The temperature dropped to freezing night before last. It was the first freeze on the year. Last night was even colder. I had put my tender plants in the greenhouse, so they were safe.

I bought a wax leaf begonia last spring. It had beautiful red flowers and it bloomed all summer. It was my first begonia so I really didn’t know what I needed to do to keep it beautiful. It got quite leggy. I accidentally broke off a stem that had a flower so I stuck it in damp soil and forgot it. The next thing I knew, it was growing. Well, I cut off more stems and put them in the soil. They too, grew. Since winter was coming, I cut the whole plant back and and put most of the cuttings in soil. I gave all the extra plants to co-workers and anyone else that wanted them. I don’t know that I have ever seen a plant that stayed so beautiful all summer.

I also bought a purple petunia last spring that turned out to have the most delectable fragrance. It would fill my patio on a warm evening. Since winter was coming and I didn’t think it would last the winter and it too had become leggy, I cut off long stems and stuck them in soil. They also took root! I am hoping to have several plants come spring to set around my patio.

Several unusual things happened in my garden this year. Toward the end of the hot summer, when the temperatures cooled down some, my tomatoes set more fruit. I moved them to the greenhouse hoping the tomatoes will continue to grow and ripen. Next, my potted azaleas put on buds and one has flowers blooming. This is the wrong time of year for them to bloom. I am afraid it will affect their blooms come spring.

This year seems to be rushing to a close. I can hardly believe it will be November next week. It is just two months until the new year. It has been a good year but a stressful one. I am looking forward to next year being better.
I am hoping the protesters will be less destructive and more mature and responsible. I am hoping people will stop calling others racists and Nazis. I am hoping all the political controversy will settle down. I am hoping the citizens of this country will have peaceful productive verbal intercourse and stop finding fault with each other. We need to pull together as a nation or we will stop being a free nation.