This weekend, I made my way to Iowa to attend a fall barn sale and on the way back I stopped at one of my favorite places of earth— Seed Savers Exchange Heritage Garden. While the visitor’s center and store area closed for the season, the Heritage Garden is open to the public. And while the garden may be winding down, it has its own special kind of beauty. You can view the garden in all it’s summer splendor here.

Truly, the star of this garden is the dramatic amaranth with its deep burgundy color and hanging clusters. The color is so vivid that my photos do not do them justice. We also saw globe amaranth with its purple pom-pom like flowers, marigolds, and beans— which by the way, were using other stronger plants as a trellis. :)

There were also beautiful lettuces, cabbages, kale and more. Zinnias and snapdragons are still giving this fall garden pops of color here and there.

It was a quiet day but still, it filled my garden loving senses. The colors are so deep and rich, the smells heady— that scent of soil still working but a bit more lazily, the soil soft under the feet as you walk. It is an intoxicating combination. Being there reminded me of this quote and I hope these images make you feel the same:

I may be found on one of these link-ups: In a Vase on Monday, Mosaic Monday, Home Sweet Home, Friday Bliss, Home and Garden Thursday, End of Month View(31st of the Month), Blooming Friday,Pink Saturday, Sundays At Home, Thursday Favorite Things, Share Your Cup, Heart & Soul Link Party