Welcome to the Late Summer and Fall Gallery.  This time of year always leaves me feeling particularly wistful.  So many earnest plants bloom so powerfully in the late summer and early fall – it’s as if they’re putting every last ounce of their energies into an ironic seasonal swan song.  It sure seems to me that they know that the end of a season of growth and finery is upon them.  In any case, I do have mixed emotions as the summer winds down into fall: the blooming is amazing, but the end is in sight.  I wrote down my thoughts about this time of year in a short essay at the beginning of a picture-packed feature called “Spring and Summer’s Path Through My Garden.”  Give it a read, if you’re so inclined.  But while you’re right here, check these pics out from my garden’s floral curtain call.  (And remember to check back from time to time, because, as with all of the photo galleries, I’ll be adding more pics on a regular basis.)  Cheers, and Happy Gardening!