I cleaned almost all of the garden beds today and thanked them. They were very good to me this summer. I gave away scores of bouquets, learned a lot about photography, and gave a lot of people some color and light free of charge.

All four beds will be back in the Spring of 2023 will all kinds of beautiful flowers. I learned a lot about beautiful flowers this season. I am very grateful to the wonderful garden people who patiently taught me the correct names and spelling of the flowers I was photographing.

(photo above. My four garden beds, after another hard frost last night. Time to get ready for winter.)

(The animals got to feast on the dead flowers and stems and love them, a fitting end to the flowers, the animals will give back with the best fertilizer there is.)

This was the best kind of advice – sought, well-meaning, helpful, and with no strings. I realized this week that I knew the name of every flower I photographed. That meant a lot to me.

I was sad to see the memory bed (for the school children killed in their schools) die out; it helped to the end.

Tomorrow, I’m taking the wheelbarrow out onto the pasture, loading it with donkey manure, and re-filling the garden beds with this excellent fertilizer.

The beauty of this is the cycle of life. We grow flowers, we photograph and appreciate flowers, we give many away, we feed the dying stems to the animals, and they give us the manure we use to build more flowers.

That is the circle of life, another thing we love about our farm. That’s how nature works.

(The garden beds now. Only some mums are left, and I’m not crazy about mums.)

I learned much about what flowers to buy again and which ones to drop.

I can’t wait until it’s Spring. I’ll start ordering seeds and bulbs in December. Some new flowers are coming, and some old ones are returning.

I can apply some of the things I learned to my winter photography, which I’m beginning to think about it.

I’ve never had Leica cameras before; this winter should be different, a challenge to keep me on my toes.

I thank all the good people who send me all those beautiful and affirming messages thanking me for taking these flower pictures. I am grateful for them. This was more praise and kind words than I have ever remember receiving.

I’ll be re-posting the best photos on gloomy and snowy winter days and taking some new ones, I hope, that bring as much pleasure.

(Maria took the last heavy load into the pasture late this afternoon.)

The message of the garden beds pursued me all summer. Getting older can be difficult, but it need not diminish me.

I thought about a ceremony, but that seemed like overkill. I just said goodbye and thanks.

There are always new windows to look through and new doors to walk around.

I am learning to cope with the fear of weakness, and I give my flower bed some thanks.