It's a lovely Fall morning here in the Carondelet Garden on this last Friday of September.  It seems Summer will make another appearance this afternoon and for the next few days.  The heat is returning to South Saint Louis.  Just when all of those great Fall feelings were kicking in.  Welcome to Saint Louis, if you don't like the weather... stick around!

It's our opening weekend for the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra tomorrow night.  It will be a different experience traveling to UMSL to see our beloved orchestra.  Looking forward to seeing and hearing great music again.  We are also excited about the transformation of Powell Hall.  Good things are happening for sure.

Big plans for this weekend?  Tomorrow is also Macklind Days, which is also a fun time.  It's a busy time of year for the #supercoololdcpeople in Carondelet.  Wouldn't trade it for anything!  Be good and be kind to yourself and others as you finish out September and begin October this weekend.  Where did this month go?  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a bit of cloudy morning here in the Carondelet Garden but it doesn't seem to be bothering the Firebush.  The 'hamelia patens' Firebush is a giving plant with the ever-present flowers and is simply lovely in that small strip next to the sidewalk in the back garden.  A bit of sunshine to brighten a cloudy morning!

A busy day ahead as we get things cleaned up around the Cottage and then head to "Chihuly Nights" @mobotgarden tonight.  We went once earlier in Summer but bought tickets when they expanded the show a few weeks ago.  I'm glad we did as they've announced the rest of the run is sold out.  It should be as it is a fantastic exhibit by one of my favorite artists: Dale Chihuly!

It looks like a beautiful day ahead with highs in the low 80s.  A good day for a good day as they say.  Be good to yourself and kind to others as you sojourn through this Thursday.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a cloudy, wet morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  We had several storms roll through South Saint Louis last night and into the early morning.  Several inches of rain fell, and the garden appreciated the moisture.  It's been a bit dry.  While we would have preferred a nice soaking rain and not thunderstorms, beggars cannot be choosers!

Red Clover, Red Clover it's growing all over!  The raised beds have been put to sleep for the winter with their covering of green manure.  This year we've used Red Clover to help put some more nitrogen back into the soil especially in the tomato beds.  We'll work in fresh compost in late Winter before the Spring planting season begins again.

I love Fall.  It's the perfect name for this season as the leaves begin their annual fashion show and begin to fall onto the ground providing all sorts of nutrients and leaf mould for us gardeners.  Leaves are so beneficial to the garden and to the little critters who live there.  The circle of life continues here in the Carondelet Garden this Autumn!

One of the best lessons I've learned as a gardener is to know and simply go with the seasons.  Do not fight them.  You will lose.  It's not always convenient, so we learn to be flexible and measure the seasons by our own gardens.  A good lesson in life and gardening.  

A meditative start to the day here in the Garden.  The clouds are hanging around and it's quiet in the neighborhood.  The music is playing softly in the background and coffee is brewing in the kitchen.  It's a good way to start the day.  Be good to yourself and kind as well.  The world needs all the kindness it can find right now!  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

Happy Tuesday from the old gardener here in the Carondelet Garden.  Saint Fiacre, the Patron Saint of Gardeners, is keeping an eye on the back garden on this partly sunny morning.  It's another beautiful start to the day but the temperatures are supposed to be climbing into the upper 80s by this afternoon.  A taste of summer returns to South Saint Louis.

We spent much of yesterday's afternoon moving plants and fixing the mistakes I made with placement the first time.  As I've gotten older, I've come to accept that failure teaches me so much more than success.  As I've been told, you never really know a plant until you have killed it twice!  Luckily, I have not killed any twice, but I have murdered my fair share of lovely specimens.  I make mistakes all the time, the best part is that, hopefully, I learn from each mistake and don't make the same one twice!

The bottom line is that "right" answers are few and far between and are always very much less interesting and informative than the right questions!  No matter what happens, my garden always seems to be able to bring me joy and happiness.  

It's a good day for a good day as the people say.  Be good and be kind to yourself and others who may pass your way.  A little kindness goes a long, long way.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's another beautiful Monday morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  The potted petunias are still blooming and looking quite lovely on this last Monday of September.  Fall has arrived and the heat is returning to the Southside of Saint Louis this week.  Nothing like last month, but warmer than it's been recently.  The rain we were supposed to get yesterday never happened, so the watering regime has begun once again.  

We will be doing some "rearranging" in the Garden this week.  Some plants need to be relocated because I made a poor decision in where I put them in the first place.  I've discovered that chasing after the perfect garden is doomed to disappointment.  Every garden is a work in progress and is as complete as our lives are.  My garden is always changing. There is always room for improvement.  It can always get better.  Sometimes it gets worse.  I'm embracing being a part of the change.  Be flexible!  

