Autumn Days

It’s been too wet and windy for gardening except for gathering fallen leaves. The polytunnels and the greenhouse are refuges on days like these so a bit of work has been possible under cover. I removed the dead basil plants and weeded the garlic which are growing nicely. There are plenty of carrots, parsnips and leeks to keep us going for a while.

I bought some winter lettuce from Delfland Nurseries online and planted them in the greenhouse border. Delfland supply good organic plants which are in good condition on delivery and very reasonably priced.

Nice little plants called Winter Density. Not grown this variety before but I have had winter lettuces in the past and they do very well. Although the greenhouse is unheated these are hardy enough to grow steadily through the winter and provide us with plenty of leaves. No need to pull up a whole lettuce. I just take the leaves from the outside, discarding any big rough ones and leaving the heart leaves to continue growing. They will also grow outdoors with a bit of protection but there are advantages to growing under cover. They’re not torn by the wind, shrivelled by frost or splashed with mud. A cold greenhouse or tunnel is ideal.

The rain has been lashing the windows and leaves have been flying everywhere. When the sun breaks through it lights up the leaves which are still clinging on. It reminds me of a poem I wrote a few years ago when I saw this effect one day.

LEAVES ON A WINDY DAY
Leaves transferred to crystal drops
By Autumn's sunny spells,
Suffused by fleeting rays of light
As sunshine ebbs and swells.
Rotating, rustling in the wind
Like bright medallions all aglint,
Or waves upon the rippling seas -
Cause me to pause and squint
And gorge myself upon the feast.
The sight will never be the same -
Some leaves gone or changed in shape,
Like fire's ever-changing flame.
Yet, caught in the attic of my mind,
Lying silent in the dust
(Except when other treasures topple in
Succumbing to my hoarder's lust),
The picture will stay, caught and held
Till some moment of nostalgic thirst
Will open the attic door and there I'll find it
As tantalising as it ever was at first.

With these wet days my thought turn to indoor hobbies. I’ve been knitting Christmas crackers. The pattern is in the November issue of Landscape magazine. It’s such a simple pattern. I’m enjoying doing them. For a while now I’ve been worried about the waste and plastic tat we throw away from Christmas crackers. Yes, I know they’re fun but we all need to be thinking about reducing waste. So when I saw this pattern I thought it was a nice alternative. I shall decorate them with some shapes cut out of felt, probably holly leaves and berries.

Last Christmas I made tiny felt Christmas stockings and wrote a short limerick for everyone and popped them inside. It was a laugh for them and I enjoyed the creativity. Here are my little felt boots.

Hoping the weather will buck up for all of us but lots to do if it doesn’t. Cheers.