This season seems to me like 'limbo land'; neither one thing nor another.
The mornings are cool, and the afternoons still warm enough for swimming. One could easily wear long trousers in the mornings before swapping them for shorts at lunchtime.
In the Chestnut plantations they are busy gathering the early falling nuts by hand; this will later be replaced by noisy machines when they start falling in earnest.
Baying hunting dogs, and occasional shots, can be heard coming from the woods, as the troublesome Boar and Deer population are reduced in numbers.
Vegetable gardens are being cleared of their depleted Summer crops.
We are halfheartedly preparing for winter, with fingers crossed that it will be mild. We are also praying for rain so that we will have mushrooms. The local vignerons will soon be seeing to their 2018 vintage, as the process of this year's wine making begins. Most field crops are already harvested.
The grass (what there is of it) hasn't needed mowing for well over a month; in fact I can't remember when I last mowed properly. No rain, no grass.
We still sleep at night with all windows wide open, and on top of the duvet rather than beneath it.
This is the period where I begin to find myself 'waiting'. Waiting for April or May when the busy cycle begins all over again. In the meantime we have about six months when little happens other than lighting fires, keeping warm, and surviving. Pleasant in its own way, but not my favourite time of year.
30 comments:
It would be quite nice to have a quiet season - everything keeps growing all year here.
We have 5 seasons here in the desert. Right now we are happy to see Fall and all the crops start all over again after a very hot hot summer. Our winter is from January to February so we plant early to harvest before June heat although I haven't planted a garden in years
I love following your garden.
cheers, parsnip and badger
I shall probably mow everywhere one more time (just to tidy-up), then the next time will be in spring.
The seasons are very pronounced over here. Very cold in winter, and quite hot in summer. The other two seasons are often wet or foggy.
Still more or less summer in Lazio but come November we will leave the mountainside for Yorkshire. The hunters and dogs are here too, woke us,at 6 on Saturday morning.
I no longer hunt, but have nothing against those who do; regardless of the noise. Very chilly here this morning, when I returned from my early dog walk, I saw it was 3 C...... ouch!
It's good to have different seasons, always waiting for the next thing.
It's lovely looking forward to Spring, but not so good towards Winter. Still, you can't have one without the other.
It sounds as though you live in a medieval tapestry.
Very cold here in the mornings but beautiful blue skies and warmer during the day. Not the best time in the garden ..... everything is going over and looks a bit tatty ! Sad to think that we have to wait around six months for the Spring. Still, there is always Christmas to look forward to and comfort food !!! XXXX
Without the raping and pillaging.
It was 3 C here this morning; I could hardly believe it. On the plus side we are promised sunny days well into October.
I always find the waiting is nice as well though. If I didn't have that rest I doubt I'd be so keen the next year!
I think there was a ground frost in Lincolnshire.
Frost in Somerset this morning. Autumn and winter mean bringing the appropriate cookery books out of the study and into the kitchen. It means different food, we had our first roast chicken for 6 months on Sunday. Thie fires are being lit, the oil has been checked and I am on the roof trying to fix a pesky leak which has defied me and the builder for months. Mushrooms sound good.
We did not have a good summer, extremely hot and lots and lots of rain. It got cool last weekend but again we are having rain and more predicted. The positive is that it is very green here and I don’t have to water what’s left of my garden.
My grass has been growing but it's so long since the dry period that I've not been able to mow properly. We're having the October gales already. It could be a long winter.
Weirdly, I am looking forward to sprouts and parsnips - true winter veg!
Every season beats the bleak midwinter, however pretty it looks out of the window.
Weather is so INTERESTING, isn't it? We all experience some of it the same ... and yet other bits, like cold, are rarely fun. I am in the same situation as Susan: I could do with a break from the garden, specifically the weeds. I am finally addressing the problem by careful design and lots of mulch. And if anyone dares to even glance at the massy parts, I tell them I 'have' to leave bits for the insects. Ha ha.
I wish I could say the same. I find winter very tedious and depressing.
I wouldn't be surprised. We're back to 14 C here this morning at 5.46 am.
We've just had our first roast chicken too since early last spring. Certain weather certainly requires its own foods. Good luck with the leak; I know all about such things!
It's been very hot here, but without any rain. Still none on the horizon.
I'm now hoping that we won't have a sudden storm and deluge. We need several days of good steady rain.
I certainly look forward to my Christmas Sprouts. I love them.
I'm not a fan of all that winter clothing. I'm still in shorts and T shirt; and that's how I like it.
Since I divided my veg plot (Haddock's) into four equally sized beds, I'm managing to keep it pretty weed free. I still have a problem with Oxalis, but I'll win in the end.
we've had our first frost, so the blackberries are over, now we're back to gales and rain to make sure! Consequently the grass is still growing but is too wet to cut!!
It is a gathering in and storing time of year.
We have just come through winter and a miserable one it was for me. Every year I seem to just want to hibernate... but with spring a new enthusiasm flows. I am clearing the gardens and have my seeds planted. Can't wait for my summer tomatoes and big bunches of basil.
Jo in Auckland, NZ
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