Wisdom teaches me to avoid the hysteria that claims, "this is the whole truth, the only truth, the only way to look at it."  Embracing what is, not theology or ideology, not what "should be as much as "what is!"  Sometimes what is needs to be changed.  Be flexible.

It's a great day.  Gardening later this morning.  Heading out for the flu shot and the booster.  Trying to be flexible and wise.  We'll see how that ultimately works out.  I'm an old man but I'm still trying to learn a few new things.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

The skies above the Carondelet Garden are cloudy this Friday morning in September.  Otherwise, a lovely morning to enjoy the garden and have a cup of coffee and listen to a bit of music while reading the newspaper.  It is one of those mornings where retirement is a blessing!

The Lantana have been a gift this year.  They are ever-blooming and simply love it here in the Garden.  What a bit of grace for the old gardener in Carondelet.  The gift that keeps on giving.  

A busy weekend in store for the #supercoololdpeople.  Art in the Park is Sunday, and we will get to see our newest Great-Niece.  Tomorrow, we get to spend some time with the youngest of the trio.  Watch her play volleyball and then ice cream afterward.  After all, it is tradition!

Joy is filling the heart of this old guy.  Looking forward to this beautiful day and all of the fun coming this weekend.  I hope you have an amazing Friday and enjoy your weekend as well.  You deserve a bit of joy!  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

There are partly cloudy skies above the Carondelet Garden on this Thursday in September.  The gentle rains from last night were a welcome sound and sight for this old gardener.  The plants are loving the heavenly moisture and the added nutrients.  Another beautiful day in the Garden.

Autumn is just around the corner.  It's an end and a beginning.  The end of summer and the warmth and warp of that season.  The beginning of the preparation for the long, dark nights of Winter and the wonder of the season of waiting and wonder.  Every season in the Garden of life is a wonder to behold.  A time of change and growth, rest and renewal.  There is no straightforward beginning and end.  It is simply the time and way in which the Creator fulfills purpose. 

Now is the time to pay attention.  To be receptive to what my soul really needs. I simply need to acknowledge the Creator's presence.  The gift of Garden as a sacred place.  Amen.

It is a beautiful morning with fair skies here in the Carondelet Garden on this September hump-day.  The weather prognosticators are calling for the possibility of some rain later this morning and into the afternoon which would definitely be welcomed by this old gardener in South Saint Louis.  We could use a bit of the heavenly moisture to give the new plants a good boost.

The Pansies went in as part of our Fall Refresh of the front border.  I love the splash of color and the idea that they last and last.  Last year's Pansies made it from September to June before finally fizzling out.  You can't beat that kind of production of an annual.  It's always a bit of grace to see their little faces poking up toward whatever light they can get it the Winter season.  

​Here's to Wednesday! Here's to a wonderful mid-week with the downhill slide toward the weekend.  We will be at Art in the Park in Francis Park this weekend.  It's a fun way to spend Sunday afternoon.  Great art, great food, great space and amazing artists and makers.  Be good and be kind to yourself.  You deserve it!  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

A beautiful morning here in the Carondelet Garden on this Tuesday in September.  Sunny skies in the forecast today.  The flowers are loving this weather, but we could use a bit of the heavenly moisture.  I'm doing a bit of lawn recovery and re-seeding so any help would be appreciated.  

The classical concert season is officially off an running this week in Saint Louis.  The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra has their tradition Forest Park Concert this Thursday evening on Art Hill in Forest Park.  It's always a great even and it is free!  Last night we headed over the Washington University for the first concert of the 15th anniversary series of Chamber Music Saint Louis.  The small orchestra was led by the incredible Nicholas McGegan.  A wonderful program of Bach, Telemann, Haydn and Schubert.  The performance was incredible and the perfect way to start the new season.

Here's to a beautiful day.  Be good and be kind to yourself today.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

Sunshine, blue skies with light and variable winds.  In other words, a stunning start to the day here in the Carondelet Garden.  A bit of porch sitting with a cup of coffee and the newspaper.  Some great music playing on the old Smart Speaker.  Life is good in South Saint Louis.

This Mallo is a beautiful addition to the Garden this year.  A gift that keeps on giving as we have had blooms almost daily for the past few months.  Such a joyful presence.  It's hard not to smile when you see it every day.  A bit of grace on a Monday morning in September.

