Snow-white clouds scudding across skies of intense blue; Goldenrods dancing in the afternoon sunshine to the tempo of a gentle breeze; fuzzy orange Wooly Bears scuttling across roadways . . . . Nature is hinting that autumn glory is just around the corner. And soon, God will flick His paintbrush and splashes of orange, red, and gold will appear on hillsides, in meadows, in our own gardens. Without a doubt, the radiant splendor of autumn will soon be here and we will be wishing that October lasted five months instead of just one!

I have an idea for prolonging the colors of autumn for at little longer: This October, when the trees in your garden or a nearby park are flaunting their glorious colors, pack a picnic lunch, rally the kids (or grandkids), and head outside for a leaf-collecting adventure. Bring home the leaves you gather and place them between the pages of the phone books you keep forgetting to recycle. In November, as you set your Thanksgiving table, bring out the leaves and scatter them across your table for a spectacular second showing of autumn’s extravagant colors!

Gladly shared by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& avid leaf gatherer)

There is something exhilarating about being outdoors on a blustery, rainy day. With the wind sweeping through the high branches and rain drops splashing on rocks and dripping from Pines, there is excitement and refreshment in the air as the earth drinks deeply following a long, dry spell.

This was my garden view on a recent rainy-day walk. . . .

Joyfully shared by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& frequent rain-walker)

“Skirts of stars swirl through black space and waterfalls canter over stones, manes of runaway horses, and lone mushroom tilts in the shadows of soundless forest and God sees it all. This is His endless experience because this is who He is, beauty overflowing. . . . Joy is God’s life.”

~ from One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp (Canadian author, speaker, humanitarian)

Gladly shared by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& joyous Beauty-seeker)

“There is gardening, and there is being in a garden.

The gardener’s experience involves the deep satisfaction of working side by side with the Creator to develop a place of beauty. It is the satisfaction of making the world a better place. of participating in an activity that has been bettering the world for countless centuries.

But the other garden experience is just as valid. It is the experience of just being in a garden, enjoying a garden, gratefully gathering the gifts that the garden has to offer. This is the garden experience anyone can have . . . . “

~ Emilie Barnes, author of Time Began in a Garden

Gladly shared by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& grateful to be experiencing the garden James is building around me!)

Photos show breathtaking Rhododendron display being staged in a country garden, Manheim, PA.