I took this photo at a children’s garden in Raleigh, North Carolina, last fall. This drooping, end-of-the-season sunflower personified how I felt after a long, tough gardening season, and then a few days of touring gardens in the oppressive heat. But I saw the beauty and bounty in it, too. Now is the time for the birds to take nourishment from our gardens, and planting things like sunflowers and perennials with seeds to feed the birds keeps your garden interesting well into winter, both for their subtle seedy beauty and for the wildlife they’ll attract when color is scarce.

Got any shots of wildlife feasting in your garden in fall and winter? Share them with us! Email me with the link below. While you’re at it, send me shots of your kids and grandkids in the garden, too. We’d love to feature a week of the next generation of gardeners at work.

Welcome to the Fine Gardening GARDEN PHOTO OF THE DAY blog! Every weekday we post a new photo of a great garden, a spectacular plant, a stunning plant combination, or any number of other subjects. Think of it as your morning jolt of green.

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READER PHOTOS: We love featuring your photos, too. If you think you have a photo that we should share on the Garden Photo of the day, email us. Send hi-res images if possible. We’ll only respond if we plan to use your photo.