Sometimes, when I approach my house from the road, I think “Oh, what a terrible mess.” I see the weeds that need pulling, the plants growing in the wrong places, the big gaps where plants haven’t filled in as quickly as I hoped.
Thinking about the garden this way–Don’t I owe it to the neighbors to stay on top of my weeds? Is my garden turning into the neighborhood eyesore?–turns it from a joy into a chore. Moreover, such a mindset prevents me from enjoying nature in its cycle, where it is and as it is, in the present. So yesterday I took a few minutes out from weeding to appreciate the gorgeous rosy colors of fall in my garden. The oranges and yellows are here, too, but today I’m sticking to a softer palette.
Aster tataricus
An unknown chrysanthemum, picked up from a bargain table a few years ago. I’ve made many more of it from its cuttings.
Bee on Aster tataricus
Deep purple-black seeds of Iris domestica (blackberry lily)
Fuzzy, foxglove-like blossoms of Ceratotheca triloba.
Two egg sacs of Argiope aurantia
Anemone hupenensis ‘Pamina’
A pass-along Physostegia (obedient plant) begins to flower.
MissingHenryMitchell 
Glad you took some time to enjoy yourself in the garden. I’ve been trying to do the same this past week. Lots of nice weather right now helps too.
Good idea to step back and enjoy it a little, eventually with good plant choices the perennials and shrubs will fill in and take over and you’ll wonder where all the weeds used to grow!
To people conditioned to expect a manicured yard full of green meatball shrubs and rectangular hedges, most gardens look chaotic. But any garden full of life that makes the gardener happy is a beauty.