It was only a matter of time before Garden Moments had to announce the end of 2026 Summer Garden Bliss.
That time has sadly come, Garden Peeps. The Autumnal Equinox is tomorrow. Fall arrives on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026 at 8:05 p.m. EDT.
Can you believe it?
I have to admit this was a pretty unusual and not very gratifying summer. In fact, I don’t feel like we had much of a summer at all.
I’m not all that sad to wave it goodbye, given the less-than-stellar seasonal conditions we experienced in the Midwest this year. It was not especially hot where I live, and since I’m a fall girl, I was okay with that. But it was humid almost every single day, and I’m not a fan of endless, high humidity. It zaps my strength, energy, and motivation, leaving me staying out of the garden more than in it on certain days. Makes for fat, frizzy hair, too, which is usually not a thing for me at all.
The hydrangeas seemed to embrace sweaty warmth, and they continued to bring me joy all summer. But even they have recently begun to look weary and seem to be checking out earlier than usual. It was not, in my opinion and that of some garden influencers I like to follow a particularly satisfying year for gardening, especially if this was your first venture in that enjoyable world. But try again next year, unless you are fortunate enough to live where gardening is a year-round thing. Very tempting.
April and May, two of my favorites months on the calendar, were virtual no shows. June arrived with immediate heat and humidity, and of all things, another summer of wildfire smoke coming from Canada and western states in the U.S. Which was devastating for tourism in several places this summer, since the smokiest days also came with dire warnings to stay indoors. Not good for tourism, or your health. Double bummer.
Now, here we are already saying goodbye after a bit of a no-summer summer that leaves many gardeners wishing it had been more. I miss the summers of my childhood when it seemed like those super-uncomfortable days were the exception, not the norm. You can only deny the reality of Global Warming for so long… Garden accordingly.
In the Midwest, we just escaped an endless winter, only to see it staring us down sooner rather than later. I’m hoping that fall is a repeat of last year and grants us some glorious weather before Old Man Winter strikes again, the one season that still seems to know what it’s supposed to do weather wise.
I am not ready for all that early, endless, never-ending snow and bitter cold again. But it’s coming whether or not I wish it away. Which means that it is time to finish garden cleanup. Add some more mums. Put up Halloween decorations and fall wreaths, and enjoy what’s left of going outside without sporting winter gear, before the shut-in season begins anew. I’m not getting caught with that job unfinished like I did when Winter surprised us early last year.
Meanwhile, I’ll gather a few more flowers to dry and decorate with to help remind me that I had a summer garden at all this year, and that I will again. God willing.
The beauty of nature is that it allows you to savor what was, as you wait for will hopefully come again.If we’re all so lucky to see another year and those glorious hydrangeas again.
That in itself, is a fall blessing of note.
Happy Autumn Equinox, everybody! Remember, it will all pass too quickly. Don’t waste a sweet autumnal moment, and then hold those moments close to your Garden Moments heart to help warm you in the frigid months to come.
Unless you live where it’s endlessly warm.
How was your summer garden? Are you ready to say goodbye, yet?
Winter Images 2026. All rights reserved.