It feels more like Autumn now that October has begun. A mellow atmosphere in the air and hints of colour in the leaves. Time to think ahead in the garden for winter food and hardy flowers.
For us, the last days of September were sunny and warm. The garden was full of bees and butterflies. There was a blur of movement on a group of asters in a sunny spot. Red Admirals and Commas flitted and mingled as they sipped nectar from these lovely flowers.
The garden is looking a bit dishevelled at the moment. Some changes have been necessary. Inevitably that’s caused disruption and we need to make adjustments.
We had a magnolia taken out.
It was a lovely tree but the roots were threatening to invade drains and it made a lot of work for us. Although we’ve planted two small shrubs, the area looks very scruffy and needs help. A project for the next few weeks.
We also decided to remove the fruit cage and the old blueberry bushes which lived inside it. It had been repaired so often and the bushes aren’t as productive, so it’s time to change that area of the garden. Sad in a way because the fruit cage was homemade and had served its purpose very well. The blueberries had been truly delicious and up until three years ago had produced kilos of fruit.
Time to move on though. Nothing stands still in a garden.
I’ve removed the pelargoniums from the pots and planted lovely pansies. Soon they will fill out and make a fine display through the colder months.
I ‘ve had three lovely sage bushes for the last few years but they’re coming to the end of their best display. One has almost died and looks very bedraggled so I took cuttings from them. I tried the recommended method of placing a polythene bag over two of the pots to retain moisture and left one open. I kept a covered one in the greenhouse and stood the other two outside the green house door in the open air. The two in polythene bags didn’t do as well as the open one standing outdoors so I won’t cover them in future.
A few other lovely things caught my eye this week.
In the greenhouse the tomatoes are still ripening. I leave them until frost threatens. Then I bring in any remaining tomatoes to keep in a basket in a cool room. Green ones will slowly turn red. No need for paper bags, bananas or other tricks. It will happen naturally. I’ve often kept tomatoes like this until the new year.
When the tomatoes come out I’ll put winter lettuce into the greenhouse bed. Now the plants are well established and ready for transplanting soon.
Time to remove the runner bean plants before the Autumn gales knock them over. A few tender pods pop up now and then but most are too mature to eat. I left some to go crisp and dry so I could save seed for next year. The beans inside were hard and shiny. Absolutely perfect for keeping. I haven’t bought runner bean seeds for years. These “Scarlet Emperor” always grow well.
This is the perfect time for planting most Spring bulbs. Daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths will get off to a good start if they’re planted this month but tulips shouldn’t be planted before November. Tulips planted earlier are vulnerable to a virus called “tulip fire”.
A general rule is that bulbs should be planted about three times deeper than their length from the pointy top to the flatter base. Daffodils particularly need depth to flower well year on year.
As the nights draw in my mind turns to crafty pastimes like knitting. I’m going to make some toys again to give away at Christmas. I made a tiny mouse just for starters but I intend to make some bigger toys. The mouse has been added to my little collection of toys which keep us amused.
The colder months call for more substantial meals. Simple cooking saves fuel and can often make the most satisfying food to please the palate. Although I try to use fresh, healthy ingredients I sometimes need to cut corners. At the weekend I needed to rustle up a meal for a surprise family visit. It was easy to do and everyone enjoyed it.
I cooked sausages in my airfryer. While they were cooking I put a little water, some crushed garlic, half a crumbled vegetable stock cube and some frozen peas into a large pan. I simmered these, then added a can of organic sweetcorn and a small chopped red chilli pepper. I heated two sachets of frozen rice in the microwave, for four minutes each, then added them to the pan. I sliced the sausages into chunks and added those. Stirred it all together. It took about twenty minutes to cook and was delicious. It looked appetising too and I wish I’d taken a photo.
That’s all for this time. I hope you enjoy good food and all that Autumn offers. With you again in a couple of weeks. Bye for now.
Living a contented creative life. 