Autumn Is In The Air

Some of the things I love most about Autumn:

On cold stormy days snuggling in a warm blanket with a good classic movie! Cary Grant anyone?

• Several years ago, CL and I ran away together for a whole week. (Believe me, with 11 children this doesn't happen very often.)  It was autumn time...and he bought me this CD.  I love to bring it out when the air begins to feel crisp and remember what fun we had being alone together! 

• My 5 girls and I love watching this movie together.  It has some good young girl romance...and prince charming is very handsome...and who can resist Burl Ives singing 'The Ugly Bug Ball'?

• My sisters and nieces and I would gather together at my youngest sisters house for 2 days of Old scary movies and enough junk food to scare-your-pants-off!  We Began calling it HORROR WEEKEND

• And the thing that makes Autumn come to life is of course the beautiful colors...I planted this Virginia Creeper in our Sweet Memories Garden because of it's beautiful and brilliant fall colors!

The smell of apples and leaves... 

Warm apple cider...

and the apple press!  

Before my parents passed away, we would all meet at their home and spend days and days pressing bushels of apples into juice...a very fond memory.  

• Fall brings with it so many sights, smells, and memories...What are some of the things you enjoy about Autumn? I would love to hear from you...

About Becky Jane

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Nathan's Circle

This is the Final Episode of our

Sweet Memories, A Children's Garden .

Nails garden spot is the center of focus as you

 go down the main path.  

                                            Image via Wikipedia

The only plant is Vinca or my preferred name Periwinkle.  

This variety has the larger leaves and flowers.  

Vinca is an invasive flower so having it contained in the center of where all our paths converge works well to keep it contained.

I missed the flowers blooming, but their beautiful 

periwinkle blue looks lovely against the green background!

The black iron stand holding an old wind chime bell 

gives it a finishing touch.

If you noticed the first few pictures showed the bench under Woody's Arch painted white, 

but later on we re-painted the bench  

red so it would show up better.

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Sarah's FairyLand

One of the problems we had in our Sweet Memories Garden was the propane tank...it was unsightly and located in an obvious spot.  So Joka and I designed her FairyLand in front of the propane tank to hide it from the rest of Sweet Memories!

As you can see, Joka's garden spot is full of magical fairies!  

Some of them are very shy and you have to look closely to find them as they peek from behind the vines. 

Other fairies are quite bold and even like to show off! 

Each one has it's own personality.

Fastened to the back lattice is a sign we made it says,

  'Where You Tend A Rose, A Thistle Cannot Grow'

This was taken from one of our favorite movies, A Secret Garden.  It reminds us that as long as we have good thoughts, there will not be any room for bad thoughts!

Joka's FairyLand was built to hide the unsightly propane tank.  You can see it vaguely behind the lattice.

I hope you enjoyed Joka's FairyLand Garden Spot. 

As you can see it is a very low maintenance garden!

Our final garden is Nails Circle.

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Sharmayne's Heritage Rose Garden

In Rosebuds Heritage Rose garden there is a 

rose bush for each of our children.  

Each rose bush represents each child in a unique way.

I missed most of the roses while they were blooming...but you can get the general idea!

She has simplicity roses, English roses, 

tea roses, and climbing roses!

It's quit a sentimental garden...when I see it, I think of my 11 children and how unique and beautiful each one is....hence the subtitle for my old  blog...Raising kids is a lot like weeding the rose bed...well worth it, but...OUCH!

Next is Joka's Fairy Land...a magical place!

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Laura's Cottage Garden

When we were creating our Sweet Memories Garden, 

Dot was going through a Victorian phase. 

She was enchanted with cottage gardens...thus the 

theme for her garden spot.

The vine covered fence separates Dot's garden 

from the rest of Sweet Memories, making it a secluded spot!

Included in her garden are our friends 

from The Hundred Acre Wood...

Pooh Bear

Eeyore...

And the ever timid and sweet Piglet!

This is an enchanting garden spot perfect for 

tea parties and story books!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to Dot's Cottage Garden. 

Click HERE for Rosebud's Heritage Rose Garden a fun way to honor our kids!

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Joseph's Arch - A Place for Meditation

Of all the special children's gardens in Sweet Memories, (see tab at the top of my blog for more info.), Woody's Arch is one of the few that I can access with my wheelchair.  When I enter, I feel like I'm entering a secret, special place all of my own!

It has become a place to escape, and meditate on the simpler creations that surround me.  

One day I was sitting here just being quiet and listening.  All of the sudden a movement in the wood chips next to the sidewalk where I was sitting caught my eye.  Something was under there wiggling and squiggling.  I couldn't see what it was so I waited and watched.  Before long a pill bug emerged and went on his merry way.  I soon began seeing all kinds of movement going on under the wood chips...movement that had been there all along but I had never noticed!

Last autumn brought the most beautiful colors to Woody's Arch...Virginia Creeper covers the arch that my father and sons built for me.  This vine is considered by some to be too invasive, but it brings such beauty to our Sweet Memories Garden and becomes the focal point!

As I sat here in the autumn, the sound of trickling water from Chip's Pond and the falling of leaves brought a calming peace and assurance that God is mindful of even me.  He has given me this lovely garden to enjoy and I am surrounded by his creations!  "...all things denote there is a God; yea even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it." (Alma 30:44, The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ).

In the foreground of the above photo, you can see Chip's Pond.  This is a place of constant motion, not only from the fountain, but birds, our cat's, and the dreaded hornets come here to drink.  Chip's Pond is visible from Woody's Arch an I have enjoyed the view. Even the hornets, which we are infested with, don't seem so threatening!

Below is a view from behind the fence, looking through the arch into Sweet Memories Garden.  I hope you have enjoyed your visit!  You're welcome to stop by any time and rest yourself!

Next is Dot's Cottage Garden.

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Caleb's Corner

Buster designed his flower bed when he was about 4 years old.  The Old Fashioned Purple Lilac provides the shade.  Notice there are no glowers to care for.  If you look closely to the far right, you can see a metal stake with a metal flower...this was the only flower he wanted!

  

He has several statues... children on a slide, a little boy fishing, and a little boy sitting next to a bird bath.

His little bench and tic-tac-tac toe game are the focal point.

Busters Corner is located between Tatty's Bunny Hollow and Bogies Brigadoon,

making all 3 gardens a delightful place for children to play and use their imaginations!

You can see the other children's gardens in the 

Sweet Memories, A Children's Garden tab at the top of my blog!

Click HERE to see my favorite place to meditate and relax...Woodies Arch!

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