is here!  The kids are back in school, Halloween is in a few weeks, the Christmas decorations are already in the stores, the family negotiations over Thanksgiving dinner have begun in earnest.

Tomato flowers waiting for cooler weather before they set fruit.

But outside, it's still late summer.  It's been in the 90s this week, even though it has been much drier lately, and cool in the mornings.  I do have tomato flowers on the bushes, but the rest of the garden really still looks like late summer.  And I so want for it to be autumn.

Coral vine on the back fence, sprawled over the gingers.

Morning Glory

The coral vine looks good, as it has all summer.  The butterfly gingers are going crazy and the morning glory, turnera and pavonia are still blooming their collective hearts out.  But not for us, not yet, the pansies, violas, mums, snapdragons, etc.  I must say, I planted a snapdragon in the vegetable garden because I couldn't stand it anymore, but it's really almost too hot.

Turnera now tall enough to wrestle with bougainvillea.

For now, check in with Carol at May Dreams Gardens for a cheerier Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.  She hosts this wonderful meme, and gardeners all over the world are happily visiting with her, celebrating the change of seasons.  Perhaps you'll meet my friend Diana at Elephant's Eye, who's probably rejoicing in the spring.  US gardeners north of me are certainly reveling in the fall weather.  For us Gulf Coast gardeners, it may be a while yet.