You

At dinner, my daughter mentioned my blog.

"It's so 'you.' "

The fiance added, "I think it's nice in a Brady Bunch kind of way."

They must have overlooked the hot steamy beds of zinnias and lantana.

And the abundant maiden ferns scattered throughout my garden.

I wish I had photographed the stinkhorn before it disappeared. I never saw one of those on the Brady Bunch.

Endings

Today is the last day of summer. After three long months of sweat and mosquitos, the mornings cool and suddenly summer is at its end.

Late flowers are abundant. Perennial heliopsis lasts well into autumn and annual pentas are at their peak. Impatiens continue to seed themselves about, although their sprouts will not mature by frost.

Asters are among the last to flower and they bloom until mid October. Bees adore these plants and you can hear them humming from inside the house.

Trees begin to change color. The buckeye along the path is among the first to turn, a reminder that life is a cycle of birth and death.

Not much has changed in the garden in memory of my Dad. Today is the anniversary of his death. I miss him.

Late summer

The outside temperatures have been in the 90's for the past several days, but that doesn't stop the late summer flowers from strutting their stuff.

White snakeroot, Eupatorium rugosum, planted itself in the back yard next to the false sunflower, Helianthus helianthoides, as goldenrod, Solidago rugosum, tried to sneak up through the back. In this part of the garden, these natives attract bees in the early afternoon, but at no other time of day.

The asters starting blooming today. I moved them to their current spot last February and they are thriving, although rabbits nibble on them constantly.

I planted red pentas for the first time this year because I read that they attracted hummingbirds and butterflies. Unfortunately, that was not my experience. Still, they look great next to our native Solidago rugosum "Fireworks," a pollinator magnet.

The green headed coneflower, Rudbeckia laciniata, blooms in fairly heavy shade. It is a native, and I would love to buy more, but I only find seeds for sale. I have no luck with seeds.

The abundance of late summer in a backyard wildlife habitat.

Wedding venue - Lodge

Ten miles north of Durham, the city created a park by the shore of Lake Michie, the source of the city's drinking water. There are trails through the woods and along the lake. Campsites are scattered here and there. High above the lakeshore is a lodge, built in the 1930's with round logs with chinking between them, in the Adirondack style.

Inside the lodge, the rooms are rustic and seem to ramble here and there. In the center are two large rooms with wood burning fireplaces, which are operable. These fireplaces are made of fieldstone with heavy wood mantles. The walls are log-cabin style and the floors are hardwood. The beams are thick and solid.

This fireplace is in a smaller room that opens wide to the side of the first. Outside this room is a rustic open air porch surrounded by a tangle of trees and vines and through it all, you can catch a glimpse of Lake Michie.

Outside there is a wide grassy area, an acre or two, with two grand tulip trees that cast dappled shade. The grass is mowed to the edge of the woods, thick with vegetation, a peaceful and restful spot, even on a hot afternoon.

September

In the heat of summer, we wait quietly for September. Mornings are cool on some days and after a 90 degree afternoon, the sun shows some mercy by setting before 8:00.

On Labor Day, leaves on the ironweed begin to yellow and the foliage on the passionvine begins to turn grey. But sunflowers and goldenrod are yellow beacons in the garden and purple spiderwort begins its second bloom of the season.

Caryopteris clandonensis is past its peak but is still attractive to pollinators.

Black swallowtail caterpillars arrive on our parsley in September. And crickets sing their loudest every evening, in hopes of mating before the frost, and even then a few survivors continue a dirge until Christmas.

Berry producing plants are at their peak in September. This beautyberry, Callicarpa americana, planted itself in the side garden. It is more attractive to birds than its parent, which is ignored until its fruit falls off in late winter.

The fruits of the passionvine remain green, even when fully ripe. Heavy with fruit, our passionvine produces few blooms in September, but bumblebees continue to work their magic on the flowers.

Milkweed

Asclepias syriaca is a bold plant. With coarse foliage and tall stalks, it looks best with tall finely cut leaved plants. Beside the driveway, it mingles with garden giants like tall coreopsis, Coreopsis tripteris, and ironweed, Vernonia noveboracensis.

In spring, common milkweed produces pink clusters of flowers with a heavenly fragrance. Bees go crazy for milkweed, which plays a trick on them. The flowers trap the legs of insects in tiny sticky holes. As the bees shake free, they insure pollination. Our wildlife garden hums with activity when milkweed comes into bloom.

Milkweed wanders around the garden but rarely seeds itself about. Surprisingly, a milkweed sprout popped up near the button bush on the opposite side of the garden. Under a leaf, I discovered the first monarch caterpillar of the season.

Milkweed, misfortunate name for a delightful plant.

Wedding venue - Farm

The farm was the most complicated site that we visited.

As visitors approach, the silo announces that this has been a working farm.

The structure where receptions are held has white wood shingles and a grey tin roof, surrounded by traditional Southern shrubs planted a generation ago.

One side of the structure had a rambling porch.

The other side had a covered porch with wide wooden tables for a cookout. In the grass were traditional roadside picnic tables.

Inside is a series of quirky rooms on several levels. In this one, brown wooden booths line the walls.

The dance floor is on the lowest level, where brown columns are topped by a tangle of branches, lit by hundreds of tiny lights.

Formerly a dairy farm, rolling hills and countryside surround the buildings. Many brides choose to be married under a massive oak tree with a pond near by. I wish I had gotten a photo of the tree.

Wedding venue - Barn

For rustic weddings and receptions, the barn is a most popular site and brides make their reservations more than a year ahead of the date.

The barn lives up to its name in appearance. The wood is beautiful in color and contains no lingering scents. It was originally built for conferences and has never been a working barn.

The barn has long and deep covered porches. This porch is near the driveway.

A second porch is along the back of the house.

The barn is surrounded by 85 acres of woods. Nearest to the barn, the woods are young with many saplings.

In a clearing, there is a pond.

On a square deck surrounded by the woods, the fireplace is a warm and cozy place to exchange vows. There is kindling nearby and for music, there are speakers.

Inside the barn is a large room for dining and dancing. The room is nicely proportioned and the wood is a warm brown tone.