Autumn Shows Us How Beautiful It Is to Let Things Go

There is a quiet magic in the autumn garden, a shifting of energy from relentless growth to a soft, necessary surrender.  As the vibrant greens of summer fade into rich rusts and golds, the earth reminds us that endings are not failures--they are preparations.  The fading blooms, dropping leaves, and clearing beds are not signs of loss, but rather the garden doing exactly what nature intended.   Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go, proving that stripping away the old is the only way to make room for the new life waiting just beneath the soil.

2025

Autumn is always so bittersweet for me.  While spring will always hold the number one space in my heart,  summer is a very close second.  I love the warm days and nights, the longer days, all the fresh produce from my own vegetable garden, and the flowers.  But after months of hard labor, like my garden, I am always ready for some rest and some time to do some other things besides gardening.  And of course I love all the things about fall everyone else does:  fall foliage, pumpkin spice lattes, butternut squash soup, fall festivals, fall fashion...just about everything except football.  I'll skip the football 😀 give me some apple pie instead!

As we continue to reminisce about the wonders of fall, let's walk through my fall garden and outdoor fall decor shall we?  Some of these photos were taken last year that I never got around to posting so I divided them into two sections:  2025 and 2026.

Stepping into the backyard during this season becomes a practice in presence.  Every falling leaf is a gentle lesson in non-attachment, a visual reminder that there is beauty in releasing what no longer serves us.  Just as the trees don't cling to their foliage out of fear of the coming winter, we too can look at our own lives and ask what we are holding onto past its season.  In the quiet stillness of the cooling earth, the garden invites us to slow our pace, breathe in the crisp air, and find peace in the natural rhythm of rest and renewal.

Most of the blooms have faded, but I still have a few hanging baskets "hanging" in there.  Sometimes a basket really does give out and dies by the end of summer, and other times like this one, it produces one last hurrah before the first killing frost.

With the exception of some sedum "Autumn Joy", there are no more colorful blooms in the perennial garden, yet, it is still beautiful with all its colorful foliage and textures.  A beautiful garden does not always have to be green and blooming.  The spectacular transition of foliage from vibrant green to deep rust, burgundy, and gold is amazing to behold.

The elegance of dried seed heads and even faded annuals past its prime is so pretty.  Pictured below is my annual bed full of zinnias and marigolds that look like they have seen better days, yet, they still have so much color and beauty.  Just a few weeks ago, the zinnia patch was a riot of electric pinks, fiery oranges, and neon yellows.  But as the October frost creeps in those bright petals and leaves are turning shades of parchment and rust. 

The cranberry trees always do double duty in the fall producing not only beautiful burgundy foliage but stunning berries that feed the birds well into winter. 

Other than the flowering stems, I never cut hosta down in the fall because their autumn transition is spectacular!  Before they go dormant their leaves undergo a dramatic shift turning shades of bright gold, amber, and butter yellow, brightening up shady parts of the garden.

For my home sign in the front of my yard, I'm always tempted to rip everything out and add some mums, but I can never bring myself to do it because I love the fading foliage of the existing plants.  To add some more color, why I simply place some pumpkins right in the garden bed with the fading flowers.

I wish I had trees in my yard that were more colorful in the fall, but unfortunately we mostly have walnuts and whirly bird maples.  We've tried many times planting other types of trees, but they always die on us or get eaten by a deer, so we've given up.  Yet, even the dull light foliage of the maples still provide a calming colorful serenity to our yard.

The marigolds usually turn black in the fall because they don't like the cold overnight temperatures, so I usually rip those out as they are not attractive at all, and I replace them with mums.

My front porch area stays colorful for a long time as the red salvias are pretty cold hardy.  I simply add some pumpkins for spots of more bright color.

Just to show how different things can be from one year to the next, with almost no explanation, last year my begonias bloomed amazingly until frost, and my impatients were incredible.  This year, my begonias died off early, and the inpatients just never grew well.

Last year's fall decor.  As you can see in the photo below the wheelbarrow was so stuffed full with beautiful impatience I didn't need to add anything to it in the fall.  This year, (as you will see in later photos) I had to change things up because of the poor performance of the inpatients.

I grew snapdragons last year but they didn't perform as well as I had hoped, so I didn't plant them again this year.  I loved the color of this snapdragon;  so perfect for fall.

A little old "Happy Fall" sign I painted myself.

2026

This year's photos were taken a bit earlier in the fall than the ones shown above, so we haven't had a light frost yet.  I only purchased one pumpkin so far, and I placed it on my front porch because there wasn't room for it in my sign area.  I did lose a couple of annuals while I was on vacation in August, so I replaced those with some mums and added some cute country fall stakes.

The hanging baskets are still "hanging in there" so I haven't replaced them yet.  Cute metal pumpkin stakes fill empty garden spots to add more color.

My houseplants are still outside even though overnight temperatures are getting nippy.  I like to leave them outside till the last minute as they are so much easier to care for when they are outside.  I see I will have to untangle this houseplant and stand from the Black Eyed Susan vine that decided to use it as a trellis. 