I have always been a bit of a control-freak.  I like to know what is going to happen, how it is going to happen, and be able to make the decisions to get things done.  Obviously, not a great way to live your life.  As I get older, and more and more things are truly out of my control I started to understand the mystery a bit.  While my body becomes a bit less flexible, my attitudes and spirit become more flexible and able to deal with the topsy-turviness a bit better.  I've come to believe that life does not have to be fixed, controlled or even understood for us to be happy.  That is the good news.  The good news is discovering that I was never in control in the first place.  

Happy Monday morning Gardening friends!  Be good to yourself and kind to others as you journey about this September day.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

Welcome to another stunningly beautiful start to the day here in the Carondelet Garden.  I've been enjoying the butterfly pictures others have posted in IG in the past few months.  We've been fortunate to have the butterflies, but I've never been able to capture them, but Dr. B has the touch and was able to catch a few of our friends before they leave for the Winter.  Such a blessing in the Garden.  Such a simple, ordinary moment!

I love ordinariness.  I long to simply take that moment to reflect and truly witness the way our Creator is working in our lives and in our world.  I yearn to develop that sense of a gentle, growing gratefulness to sprout up in my heart.  I am a better person when I pay attention to the world around me and the fit given to us to care for.  The simply, ordinary task of taking notice of the gifts around us is inherently life-giving.  Simple, ordinary life.  

It is a good day to experience the joys and blessings of this Ordinary Friday in September.  The weekend is almost here.  Be good and be kind to yourself this weekend.  Find a place to shut out the background noise and relax a bit if you can.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a simply stunning morning here in the Carondelet Garden in South Saint Louis.  The weather is just beautiful right now.  We have been so lucky to have these Fall-like days this week.  This old gardener has been able to get a lot done with the cooler weather.  

Lots of questions on my mind lately.  No answers, just questions.  The mysteries of life and faith are swirling about in this old man's head.  Lots of questions.  As someone who believe I want to understand and to want to understand means asking questions.  I don't know the right words.  My answers never seem to be enough.  The one this I do know is that I don't have to have it all figured out.  I am a simple man and totally limited.  This recognition takes off the pressure.  The good news is that we are empowered and expected to ask the questions.  We are expected to experience doubts that invite us into conversation about who we are and why we are here.  

I love the Irish poet John O'Donohue who wrote that "a question is really one of the forms in which wonder expresses itself."  Thank goodness!  If we simply live the questions, perhaps, one day, we will every slowly, steadily, and maybe even without realizing exactly how, enter into the answers.  

It's a beautiful day.  Rejoice and be glad.  Yep!  That's what this old gardener is doing this Thursday.  I hope you get a chance to rejoice a bit as well.  Be good and be kind.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It is a glorious morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  The skies are sunny, and the temps are in the upper 50s on this Ordinary Wednesday in September.  Fall is definitely arrived in South Saint Louis.

The mums are planted and have started to burst open into their full glory!  There are few things that scream FALL more than Mums.  I worked in a High School for many years and mums always remind me of Homecoming.  The cheerleaders would always sell Homecoming Mums and I was always a sucker and bought one from everyone who asked.  Needless to say, I bought a lot of mums!

Yesterday was Antique Roadtripping for the #supercoololdcouple from Carondelet.  We had a great time heading down I-44 and visiting antique stores and having some really good barbecue @missourihickbbq in Cuba.  Neat place if you are ever in the area.  

Road trips are fun, but I have to admit I can get a bit of anger going at some of the crazy things drivers do on the Interstate.  It seems it is even worse when there is construction and I-44 is always filled with construction.  I have to continuously remind myself that the person driving that car is loved by the Creator as much as I am.  It's a simple thing when I see the Creator clearly because I can then only behave in a good and human way.  Simple, ordinary humanity.  

A great day to garden.  A great day to do just about anything.  Be good to yourself.  Be kind to others as you continue your journey.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It is a lovely partly cloudy morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  The rains from very early this morning have ended but the heavenly moisture was much appreciated by this old gardener.  The nutrients from heavenly showers makes such a difference!  

"Have you heard about the lonesome loser
Beaten by the queen of hearts every time
Have you heard about the lonesome loser
He's a loser, but he still keeps on tryin'"

This song was playing in my head when we planted this lovely 'Queen of Hearts' Hosta in our little display garden.  You certainly cannot beat this amazing stunner of a plant!  With all of the different hostas surrounding this plant, it is definitely not a "lonesome loser!" 

