Autumn is slowly creeping in and there are glimpses of flame coloured Blackberry leaves appearing here and there in the hedgerows. Glistening Blackberries and Elderberries to fill our foraging baskets .
The Blackbirds have disappeared for three weeks now , though I sometimes hear one singing . They keep hidden in the bushes while they moult and grow new feathers. I am missing my Blackbirdie girl who is usually close by whilst I work in the garden and comes in for grapes .
The Swallows are gathering in the sky overhead , preparing for their long journey back to Africa .
Warm and misty days , the trees are lush and green.. after such a long hot summer Autumn should be a gloriously colourful display this year .
I dug up the potatoes . I wish I,d bought a larger variety and I will next year .
These will be nice with a salad anyway .
I need to improve this bed and will be boosting it up with layers of newspapers, cardboard , spent compost , seaweed, horse manure shredded sticks and Autumn leaves etc from now through until Spring .
It will be completely covered and so suppressing any weeds too ..the worms can do the work of taking it all deep down and improving the beautiful earth .
Climbing French Beans " Blue Lake " are the good old reliable beans that have done well for me even during this extremely hot summer .
Delicious too .
The climbing variety of Courgettes were very slow to produce and also very disappointingly slow to climb....I had to help it by pulling up the branches through the pig-wire frame . Was the weather too hot for them ? Or was it a poor variety ?
I,m going back to the maybe not heritage but the old fashioned , dependable varieties next year .
I have a stinking rotten cold sore throat and feeling miserable .
Husband will be having his hip replacement op next week and we are trying to get things done before his op , in readiness for the winter ,the big jobs such as him splitting the logs and me wheel-barrowing them and stacking them up in the woodshed . The back door needs painting again urgently ....so do the cottage windows and so off to the hardware store to get the paint ....we have quite a list of things to do , but will have to give in at some point as he wont be able to drive for a while . The chimney sweep is booked , the oil has been delivered .
On a happier note , my sewing machine has been fixed ! I am so happy about this ! I will be making my rag dolls and poppets again !
Yes ... I'll bid you goodbye on that happier note !