 I placed a faux pumpkin and some artificial flowers near the front door.  If an area is too shady outside to use real flowers, I don't have any issues with using fake ones to brighten up an area.

My wall hanging basket uses a combination of fake and real flowers.  Some of the annuals died, but others still looked great, so I just filled in the bare spots with some bright and cheery sunflowers.  The yellow really stands out;  I love it!

For my side porch, I have more hanging baskets from summer still "hanging in there".  Some of the impatience in the planters died, so I replaced them with coleus from the Kong series.  This is a giant coleus that grows super well in both shade and sun.  

For my table top I added a fall flower arrangement/bucket, a fall rock, and a little scarecrow doll.

One end of the porch has a wall shelf that I decorate seasonally, a pumpkin sign, and my wheelbarrow filled with mums and faux gourds.

For my shelf, I just draped some garland across it then added a pitcher of sunflowers, a small pumpkin, and a fall ceramic owl.

This year I put my handmade fall sign near the side door inside a nail barrel with some walking sticks, fall foliage and faux pumpkins.

I balanced the other side of the door with more gourds, a fall welcome sign, and a fall pillow on the rocker.

Here you can see how different my wheelbarrow looks from last year.  Because the inpatients never really grew and filled in, I added mums and pumpkins to the wheelbarrow.

Here is a close up of one of my Kong Coleus plants.  If you live in a warmer climate, these plants can grow up three feet tall, but most grow 18 to 22 inches. 

I've tried many different annuals on the west side of my house, but this giant salvia always grows best.  It's hard to find though, most nurseries only grow the small variety.  I have to drive to special nursery every year just to get these beauties.  

And near the screen porch I grow these large begonias every year.  They just love this spot!

I usually have all my bird feeders hanging here but this summer we had a naughty raccoon that broke every bird feeder I own, so I had to take them down.  I added this hanging basket to fill the empty spot.

The Autumn garden teaches us that release is a prerequisite for renewal.  Ultimately, the autumn garden reminds us that peace is found when we stop fighting the natural seasons of our lives.  By stripping down to its bare roots, the garden does not mourn what is lost, but quietly prepares for what is to come.  Let this beautiful season give you the permission to clear your own soil, prune away the exhaustion, and rest deeply without guilt.  Open your hands, let the old leaves fall, and trust that the quiet winter ahead is exactly what you need to bloom again when your spring arrives.

What is your garden--or your life--teaching you this season?  I'd love to hear from you!

Have a Great Day! Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!
 

Charming Streets and Historic Vibes: Mount Vernon is Ohio's Best-Kept Small-Town Secret

This is part seven of a travel series of our midwest road trip covering four states and two national parks.  We began our journey in Lake Geneva Wisconsin.  If you missed it, start HERE!

Nestled in the heart of Knox County, Mount Vernon, Ohio, is a charming, historic town that perfectly captures the essence of classic Americana.   This vibrant community beautifully blends its rich, 19th-century history with a thriving modern culture.  Whether you are strolling past the beautifully preserved Victorian architecture downtown, exploring the scenic Kokosing Gap Trail, or enjoying the local boutique and dining, Mount Vernon offers an idyllic escape from the hustle and bustle of big-city life. 

  After spending the day in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, we drove to our next pit stop:  The Grand Hotel in Mount Vernon where we would spend two nights.   I discovered this town on the walls of an Ohio rest stop.  Remember when I told you our entire trip was planned because of a rest room stop?  I saw the photos of this town and I thought I just had to visit it.  Then when we discovered that it was the perfect stop to get on the Kokosing Gap Trail, well, we were sold. I will share more about the bike trail next week.  For this week's travel post, I just want to show photos of this cute little town. 

The Grand Hotel is located in downtown Mount Vernon directly opposite the town square.  It is a 46 room Victorian Style boutique hotel owned and operated by the Mt. Vernon Nazarene University.  It may look old, but it was built in 2016.  It is modeled after the historic 1876 Hotel Curtis blending 19th century elegance with modern comforts.

These next few photos show rooms in the lobby and the grand staircase.

And here is a short video of our room, or shall I say suite.  It was seriously one of the best hotel rooms I have ever stayed in.

Breakfast was free and incredible.  I wish I took photos of the dining area and the food, but unfortunately I did not.  I must have been too busy enjoying it.  But I did take photos of the balcony just outside the breakfast room.

My favorite part of our room was the view of the fountain.  The minute you open the door to the room you see this view.  I just loved it!

The view from the bedroom window.  It truly was an amazing place to stay.

After checking in to our hotel, we went to dinner and walked around a bit near our hotel.  We didn't go too far because we knew we'd be checking out more of the area another day.  

These old buildings were kiddie corner from the hotel.  

The building just houses apartments and a tattoo party now, but at some point it must have been a masonic lodge or something as it had this old mural painted on the side. 

The building below is the Woodward Opera House which is America's oldest authentic nineteenth century theater still standing.  It opened to the public in 1851.

