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On October 23 in the morning we woke up to a red sky. Take warning says the old weather saying. We knew that rain was heading our way in the next day or so.
The leaves are coming down quickly and just over the weekend we raked and bagged several large bags of them and took them to the landfill.
The temperatures were still close to 20 Celsius, absolutely glorious for this time of the year. I’ve been cutting greenery from the garden, the back fields and the landfill. I always take the garden cutters when we go to the landfill as I can find branches from various evergreen tress that we don’t have, and a few snips later I’ve got some lovely branches for the big pots of greenery. My version of trash to treasure. This year I filled the tipsy buckets with branches and I’m very pleased with the results. I also did the usual hanging baskets by the garden and the big garden pots.
I’ve been out in the garden taking photos with a new camera, a Nikon P900 which has amazing zoom of 83x. Chippy was watching me, so obliging to pose nicely.
The blooms are dried out in various shades of browns and beige. Some are turning fluffy and getting ready to take flight and perhaps grow into a new plant next year. I found some Queen Anne’s lace, goldenrod, and thistles in their dried Autumn splendour.
The milkweed pods are opening ready to disperse their seeds. These plants brought in the Monarch butterflies and gave me lots of photo opportunities.
I captured this squirrel just hanging over the hydro wires at the front of the house. He/she stayed there for the longest time. What a way to spend a lazy afternoon. (photo taken through window)
This little downy woodpecker was investigating the railing. In a couple of the photos he was joined by a friend. Can you see them? The centre photo is the sharpest as it was taken through the window. These little guys hop and jump quite quickly.
Even though gardening season is probably over there is always something interesting to photograph in the garden.
Nature never fails to amaze me.
I’m sharing with Saturday’s Critters and Mosaic Monday
Kea
Wonderful end-of-season pics! I love that you got the woodpeckers, they’re hard (for me, anyway) to get a pic of, the rare time I see one. Mr. Chippie…or Ms. Chippie is adorable. Theyr’e so much cuter than squirrels.
I like your hanging nature display too. I never would think to look for greenery/shrubbery at a landfill. Well, not at the disposal sites here in town anyway (for hazardous waste and recycling).
83x zoom?! Wow! I thought the 65x zoom I’ve seen was high. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as 83x. Glad you’re having fun with it!
Linda aka Crafty Gardener
It’s a Nikon camera, and is working out great. I have a Nikon 43X zoom and love it, so this one should be even better.
sallie rainville
Love the natural dried flower arrangements …. even your end-of-season garden is perfectly artistic. Beautiful post….
Yvette Chilcott
Your photos are beautiful Linda, you have a keen sense of “line and colour”. The milkweed ones are stunning. My hubby bought me that same camera last year; the Nikon P900, and although it’s a bit heavier and larger than my last camera, I really like that zoom factor. Happy Autumn!
Linda aka Crafty Gardener
Good to know someone else has this camera too, if I have a question I’ll know who to ask. So far I’m loving it, already have a Nikon 43x zoom so am familiar with the workings of the camera. My first comment when I saw it was, woo it is bigger and so it should be with the kind of lens. Are you using a tripod most of the time? I’ve got one set up at the house but just purchased a monopod to try when I am out. I’ll share how it works out later.
Yvette Chilcott
I have a tripod and ordered a remote “clicker” so I can take photos of the garments I sew to post on my blog. Otherwise I’m hand held. Let me know how the monopod works out for you, as I’m considering it. Interesting side note; when I was in Mexico recently with the camera around my neck, some mouthy local men were pointing and laughing at me, saying “paparazzi”. I was quite nervous.
Linda aka Crafty Gardener
I just got the monopod in the mail and it works quite well. The top doesn’t have the swivel action that a tripod has and it is matter of figuring out how to use it. It seems good for stability, especially when on full zoom. I need to head down by the bay to try it out on the geese and duck and swans. I’ll have to use it more before I make a final judgement.
I always say I’m the paparazzi to the wildlife. 🙂
Myrtle
Great photos Linda. I love the shots of chippy and of the downy woodpecker. Your dried fall arrangements are lovely and really like the tippsy pails with dried arrangements. You do great shots no matter what camera you use as far as I’m concerned Linda. I am not great with a camera. Stay dry, I’m sure we are going to get more rain, is is very windy and I have to go out again.
Jennifer Jilks
I love the end of season. The colours, change, and saying farewell to critters!
Kelly
Linda,
When you put the greenery in your tipsy buckets, what did you anchor them with? If you do them now, how long do they last?
Thanks,
Kelly
Linda aka Crafty Gardener
Hi Kelly, the buckets are full of dirt as I plant in them over the summer. I just push the branches into the soil and tge kast right through to spring. Hope you give it a try. Thanks fir stopping by.
Margaret Birding For Pleasure
What a fabulous sky to watch up to and I love ethe Woodpecker images as will as that cute chappy sitting on the post. Have a wonderful weekend.
Lea @ Lea's Menagerie
Dried seed heads are pretty, and I love the lazy squirrel!
Great photos of the chipmunk and woodpeckers!
Eileen
Hello, I love your cute hanging garden pots. I think the end of season plants look beautiful too, the critters usually like them too. The woodpecker is a great visitor, pretty mosaic. The Chipper is a cutie too. Lovely post and photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!
Judy Biggerstaff
Nice pics of the end of the season. I love the Downy Woodpecker, they visit my feeders daily and are so fun to photograph. Thanks for sharing and have a good weekend.
Linja in Virginia
Excellent collages! And I love the cute chipmunk!
Marie-OR
Wonderful garden shots! Love all the plants and the critters, too, especially the chipmunk.
lavender dreamer
I love what you did with the buckets! We saw so many limbs with berries on them when we hiked last weekend. I did come home with one pinecone…the most perfect one! haha! Love your little downy! Hugs!
Maggie
Raking leaves and conkers has been a week long task for us and our visitors too, there’s always something to do in the garden especially at this time of the year . The milkweed pods are fascinating and even weeds can look amazing when they are shriveled and brown, what fab mosaics they make.
Happy Mosaic Monday.
Angie
Clever ‘trash to treasure’ approach to greenery through to the spring – soon enough we will all be yearning for some green! Your milkweeds produced so well, as your stunning shots demonstrate. Thank you for supporting the majestic monarch!