WHEN IT RAINS

It rains jam pots from the toolshed.

Making Damson and Rhubarb with Ginger Jam.
Then suddenly it is sunny, frosty at night, warm in the day. Out into the garden, veg beds tidied, rhubarb and asparagus beds weeded and growth cut back (yet to be compost dressed).

R continues to prepare the garden for winter.
Bramleys distributed to friends and we are now out of storage space.
Noticed our fox has a limp - sore left back leg. The rabbits, wasps, and pheasants are eating the windfall apples.
I am moving some of the slate clippings down the garden and top dressing the paths.

One of the squirrels has found the bird tray outside the kitchen and sits there brazening munching whilst I watch.

One place we like to go in autumn (or any time)(because we can get in for free as we are members of the RHS) are the gardens at  Holker Hall. 

The colours are so good at the moment like this cercidiphyllum though, I have to admit, I could not smell the toffee scent given off by the fallen leaves. Nor can I do that with our trees.

And the sorbus on the left was laden with berries, the leaf litter exhibiting all sorts of interesting fungi.

At home the Cosmos flower on and the asters have finally got going.





There is even colour in the lily pads as they die and sink to the bottom of the pond.

Overall we are progressing towards winter in a steady fashion, lots to do and not always the desire to do it. 
Sometimes a little mutter of words when I find that in the dry summer the moles have dug a run down the stream bed so the water disappears - have not yet found where it is coming up.

I give up on the seasons - just looked out of my window - it is the end of October and the ornamental quince is flowering! Can we be so lucky as to skip the winter and move directly to spring, do not pass Christmas, do not collect £200 - well you get the gist.

Mind you I have just seen the tips of daffodils poking through the compost under the Magnolia stellata!