Here it comes!

I know it's inevitable. It happens every year. I see the calendar, I know the date. I just don't like to admit when Autumn arrives and the growing season quickly comes to an end. There's no denying it now though, the signs are all around me.

In St. Louis we typically have an up-and-down Fall when it comes to weather, but summer usually lingers well into October. As an example, take a look at yesterday: it was 83ºF (28ºC), sunny, and wonderful. Being out in the garden I couldn't help but think that summer would never end.

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Today though, it ended. Well, temporarily at least. High temperature in the lower 50's, with a low in the mid-30's. Also wet. Windy too. That same forecast will hang around for a few days too, enough time to make it sink in that winter is coming.

What that means is that it's that time of year to start thinking about what to do with all of the tropicals and the plants that are cold-hardy to some extent, but not quite so to survive a normal winter outdoors here. This means dragging large pots into the garage, burying others, planting, digging up tubers and rhizomes -- a lot of work.

Luckily with such a variable October climate, I expect to have several more warm days before the month ends. Our normal temperature for this time of year is 72ºF (22ºC), and I expect to see at least two more 80ºF days before it's over.

So for now I'm just going to enjoy it when I can still get it. Yes, winter is coming and there will be much to do in the garden before it gets here. But that doesn't mean I won't be living October in denial, counting on another mild winter to save me from my November rush to get the plants indoors.

So for the next few days I'll put on an extra layer or two, focus on indoor projects, and wait for summer to show up again. Rose-tinted glasses? I prefer the summer-tinted ones, and mine are firmly in place!

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