Autumn

After a very dry, hot summer, September rains brought everything abundantly back to life, and this autumn has been a very beautiful one, with heavy crops of rich red and purple fruit hanging from the golden leaved trees, and flowers growing strongly well into November. Chrysanthemums have been especially lovely this year, with the hardy garden varieties such as ‘Emperor of China’ and ‘Vagabond Prince’ thriving in the autumn sunshine. Barney stakes them strongly with stout chestnut stakes and rope, and they make big beautiful patches of colour in the garden for many weeks on end. It is a cosy time of year, but good to be outside in the sun, and to turn our energies towards the work which needs to be done to ensure good crops and beautiful gardens for next year: weeding, mulching, taking cuttings and planting bulbs, and most of all meticulous planning; which can happily be done in a comfortable chair with a cup of tea.