Early Fall in the Garden

Fall arrived last week and the garden is showing the effects although there has been no frost here yet. Leaves are yellowing, the dried stalks which held the once glorious daylily blooms stand ignored and the Dutchman's Pipe is running rampant in the long border. In western RI frost has come as early as the first week of September but it usually waits until mid to late September. Last week was warm and wet and this week, the humidity levels and temperature remain higher than normal for this time of year. The asters are coloring up and the sedum is darkening to a burnished mahogany which provides a sturdy framework for the Russian sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia, weaving through and around the blooms. The frogs are sitting on the edge of the pool today and the seven son flower petals are falling to the ground. Amidst all this late bloom, the Hydrangea m. 'Endless Summer' is sending up one new flower which looks pristine, fresh and so very youthful. It is a striking contrast to the fall hues descending on the garden. I can't say that I have gardened much in the past month. Someone needs to have a good talk with the Head Gardener here as her motivation seems to have been in decline this past month.  Early fall is the best time for moving spring and summer flowering perennials, cleaning up beds and debris from a not so recent storm and adding some sharp edging to bring the beds in clear relief once the snow falls. Motivational talks begin now so that when the clear, cool air of fall finally shows up, the garden chores will resume in ernest. Do you suffer from late summer/early fall lethargy?  Do you have any inspiring words to motivate this gardener?