Fall is on its way (joke)

Yesterday it felt like fall and then this morning the temp is 80 degrees and 80 % humidity at 7AM.

I fed the plants Thrive this morning.  The cone flowers finally look like they may grow and bloom.  The nibbled ones are putting on nice leaves (some mottled - have to check that out) and even though some of the older plants are dying back, things look hopeful for next season.
I may just have to live with fencing things in and the bunnies out in order to have my gardens back. The moles are another issue and will be quite expensive to drive them away from the gardens.

I read one blog that said the fencing should be 2 to 3 feet high.  Mine is 4 feet because I used left over stuff. I will have to buy some more wire fencing and it is not cheap. So, need to know for sure which height will work best.  At 2 to 3 feet, I can step over as opposed to the task of pulling rocks and edging AND 2 layers of wire fence to get inside to weed and feed.  It was all a stop gap measure in the emergency mode.  Not convenient by any means.
One more thing on my to do list for when the weather cools.

The Autumn Sage is coming along nicely after the compost and re-mulch job a while back.

Today has also been a verification of my choice to buy the smaller metal/mesh garden cart instead of the wooden cart I had.  The sides are a snap to drop, making loading heavy things much easier.  The sides are hinged and don't touch the ground, which is great for over sized bags.  Another big plus is the balloon tires. Pulling it through the sandy/mole riddled yard was a snap!
I am already thinking of other things to haul in it.

Things happening on a lovely rainy morning

We have had 2 lovely (mid 70's)  mornings with a light rain.  Not really enough to wet things below the mulch, but promising never the less.
While I was out communing with nature and watering, I had the joy of seeing a possum lumbering across the place, chased by a mocking bird.  Then, I saw movement up in a tree and watched a tiny downy woodpecker hop from branch to branch. There is also a lot of activity on the pokeberry bush. Doesn't get much better than this.  Thank God for my being able to be out there to see these things and thank God that I can see these things!!

Speaking of mulch: mornings like this give me an opportunity to visit my plants.  A little talking and commiserating with their sufferings and checking why some are not doing so well.  I found out why my lovely Autumn Sage (salvia greggii) has not been doing well.  I have always been able to count on it flowering when other things are not.  I had put down a 3 or so inch layer of shredded hard wood mulch.  In checking for moisture and mole damage, I discovered the ground under the mulch and the landscape cloth was completely  dry AND riddled with mole trails.

So, this opened my eyes, big time.  I am not going to purchase shredded mulch again.   Sure it covers nicely and stays in place, but it will pack down and form an impenetrable mat.  I learned that years ago and then forgot.
That said, in order to give these poor plants a chance, I have to remove the mulch mat and landscape fabric and add some compost, fill in the mole trails (think I will use up my old hot peppers taking up space in the fridge)  Maybe this will encourage the little darlings to go pester some other plant.

This will take a bit of time, as when it heats up I head for the AC.  I do my garden chores from daylight til the sun is peeking over the trees.  I try to stay in the shade as much as possible, so actually have to plan my work to be able to end up in the shade instead of sun before it gets too hot.