Autumn happenings in my garden

These are last of the garden pictures for the season.  It was a beautiful Autumn.  The dogwoods and crepe myrtles were spectacular this year.  The sourwoods and sassafras were gorgeous red and orange, Even the forsythia put on a show.  Most of the leaves have fallen now so I'll wait patiently through the winter, looking at garden catalogs and dream of next years garden.  I do want to try to have some tomato plants next year.  If you've been following, you know I battled the deer with sprays, hot peppers and chili powder, wind chimes, cages.  Nothing would stop them.  I learned from a neighbor that she used ivory soap cut up in chunks around hers and that worked. So next time, I'll give that a try.  

Red orange sassafras trees

Forsythia will turn this pretty purple the more sun it gets in the fall.  Talk about a southern staple.  It grows everywhere and doesn't need anything.  Just cut it back occasionally if it gets too big.  Pretty bell shaped yellow flowers in the spring, a carefree, open shrub in the summer and then this lovely purple in the fall. What's not to love?

Heading around the curve in the driveway and this sugar maple greets me

Crepe myrtles line one side of the driveway

This is an azalea.  No, really!  It blooms in the spring, off and on in the summer and then this show in the fall

Some garden mums in a pinky purple.  There'a a little bee taking a nap in this one.

Anniversary trip to the mountains

This year was our 28th anniversary.  We always celebrate with a trip to the NE Georgia mountains.  Just for the day to cruise around and see the leaves, stop somewhere for lunch, explore and enjoy the views.  We stay pretty busy in our day to day lives so it is nice to have a whole day for just us.

The leaves held out for us this year with some nice color.  Some years they are already gone but this year we got to see them.  We stopped at the Old Sautee Store which has been a landmark for years and years.  It's actually an old general store and still has old stuff inside on display. They also have unique gifts so we did a little Christmas shopping for family.

We ended up in the national forest, going up a bumpy gravel road back up into the mountains.  It was beautiful.  Lovely streams and waterfalls.  We always stop and pick up a rock, just a regular rock from a creek somewhere.  That's the "anniversary" rock. 

It's hard to capture the beauty but I think the pictures came out pretty well!

This is my adorable husband!  After 28 years he still makes my heart happy! And makes me laugh!  I think that's so important.