I read this quote somewhere the other day and it's been on my mind:  "The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.  Just go ahead and live positively."  I find these words to contain a powerful message.  Just go ahead and live positively.  Simple, ordinary positivity.  Change the world!  That's the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It is an outstanding Friday morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  Low 60s and beautiful sunny skies filled with puffy white clouds.  It is a picture-perfect morning for an old gardener like me.  It doesn't get much better than this.

I spent some time yesterday putting our little 'rock garden' in the backyard.  If you are an urban gardener like me, you have these odd little spaces that you have to get creative with in order to use them for much of anything.  This little area is in between our City Garage and the back and side fence.  It even has this funky little angled fence wall.  We had a bunch of stones left over from other garden projects, so I built a bit of a barrier against the fence and added Stonecrop, a lovely variegated Mallo, some Irish Moss and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. The Mallo was planted in late Spring, and it was looking a bit lonely according to Dr. B so this is what we did to relieve its loneliness.  You can't have the poor thing feeling left out!

"This is the Day the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it!"  We wake up to a world filled with the delight and wisdom of the Creator.  This simple, ordinary day is given to us as a singular gift.  Be good to yourself on this Friday in September.  Seek the good.  Notice the beauty.  Change your world.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.  

It's a beautiful morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  Low 60s and gorgeous sunshine amidst blue skies over South Saint Louis.  This is one of those days that lets you know Fall is right around the corner.

That little strip of ground next to the sidewalk is looking really nice on this early September day.  We transitioned from early summer vegetables to flowers in mid-June and are rewarded with this beautiful sight every time we head out to the garage.  A bit of grace for your Thursday morning.

The beginning of September is always a Thin Places time for this old gardener.  It is always a bittersweet season, yet it also gives me hope and, somehow, restores my faith a little.  In Celtic Spirituality, Thin Places are where the veil between Heaven and Earth is porous.  This closeness or Thin Place is where, even when I feel alone, I also feel surrounded by the presence of family and friends enfolding me in their love and encouragement.  I hope you feel a bit of a Thin Place in this season as well.  Fall is a very Thin Place time for so many people and so many cultures.

A bit of Faith, Hope, Love and some Grace on this first Thursday of September.  Take care of yourselves.  Remember that you are loved, just the way you are, right now!  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It is a partly cloudy wet start to the day here in the Carondelet Garden.  We added some Stone Crop to the back garden, and it has settled in quite well.  The rains from last night certainly did not hurt!  We surely needed the heavenly moisture.  I can water and do my best but the stuff that comes down from above does wonders for the garden!

We are still in a bit of a Fall Refresh mode here in the Garden.  We added a bunch of Winter Pansies to the front parterre garden.  Of course, I didn't quite get the spacing right, so we are headed out again today to pick up some more.  Who doesn't need more flowers?  The little pops of color that go straight into winter are a joy!

Lots to do this morning.  We are wishing you a bit of faith, hope and love for your journey this week.  Be good to yourself and others.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It is a cloudy, wet start to the day here in the Carondelet Garden.  The weekend was filled with activity and fun for the #supercoololdcouple in South Saint Louis.  We've added a few new Hostas to the display bed.  This 'Jack of Diamonds' is a particular favorite!  It will bookend our 'Queen of Hearts.'  Our new bed is filling up faster than I expected especially after we visited 'Hostas on the Bluff.'

A bit of a bittersweet day for this old gardener.  Today would have been my Dad's 87th birthday and my parents' 70th wedding anniversary.  That is correct, they married on my dad's 17th birthday.  I just ran across their wedding pictures a couple of years ago.  There weren't many and they were not professional pictures.  Two very young people who married for love and forever.  I can't believe Dad has been gone 15 years already.  Happy Heavenly Birthday Pop!

The rains should return to Carondelet today.  We do need a bit of heavenly moisture. The clouds are already here.  The rains from earlier have moved out.  The day has begun.  There is work to do and I'm getting my head wrapped around this week's chore list.  Be good and be kind to yourself this week.  We could all use a bit of kindness right now.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

“If you care about what you do and work hard at it, there isn’t anything you can’t do if you want to.”
​                                                                                                                                                      — Jim Henson

It is in the 50s this morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  Amazing weather for this first day of September.  Fall feelings abound.  This lovely Money Plant was a volunteer I found in one of the plants we purchased.  I plucked out a small little plant and look at it now!  Love to find volunteers!

It's been a busy week for this old gardener in South Saint Louis.  Lots of gardening. A few day trips. Great food. Great fellowship. A wonderful week with more to come.  

We are heading out soon for yet another tiny adventure.  Be safe on your journey.  Be good and be kind to yourself and others as you sojourn about.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.