Autumn

According to the Met Office it is officially autumn.

At the moment it still feels like summer with blue skies and warmth still.

However, nights are drawing in, most swifts have flown south and there is dew on the grass in the mornings. Soon the leaves will start to turn. Before you know it, it will be Christmas!

Autumn

You can tell it's autumn! This was our nearest garden centre this morning.

At the other garden centre they had lots of Christmas things on sale. Well, it is October and profits are profits. Personally I think Christmas things should only be allowed for sale in December, but I am a grumpy old man!

Garden - late autumn

It is almost December and we have had a few frosts but there are at least 4 sweet pea flowers to cut in the garden! We also have clematis in flower. This is very late.  The orchard next door is almost bare.

Dew in autumn

This cobweb was covered in dew this morning. We are now very much in autumn and the grass is very wet in the mornings. I hope you like it as much as I do. In every season there is something good.

Autumn in the back garden

The garden is starting to turn more autumnal by the day. Most trees are turning colour and losing their leaves. October seems to have gone very fast!

Car troubles

Our elder son had to use our car to get home today (to London) as his car would not start. I think he needs a new battery. The rain last night probably did not help as some of the leads would have been damp. The joys of autumn and cooler, wetter times!

We now have pansies planted in the rear garden. These should be in flower until the spring.

UPDATE 1320z: Green Flag (rescue) have now been and said the battery is charging OK and had loose connectors. It has been left running for 15-20 minutes. Our son will collect on Wednesday.

Autumn

Suddenly we seem to have moved from summer into autumn. The nights are getting rapidly darker earlier, the temperature has dropped and it suddenly feels like autumn. I enjoy all the seasons, but they seem to come around sooner. Where was summer? Yesterday we planted primroses instead of the begonias which die in the first frosts. The picture shows the primroses under the windows at the front of our bungalow.

Leaves

At this time of the year here in the UK, sweeping up fallen leaves from the lawns is an almost endless task! We have quite gusty winds (although nothing like those in Scotland), so I expect the remaining leaves to fall soon. I spent some time this morning raking up leaves, but the rear lawn will be covered again by tomorrow.

We have an ornamental cherry that lost its leaves a few weeks ago. The silver birch was next and a copper maple on our boundary is losing leaves now. The lilac next door is dropping leaves as well. Oh the joy of seasons.

It won't be too long before the nights start to get shorter again and a new cycle of life is evident. It is good to think that the fallen leaves help to produce the strength in the new season.

I like our seasons. In each there is something good. We have had rich colours this autumn and there is something lovely about a crisp winter day with a low sun and no leaves on the trees. There is also something good about drawing the curtains early and just watching the telly. Then, before you know it, it is spring again, with breakfast sun and lighter evenings and mowing those lawns! England - still lovely.

Autumn in the garden

The back garden in autumn

Gradually, the gardens are taking on a more autumnal look. The sunflowers have passed, the apples are ripening next door, we have harvested our crab apples and taken in the sunshade for the winter ahead.  Every season has something good about it and this year the autumn colours are splendid.

Anglesey Abbey in autumn

Today we went to Anglesey Abbey (National Trust) for what will be a series of visits this autumn as the leaves change colour and fall. We hope to visit most weeks, weather permitting. Some trees are turning, but most (Oct 5th 2014) are still green-leafed. A few cold snaps and autumn gales could change things.

Pilgrim's Lawn - Anglesey Abbey (NT), Oct 5th 2014 3.30pm

Even when Anglesey Abbey is busy, at the weekends, Pilgrim's Lawn tends to be quite quiet. It is not on the main "winter walk"  and "mill" route that most visitors tend to take. The dahlias have been good again, but have now finished.

Autumn is here.

After a good and long summer, the rain band came through yesterday and the temperature has dropped some 6-8 degrees. It now feels like autumn has arrived. The temperature mid-afternoon was 15 deg C. Before the rain band it was in the low 20's Centigrade.

Roses - Oct 5th 2014

Our roses by the front door are now in their 3rd flush with plenty of buds. The cosmos (LHS) still look good although the sweet peas in the back garden are now coming to an end: we have been cutting these since the end of June for the kitchen table.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness

A delightful photo of our two "Kent" grandchildren taken this autumn in a field near their home this weekend. They are lovely children. We love them lots.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness

Autumn (at the moment) seems to have arrived early this year. We have had a lovely sunny summer but all the fruits and berries are early by 1-2 months. Our tomato plants are ripening and next doors' fruit trees are laden with apples and plums. Our sweet peas are being cut every day. In the house they smell wonderful, but these are ephemeral and last only a few days.

Sweet peas with the orchard next door behind.

This afternoon I managed to cut the front lawn in less than 30 minutes, which is a "post stroke" record, and without breaks. The previous time was 35 minutes and before that 45 minutes and several stops for rests.

John Keats was right in his famous poem, To Autumn.