The architectural landscape of Mount Vernon is a deeply preserved testament to over 200 years of American building history.  The town features an incredibly diverse collection of structures-stretching back as far as 1829-that earned its Downtown Historic District a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.

Mount Vernon's streetscapes showcase a visually stunning mix of classic American architectural eras.  Walking through the town, you will encounter fine examples of Classic & Revival Eras, Victorian, and Colonial Revival and geometric Art Deco Buildings.

I always enjoy looking at the murals!

Decorative street lamps line downtown Mount Vernon adding to their historic charm.  They were intentionally designed to closely resemble the original 19-century gas lamps.

The local shopping scene in downtown Mount Vernon is a treasure trove of independent boutiques, artisan markets, and specialized shops.

But perhaps Mount Vernon's most popular downtown spot is this quirky, ultra-charming dog fountain.  Installed in late 2019 as part of a 1.3 million downtown revitalization project, this delightful water feature sits right in the heart of downtown at South Main Plaza.  It is a beloved community gathering space where visitors, road trippers, and families stop to marvel at the detailed animal sculptures.

The fountain features 18 breeds of dogs, but they tucked in one cat perched safely away from the water spray for cat lovers like me!

Our first night in Mount Vernon we went to Flapper's Bar and Grille.   I didn't take any photos of our food, but I think we ate burgers and enjoyed them.

The inside was rustic and charming.  I love the vintage tin ceiling.

For all our other meals, we enjoyed a brand new culinary hub:  Founders Food Hall which opened in June 2026.  Rather than your typical mall food court, it acts as an indoor culinary market featuring diverse kitchens, a massive central hangout area, a full-service bar, and even mini bowling lanes.  Unfortunately I didn't take pictures of it! Go figure! I think when it comes to food I just want to enjoy it and it's hard to remember to take photos.  But we really liked all the different dining options available in one spot.  We had pizza by Slice for lunch followed by ice cream from The Daily Scoop which serves Ohio-made Velvet Ice Cream.  But the restaurant we most enjoyed was Rijsttafel which is a unique Southeast Asian Concept where you can build your own customized rice and noodle bowls.  Oh, we loved that food! It was so fresh and delicious!

I always find the back of old buildings as interesting as the front.  They made the front of buildings so aesthetically beautifully but the backs were often purely utilitarian.  The picture above shows the front of a green building, and the picture below is its back.  Stepping into the alleys behind downtown Mount Vernon reveals an entirely different, industrial side to the town's architectural history.  While the storefronts on Main Street show off polished Victorian, Italianate, and Greek Revival facades, the rear exits tell the raw story of 19-century commerce.  These gritty, purely utilitarian brick and wood walls are structural time capsules, highlighting where the glamour of consumer retail met the harsh realities of historic municipal labor.

Ya'll know I love old churches, and this one certainly is a beauty.  St. Paul's Episcopal Church is one of the oldest and most architecturally fascinating congregations in the Diocese of Ohio.  It was built between 1836 and 1839.

Right next door to St. Pauls, is the majestic Knox County Courthouse.  Built in 1855 this stately structure is a textbook example of mid-19th-century Greek Revival architecture and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.  

Sitting directly across the street from the courthouse is the Knox County Memorial Building.  This monumental structure opened in 1925 to honor the local veterans who served their country.  It serves as a stunning architectural tribute and a vibrant hub for the county's performing arts, community gatherings, and civic events.

Just a couple of old homes I loved:

The current Public Defender's Building is housed in a commercial bank office space built around 1900.

In addition to the gorgeous water fountain, the town square also has an impressive Civil War monument.  Dedicated on July 4, 1877, this iconic monument honors the local soldiers who fought and died to preserve the union.

The Cooper Fountain was donated to the city in 1883 by the co-founder of the prominent local Cooper Ironworks.  This beautiful historic fountain stands as a monument to Mount Vernon's industrial heritage and serves as the visual centerpiece of the town's historic crossroads.

From the nostalgia glow of its vintage street lamps to the whimsical charm of its public fountains, downtown Mount Vernon Ohio is a place where history feels delightfully alive.  Whether you spend your day hunting for treasures in boutiques, marveling at the historic architecture, or diving into the modern culinary stalls of Founders Food Hall, this city offers the perfect blend of small-town warmth and vibrant culture.  It is proof that a community can fiercely preserve its 19-century roots while building an exciting, forward-thinking future.  So pack your bags, lace up your walking shoes, and get ready to experience a slice of classic Americana that will make you feel right at home the minute you arrive.

Have A Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

For more posts on our Midwest Road Trip, check these out:

A Gilded Age Getaway:  Our Boat Tour of Lake Geneva's Black Point Estate

The Best of Indiana Dunes National Park:  Tackling Dune Succession and Mt. Baldy

Exploring the Best of Cuyahoga Valley:  Brecksville Reservation and the Towpath Trail 

 

Chasing Waterfalls in the Cuyahoga Valley

Thunder over the Ledges:  A Moody Trek in Cuyahoga Valley

Nature, History, & Charm:  Our Journey Through Beaver Marsh, Peninsula, and Everett Covered Bridge in Cuyahoga Valley National Park