If you live in South Mississippi, you may have to squint to see it, but September brings hints of fall. Morning temperatures in the 70s with a gentle breeze entice me outside to get a jump on my 10,000 steps. Our tulip poplar trees get a head start on a bit of fall coloration. There won’t be much in this part of Mississippi, but we take what we can get. My son’s newly mowed lawn next door, part of my regular route, has become a patchwork carpet green, accented with yellow poplar leaves.
As I step outside my door, I run into a nature crisis. A gulf fritillary caterpillar crawls across the concrete porch. Not quite fat enough to pupate, he has strayed from his food source with time getting short. Maypop vines near his location have been stripped by his siblings and cousins, and he is searching for another. He won’t find it on the concrete.
I get a small card and lift him to another area with a vine he needs to feed on. I think the avid way he chomps on the leaf is his way of saying thank you.
There are the surprise lilies that deserve that name, though they have several other labels. These do surprise me every year with their bright red bloom before I even notice they are poking up out of the ground. They were a pass-along plant from a friend and have been moved along with our furniture to bloom at three different houses.
The morning glories have just entered their prime and show their usefulness by all the pollen the bees have dusted from the center to speckle the blooms.
Then there’s the snake. I’m figuring that he is not actually a sign of fall and have refused his offer from the step of my she shed to come in and help me with editing.
My final hint of fall brings my annual standup for the beautiful wildflower that grows right in my garden. Goldenrod is in bud now, getting ready for a golden explosion in October. Goldenrod does not cause allergies. The ragweed, that is not nearly so noticeable and often grows nearby, is throwing pollen all around. The goldenrod pollen is too heavy to drift. It’s kind of like the second kid who throws a punch gets in trouble with the teacher because the instigator threw his surreptitiously. So if you are sneezing, look for the ragweed and don’t blame the spectacular beautiful goldenrod.
And join me in welcoming my favorite season of the year.