Autumn on the Terrace

Another great quality about Autumn is its still sunny, but noticeably cooler weather. We enjoy lunches, and often dinners as well, on the terrace outside our kitchen, almost as frequently this time of year as we do in the summer months. The light is different now, with the sun crossing the sky at a lower angle than it did a couple of months ago. The shadows are more intense throughout the day, creating contrasts not seen in the summer.

We are keeping the pool open as long as we can. It's a bit of a challenge keeping the pool free of falling leaves, but well worth being able to sit outside and enjoy the look and sound of the water. I believe the sound of gurgling water is one of the most calming and enjoyable sounds on Earth. And I wouldn't trade the oak tree near the pool for less leaves in the Fall, since it provides such beauty on its own, and welcome shade in the summer months. Jack is braver than I am, still taking daily dips in the pool, despite the fact that the water temperature has dropped significantly.

This past week, to our great delight, we received a surprise anniversary gift from our oldest son, Giles, and his wife, Mia. Do you remember the post I did last year on decorating our pool terrace? I ended the post with a tongue-in-cheek phrase that all I needed to complete the outdoor decor was a set of Missoni beach towels (at sky-high prices, which I notice have been reduced slightly since last year).

Well, at the recent Missoni for Target sale, Mia quickly nabbed us our own set of Missoni towels, and a fabulous Missoni box to put them in. According to Mia, on the day that Target opened sales of these products, there was such a rush of people trying to buy these items, that they crashed the Target website! I feel so lucky to have a daughter-in-law who knows just what will make a silly girl like me happy. I mean just look at how perfect these colors are on our terrace: the coral-y rust colors of the tiles and the blues of the pool water.

Another pleasure of Autumn is the bright berries and goldenrod we can cut. I keep a pair of hand pruners in the car, for just such treasures found along the road.

I am so glad to have the Autumn months to enjoy these great additions to our terrace, and can't wait to actually use them next summer when the water is warm enough for wimpy moi to venture in again!

Another Autumn joy is chrysanthemums. They bring such vibrant color and last for so long, just when other flowers are beginning to fade. These mums in our hanging planters (below) are beginning to fade, themselves, right now...but they have been in full bloom for over a month now! We bought them before our pig roast in August. Behind this setting is a Euonymus alatus, aptly called a burning bush because its leaves (which are just starting to change here) turn slowly to an intense burgundy red by late Fall.

So what is my next big idea for this terrace? Look what is still available at Target stores, as well as - already(!) - on Amazon.com. They're non-breakable, which is a must by the pool.

 Melamine dinner plate

Melamine salad plate

Acrylic tumbler

Now I think our terrace will be complete (until the next big idea). And the best part is it all looks at least as great in Autumn as it does in Summer!