Autumn creeping in….

….I hope not. For the last few years September has been synonymous with glorious weather, empty beaches and lazy days under the parasol. This year feels a bit different.

Torrential rain yesterday – which on one hand will be welcome for swelling the many shelling beans that I’ve sown. But which has battered and flattened the Dahlias, Gladiolus and Sunflowers. And now it’s very cloudy and muggy.

The pathetic crop of apples remaining after that disastrous Spring freeze have started to fall. So early that it didn’t occur to me that they might be ready. Not ripe, but ready. I checked today and will finish picking them tomorrow. It won’t take long as I’ve already got ten and there can’t be many more than thirty on the whole tree! The pears are hanging on though – undoubtedly the best crop of ‘Conference’ that I’ve had so far.

Blight finally got the tomatoes in the ‘polytunnel”. Luckily, with regular checking/removing of any affected leaves or fruits, I’m managing so far to stay ahead of it. The tomatoes are tasty and prolific. Too many yellow, cherry tomato plants (don’t even remember sowing those!) But the rest are very good. ‘Indigo Rose’, ‘Caro Rich’, ‘Evergreen’, ‘Join or Die’ (renamed Belle du College apparently?)

The late sowings of Pak Choi, ‘Red Russian’ kale, ‘Green Brigade’ rocket, ‘Red Streaks’ mizuna and ‘Leisure’ coriander have all germinated well. I’m still waiting to see what the ‘Medania’ spinach will do.

But the garden as a whole is looking a bit tired out to me. Lots of things that should be peaking now have almost finished already – due to the heat and dryness earlier I suppose. The Asters are about to start, but will be nearly on their own. The Buddleias are almost over, a few straggly flowers on a couple of them to keep the Peacocks and Red Admirals coming…

Indigo Rose, Gardener’s Delight, Join or Die, Caro Rich, Evergreen…and others, names forgotten until I go back into my seed notebook.