SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN

Except the leaves of brown tend to come tumbling down here in October. (Dinah Washington)

The swallows and martins are gone except for a late straggler or two.
It is Monday and summer is over. We were woken by heavy rain thudding into the garden from dark skies.
Yesterday I became intrepid despite my new knee and did some dead heading. Two of the huge cardoon stems were prostrate so I removed them to the far end of the garden, then a limp down to the pond and a sit in the sun on the bench for a while.
I tried to get some damsons but many are over and shrivelled on the trees. The friends who say they are coming to pick them will be lucky to find a pound or two at best.
I am paying for my intrepid adventure - leg uncomfortable today.
The bulbs that came whilst I was under the knife are ok but as yet unplanted. They are stored somewhere dry and dark.

And the garden is still full of flowers, in fact the Michaelmas Daisies have yet to come out.
So here is a blast of September colour.

 

 

 

 

 

Picked 2 pounds of the last damsons for S so he can make his damson gin and wrapped two trays full of Bramley apples - now in the shed for the winter. I had to do this whilst R was out as she would not have let me off down the garden in case I fell. I survived. The pears are fattening but when are they ripe? The old conundrum so pick them early and wait. If you lift the apple or pear and they come away easily then they are ready to be harvested. Mind you if they are twenty feet up and the picker has just shed his crutches after a knee operation that can cause some difficulties. I do have a long handled apple picker but the fruit may have to wait a bit. Anyway the rabbits are enjoying the windfalls.

Bought this Dutch weapon for R - saw one like it in Monty Don's hand on TV - for the planting of bulbs, long rooted seedlings etc. The makers Sneeboer call it a weeding trowel but it looks more vicious than that.

4 weeks since the new knee I limped out this afternoon (Thursday) and did some hoeing weeding, cut back the dying stems on the lilies and did not fall over.

The weather is cooler, changeable and showery and the garden is slowly slipping into autumn. Next blog will be in October - where has the year gone?