Summers Past Farms in Autumn

One of my very favourite places in all of San Diego is Summers Past Farms in Flinn Springs, east of El Cajon and west of Alpine. I can see its red barn gift shop and extendive gardens from the freeway as I drive up and down the mountain. I spend a lot of time there each spring, but this week I stopped by in autumn and revelled in the still-blooming gardens and the sweet pumpkin patch, taking over 100 photos as I do every time I stop by with my camera. I also made my way into the barn that serves as a gift shop where I purchased my friend Judith's birthday gift. In fact, I buy a great many special birthday gifts at Summers Past Farms.

But it's the gardens that fill my soul with joy and dream about creating in my own yard. After a chat with the owner, I purchased their special sweet pea seeds and will plant them with a prayer as our mountain frosts will cause a great challenge to early spring flowers that are cold-sensitive. Also with her advice, I'll try some morning glories next spring as well. I was hard pressed to pass by the gorgeous pansies (see bottom photo) in the small nursery without taking them home for my own garden. B was obviously with me and allowed me to shoot a photo or two of him as he ran circles around the gardens and across the huge lawn to the pumpkin patch. I stopped at the top of the Japanese bridge and looked over the shaded gardens.

I wanted to sit in the gardens with good friends, sipping their mango teas or special coffees OR purchasing plants in the nursery, OR buying just about EVERYTHING in the gift and soap shops, OR just curling up under a tree or in the herb garden to write and sketch. OR do as I did: take 100 photos of the beautiful gardens. Summers Past is a gem in the East County, and it's a special place of serenity and creativity for me.