Beautiful, Now

On this gorgeous day, the heat at noontime made it feel like summer, but the sun starting to lower in the sky by mid-afternoon reminds me that it is indeed October 15th. My garden is in various states of thriving and decay. The two tiny chrysanthemums transplanted from my neighbor’s yard two summers ago have reached their full glory. They crowded out the begonias and impatiens and now completely monopolize the front garden. I minded their impertinence when they were just mounds of green leaves, but now I appreciate their incredible display of light pink flowers. Nearby, the holy basil plants have jumped the confines of their containers and spread themselves all over the paths between beds. This I don’t mind at all, because the more holy basil the better. I will leave it in the ground rather than harvesting it, however, because that is what is fair to the bees frantically buzzing all over it, looking quite ecstatic. Down in the backyard garden, there is a single flower of St. John’s wort. Most days there is just one such bloom.

As a gardener, I have an impulse to clean up and tidy before the temperatures drop and the plants all rest for the winter. I fight this urge, though, because I don’t want to rob the soil of the nutrients in the dying plant material or get rid of homes for all the critters who will settle in over the winter and spring. Instead, I visit my plants and tell them they are beautiful in this stage of their lives. I tell them I appreciate all they offered in beauty, relationship, and medicine this season, and I assure them I will return to tend them in the spring.

I’m curious about you. As the days shorten, how do you tend yourself? Share your autumn rituals in the comments, big or small.