Last Day of Summer, Nags Head, NC
We were holding hands on the beach at Nags Head for the Autumn Equinox as the season began in the Northern hemisphere when the sun shone straight over the equator back on the 22nd and everywhere day and night were (more or less) the same length.
The sun is at a lower angle now, light is softer and more mellow. Late season annuals shine: amazingly fragrant old ‘Gleam’ nasturtium; sunflower ‘Vanilla Ice’ with pale frilly blooms just right for cutting; globe amaranth still vivid purple and heathery pink; the stalwart single marigold that continues to feed butterflies and hummingbirds.
To my shame I have no zinnias, nicotiana or cleome this year but resolve to grow them each summer forever after as they are also deer tolerant and would see me through to frost.
‘Vanilla Ice’ Sunflower and ‘Gleam’ Nasturtium
The cherry tomatoes are gone but Yellow Brandywine is ripening from green picked fruit that I lay on newspaper on the counter and there’s still an occasional Purple Cherokee. Soon it will be time to weed the garlic chives out of the strawberries and transplant the runners out of the path.
Zsa Zsa Walks the Line