There was a freeze warning for Thursday night into Friday morning. Forecasts were conflicted, with most calling for a low of 34F by just before dawn. Yet the forecast online still had that bright red ‘Freeze Warning!’ frame around Friday morning’s forecast.

We had nearly all of the plants we had room to save safely indoors by Wednesday afternoon. There were just a few large pots, and a spiny cactus, left behind outdoors. I had to work the puzzle a bit more to figure out where those large pots could land, and quite honestly, this body needed a break from lifting, pushing, bending, and carrying.

So we were back at it by mid-morning on Thursday. Significantly cooler and windier, we went back with the garden cart to rescue the two large pots of Begonias. One is wildly overgrown, and a problem to place because of its height and width. The other one much shorter, eaten down by deer and in a spot harder to water during our long, hot summer. Both large, ceramic pots presented a challenge to lift and carry even the short distance to the cart. After moving things around a bit, and moving some shovels and rakes to the basement, there was a place for them all.

Last spring I learned that overwintered ‘dragon wing’ Begonias never fully recover the next year. I saved a few, watering them faithfully all winter and giving them the best conditions I could. But they never caught up to the newly purchased clones of the same plant that I purchased in April. They were already tired and at a disadvantage. So that sealed the deal that some pots and baskets of dragon wings are ‘left behind’ outside to survive as long as they can before there is a hard freeze. And this morning, though it is cold and windy, they are still growing and blooming in the late November sunshine. It never dropped below 34F here on Friday morning, so the freeze warning was just a motivator to button things up for winter.

We still have bright color in some of the trees, and also plenty of bare trees now, too. Those views blocked by summer green now stand open, and the birds once hidden in the canopies now visible as they sing. We have spent some time just sitting outside this week watching the squirrels chase one another and the birds flit through the shrubs in search of a juicy berry or bug. Blowing the patio clean lasts less than a day before leaves filter back across the flagstones. We have been watching the seasons blend, one into another, in hourly increments as every living thing adjusts to the changes.

Here flowers still bloom, and leaves still shimmy on the breeze. But it is cold now, and best enjoyed in full kit from boots and woolen socks to sturdy hat. Summer has left us mementos in the garden, but its memories are already fading, like the autumn leaves.

I noticed the first bud on a Hellebore today. Another sign of the coming winter. Now that we have had several good, soaking rains, I expect to see more new growth appear on plants that were waiting for enough moisture to grow again.

After photographing the Begonia on our deck, I noticed how beautiful its flowers would look in a vase. And, of course, Begonias root so easily in water. And a vase takes very little space, doesn’t it? Even at the onset of winter, gardeners are always thinking of spring. And so I broke off a handful of branches and brought them into the warmth of our den, to enjoy while we sit by the fire and prepare for the holidays. And eventually these will move into their own small pots, and perhaps be ready to go back outside when the weather warms once again.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

With appreciation to Jim Stephens of Garden Ruminations, who

hosts Six on Saturday each week.