In the South, Fall is usually the shortest season of the year. Summer starts cheerfully in May, then trudges until the end of October. The new magazines are Showoffs with Fat Pumpkins, artful pictures of Fall Fashion, even Autumn inspired Apple and Pumpkin Pies- to be honest, I never say Autumn and I’d take a Sweet Potato Pie over Pumpkin any day! The magazines show Fall Home Décor and  stunning photographs of Fall Foliage- it just galls me, here we sit sweltering in the heat! That glow Southern women are known for comes from the heat and humidity that stays with us almost all year round…By Fall? We pine for, we long for cool crisp air- we would dearly love to put on fall fashions, except you cannot go outside – you must be inside under the air conditioner to wear your cute sweater set and boots. The Weather Channel gets a huge Southern audience in the Fall for Hurricanes, First Frost Dates or Scorching Temperatures in the high 80’s. Folks just start runnin’ for the hills.  Honestly a Fall like this one is enough to make you willing to give up Iced Tea for one cool breeze! At SEC football games, it has been so hot the players had to have IV’s for dehydration! Alabama often has stunning Fall Color- that means the leaves have turned pretty colors, just not here, this year.  This Fall is one of those curl up and die years; giving us the sense that the yard is saying –‘Ok, ya’ll,  I give up, I’ve had it with this heat, I’m taking a nap.’  I got up my courage, and decided in the last few days to root around and see what I could find in the Yard and the store that said- Fall.

I found Green Figs that are still ripening, my second crop of Arugula and believe it or not  heat resistant Tomato vines have some tiny green ones growing- even though deer had a snack on the top leaves, we’re still picking Jalapenos, they’re hot too. A few Zinnias are getting the last word with Green Envy®. I have begun to get out a few Fall decorations like the Cotton Wreath and the little carved wood leaf man, which was a sweet gift from a dear friend…

Braving the heat, those sweet Dogwoods have fat Red Berries with crumpled brown and yellow leaves sidled up to a few cheerfully green but limp leaves. I love to find Pinecones which are dropping in disgust now. At the grocery store, there was a happy looking bin of Tiny Pumpkins and Apples which survived the trip over to Alabama. We have  Beekeepers and even more Pecan Growers-…listen, we don’t say Pee-Can…that’s something Yankees came up with- we say Pa-cahns.  The abandoned Hat Nest looked sweet on a bench. Hydrangeas, enough to fill more than two large galvanized tubs- are drying inside now. The much aligned Golden Rod is shyly showing up. Our ‘Mums for Music’ are popping open their Red Blooms in perfect harmony.

Right here in the Yard at Camellia’s Cottage- (we don’t say lawn in the South- it’s yard, front or back) there are subtle signs that Fall is here… All in all, I felt a bit better about our no-show curl up and die Fall when I put together all I had found…I’d love to hear what’s going on in your yard…and how you’re celebrating Fall! Meanwhile, I’ll sip some iced tea and keep up under the air conditioning! Oh me…

Love y’all, Camellia

*Eden Elementary is a local school which raises funds for their Music Program by selling wonderful Mums in the Fall and Ferns in the Spring- we love supporting music programs for children!