This week we have had to say goodbye to the wall to wall sunshine we saw in September and hello to wind and rain. It is, however, still very mild and the forecast does not mention rain for the next few days. I have actually been waiting for some rain as I need to plant daffodil bulbs and this is much easier to do in damp soil. October is the best month to plant many spring flower bulbs so if you have that on your to do list then you need to get digging!.
So what else is there to see in our Normandy garden? On a grand scale things are definitely looking somewhat sad. Summer vegetables are all but over and winter ones (leeks, cabbages etc) are being gently showered with falling leaves. But step a little closer and there are still plenty of flowers to be seen and harvests to be had. Perhaps not the manic basket loads of produce from a month or so ago but plenty to put food on the table. I have been bottling pears, roasting the last of the red tomatoes, drying beans, collecting a few hazelnuts and the autumn raspberries are the best I have had in years so I am having them for breakfast most days.
A lone gladiolus is in glorious purple flower but at a rather jaunty angle thanks to the wind and the sunflowers have taken advantage of the late September sun to keep flowering on small side shoots. The cyclamen give us autumn cheer in the front garden and the blueberry bush certainly looks like it is on fire.
Oh and on a slight aside may I say SUNSETS. They have been absolutely fabulous this week and I wrote this short poem in honour of the way they echo summer's heat as gradually we head towards winter.
And pumpkins. What is autumn without pumpkins? I shall be harvesting these over the coming days and will report back with the results next week!
How is your garden looking? Are there snippets of summer still to be seen and harvests yet to have? Please do let me know. For more gardening gorgeousness head on over to Mammasaurus (@FableandFolk on Twitter) and see what is happening in other gardens this week.
i think i need to start digging... but first i think i need to go to a greenery and purchase some bulbs. i think things here grow at the same pace they grow there
ReplyDeleteI reckon you are gong to have great fun gardening with the seasons. Looking forward to seeing the results.
Deletesuch a beautiful and colourful collage! And oh the pumpkins, must pick some up for carving.
ReplyDeleteWe've been swamped with rain this week, I'm so fed up but fingers crossed for a few dry gardening days soon
It's back dry here and we have even had our fort frost.
DeleteI have a lone gladiolus too, an orange one, also bent over. The garden at home is still full of colour - sedum, large yellow daisies, primroses flowering again and lots of other bits and bobs, looking a little tired but beautiful still. Those pumpkins look great.
ReplyDeleteI think we appreciate autumn flowers all the more because there are less of them and we know the flowerless days of winter are close at hand.
DeleteIt looks so effective collaged together like that Rosie. I have a crazy sunflower still multi-flowering here, plucky little fellow.
ReplyDeletePumpkins are something I always regret never growing.Still never say never! I look forward to seeing what you do with them :)
Thanks for joining in again m'dear, fingers crossed the rain holds off over the weekend !
Thank you - when I download my photos they show as a sort of collage and I thought how great they looked all close together so decided it would look good for my gardening post this week.
DeleteOh and no need to regret not growing pumpkins - grow them next year!
Lovely pumpkins - they look like red kuri, which is my favourite. We had some sun here today and I was out in my shorts composting all the spent tomatoes. I brought another brown bag full home today too so more tomato treats for the winter. I'm surprised by how much colour there still is around, it's lovely to see :) #hdygg
ReplyDeleteThey are indeed Red Kuri or Uchiki Kuri as my packet said.
DeleteGrateful for the rain that has allowed you to plant your daffodil bulbs :) pumpcake! (As my toddler likes to call them) are looking great :)
ReplyDeleteHa ha - I may have to call them pumpcakes from now on.
Deletethe pumpkins look fab and are an amazing colour
ReplyDeleteAren't they just. I love them.
DeleteWhat a lovely selection of seasonal colour. I have a few green tomatoes left and I'm determined to make them turn red!
ReplyDeleteGood luck - my last few are still ripening.
DeleteI have bought lots of bulbs but I'm so indecisive and can't choose what to do with them! I have daffs (too many, actually!) crocuses, snowdrops, tulips, anemones, and alliums! :-) It's my job for the week after next, hope that's not too late! Love your poem xxx
ReplyDeleteNo, October is the ideal month and in fact you are best holding of until November for your tulips. I am planning to write a post about bulb planting soon.
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