Nearly October, and the year is turning....the garden is getting ready for the cold that's to come...
...even though the days have been golden and, at times, very warm...the nights are so much colder now and the darkness creeps in more quickly every evening....
I see the changes everywhere...leaves curl & brown....
...the tomatoes are almost finished, their vines are dry & drooping around them now...
...for the very first time we have real, life-size olives on the tree! They won't ripen, of course...but it's wonderful to see them...
The ivy has begun to bloom, attracting the last drowsy bees and wasps before the flowers turn into dark berries along the old garden wall...
...and still the bright, cheerful nasturtiums keep everything from looking too scruffy...I just adore their hot colours and dinner plate sized leaves...so do the bumble bees and the cabbage white butterflies who lay their tiny orange eggs on the underside...
...they do take over a bit at this time of year...but I'm happy to let them...all too soon they'll be gone as well! The flowers also taste delicious...I often snack on a peppery bloom as I'm pulling weeds...which brings me to my favourite moment of the working day right now. I come home from the kitchen and make myself something delicious...
...like this concoction of our own tomatoes and basil, with pecorino cheese, toasted on my friend Charlie's handmade sourdough bread....
...and then Alice and I go out on the deck into the sunshine, where she snoozes and I eat...and we both decide that life is pretty wonderful!
I hope you've had a great week...and enjoy the last days of September...x
You know, I like our garden in the spring and summer, but I love it in the fall! For some reason there is a special beauty in the leaves turning color, the fruit being ripe and everything drying up for winter. I don't know what it is, but it makes me feel more connected to nature than any other season. And that tomato concoction looks delicious! I'd love to come by for bite or two... xoxo Silke
ReplyDeleteIt is a little too warm for my taste. But I love the colours.
ReplyDeleteI, too, love the days of winding down. We are a bit behind you, and just beginning, but I see it. A few orange leaves in our neighbor's maple, and yesterday I cut back my too long neglected front rose and perennial garden. It looks content and getting ready to sleep. The leaves of my morning glory are looking like hammered metal. I love seeing it all die back and getting ready for snow sculpture! Thank you Rachel. It is always fun to get a peek into your garden. And love to see Alice whenever you share her. xoxo
ReplyDeleteSummer's end here in southern Alabama has a different feel compared to other places I've lived. Tropical trees and plants give the illusion of perpetual summer, even as the annuals wither and leaves fall. Snow would be highly unusual, although ice and cold did invade us last year. I'm admiring your prolific display of nasturtiums, as I had absolutely no luck with mine this year; and I did not know that ivy produces flowers! Your tomato bounty was enviable and obviously tasty. Enjoy your Autumn, and thanks always for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThe end-of-summer signs are everywhere now! The hydrangeas in our garden have turned green and are beginning to brown. However, the roses are still blooming and that makes me happy! I love what you whipped up with your homegrown tomatoes, basil and cheese! It looks delicious. Happy autumn, dear one! I'm looking forward to all the joys this new season will bring. xoxo
ReplyDeleteAhhhh, the end of summer is so bittersweet!! Your plants all look so rich and vibrant, giving of their last blooms and bits of harvest. You tend to it all so lovingly; no wonder it prospers so. Here's to a glorious Autumn and rich and wonderful foods! xoxo
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