It's Now Autumn, Right?

I think the Autumnal Equinox was at 8:00pm on the 22nd - so it's now officially fall.  If that is a cause for celebration, then how about "Autumn" by Forever in My Heart? 

I'm going to say, yes, let's celebrate as we cannot make time stand still. We've had a cool and rainy September thus far, but now the weather in the southern Willamette Valley is improving.  After a few more showers today, the next ten days look to be sunny - Indian Summer after all!  

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Graciosa' and Mahonia nervosa

We entered a raffle at the last Avid Gardener's meeting Monday night, and we won, not one, but two great plants! The Chamaecyparis will get ro be a fairly large tree /shrub so we need to site it carefully.  In Oregon we have three native Mahonias (Oregon Grapes) - Mahonia nervosa is a slow growing evergreen shrub.  It gets 18" to 30" tall and spreads 2' to 4' wide.  Good news - deer ignore it!