Autumn Arrives

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, how true. We have had an Indian summer during September and I am still picking raspberries and runner beans although the quantity is slowing down. Some of the summer bedding plants have had a new lease of life but on Thursday we had our first ground frost.

My yellow hot pokers are a joy to behold. The colour warms up as the flower matures.

A beautiful blend of milky yellow to vibrant orange

The nasturtiums are going from strength to strength and make a lovely edge to the flower border as they drift in all directions.

Red jewels hidden among the saucer leaves

I have companion planting with nasturtiums growing among the runner beans, These are self set but the partnership is good for pollination.

Runner beans and nasturtium seeds known as capers when they are pickled

The strawberry plants are in flower again.

No more strawberries for another year bur the flowers are delicate 

Autumn colours abound. Suddenly the trees are all turning some lovely autumnal shades.

Golden leaves offset by a blue sky

The leaves of the horse chestnut tree have turned to  shades of burnt toffee.

Hazy leaves

The conkers are beginning to form.

Spiky and smooth conker casings

These unusual shaver flowers have appeared in the Artful Garden.

The flowers are made for swirls of wood

The rowan berries remain on the tree after the leaf fall, food for the birds.

A tasty meal for any bird

I have harvested my grapes, there are 2 pips to every tiny grape.

This quantity made a small glass of grape juice

The curly kale is ready to eat. It looks like cabbage that has had a perm.

Tasty and rich in iron

On Wednesday there was a major sheep sale at Lazonby Auction of 18000 mule gimmer lambs. A  mule is a cross between a Swaldale and a Blue faced Leicester and a gimmer is female.

Ba baa  blackfaced sheep

Who wins rear of the year?

I love these two pink fir potatoes they have such personalities.

A potato romance, the boy and the mermaid holding 'hands'