"Remembrance like Rembrandt is dark but festive"

 

                                                                Delphinium tatsienense

This wins the cuteness contest in the garden this week. If it only were to stay this small! I have a half dozen others of the species nearby which are normal size--8" or so..this will get bigger next year, alas!

Gentiana scabra 'Royal Stripes'

Blooming for the first time. It looks to be a keeper.

                                                        Tricyrtis hirta’Miyazaki’

This is a fraction of the size of the species which can exceed 4' and spreads. This one alas is very slow to spread, alas.

Anemone japonica (probably 'Splendens')

Just realized I need more of these!

Colchicum (Merendera) pyreneicum

I have this in several gardens--some bloomed in early September.

Monardella macrantha 'Marion Sampson'

I vote this the most valuable rock garden plant: it's been blooming constantly since May!

Impatiens namchabarwensis

 Thanks to Erne DeMarie I have quite a few of these...hope they have time to set seed and spread like they do at his place!

Mirabilis longiflora

I struggled to grow this for years, and now I have it in three gardens! I've been warned it can be a weed. So be it!

Zauschneria septentrionalis

I confess I took this picture a month ago: my favorite Zauschy (and yes, I know it's been lumped into Epilobium!

Penstemon petiolatus

This has been blooming for months. I think it's become my favorite penstemon (which is saying a lot!)

Zauschneria californica

Ironically Z. garrettii which grows in Wyoming and Utah--not too far away--hates my garden. These two Zauschies sort of make up for that...

Lots more in bloom but I've been too indolent when I get home to photograph. The quote "Remembrance, like Rembrandt (etc)" is from Vladimir Nabokov's Ada which I must re-re-read soon again.

Autumn seems to have these richer tones unlike Spring's Giotto-like colors, these autumnal jewel tones are evocative, like meeting old friends--which I did today. Had lunch with "Kenjr"--one of my two closest friends in grade school I hadn't seen in 60 years. We reconnected thanks to much maligned FACEBOOK--like so much in life, a mixed blessing! Zuckerberg may be a jerk, but I'll forgive him today! Remembrance is rich indeed!