1. After a brutal, dispiriting phase of existence, I went to the park, where I was happy to find the toad lilies in bloom.
2. They were not the only thing in bloom, but ‘[t]oad lilies bring an exotic flair to any fall garden’ — Better Homes and Gardens
3. I also like this late-blooming sedum, which I believe is called ‘Autumn Fire.’
4. I’m always struck by the lack of urgency in the fall garden. You might think these late bloomers would be in a rush with winter pressing down, but they are serene and contemplative.
5. Or mostly serene and contemplative. Sometimes they remember the spring garden with a mix of disdain, embarrassment, and relief. ‘Thank god I’m not a crazy daffodil or an arrogant tulip.’ And — if they’re being honest with themselves — a little jealousy, because early bloomers get so much more attention.
6. But mostly they are content to bring what they can to the garden before it shuts down.
7. Toad lilies, like many late bloomers, offer us the muted but refined beauty of acceptance and resignation, which we need after the exuberance of the spring garden has faded with our hopes.
