There’s a subtle scent of Autumn on the wind now, which is strange given how hot it’s been and how hot it still is. Beech leaves are already raining down and the climbing roses are forming hips, in preparation for the grand display.
Such tiny roses, yet such lethal thorns.
Rowan berries are ripe and are being devoured by wood pigeons.
I’m always surprised how late Hibiscus blooms. They’re just coming into flower now.
I have white and purple ones, they always seem to herald Autumn in.
Common gilled mushrooms are popping up everywhere. I would love to forage for mushrooms, especially as we have so many species growing in the gardens, but most have an identical, evil twin, and I’m no expert.
It’s also seed collecting time.
I’ve counted over a hundred pears on this tree, Hubs needs a ladder to collect them all. Yes, everyone who grows fruit counts the harvest!
The courgettes have developed mildew, sadly, this doesn’t affect their prolific produce! I almost need an excuse to lift them! There comes a point when you can’t even give them away!
I’ve mentioned before that I constantly move Lilies in pots around the garden to deter the Lily beetle. It’s worked wonders again this year. I hid this pot in The Allotment. The scent is just gorgeous, it hangs heavily in the air while I’m harvesting veggies and herbs.
It’s lovely coming across them all flowering in their, forgotten by me, new locations.
Most of the pictures I take always have a dog in the background.
The roses are on their second flush, right across the three gardens.
And Finally…
the first batch of homegrown beetroot has been pickled, always a sign of Autumn.
AUTUMN? Oh, I’m just a weee bit jealous. We are roaring with hot summer temps for at least another 6 weeks or more. You must tell me what that sweet yellow bloom is.
I agree with you about those mushrooms. Shame that making a mistake is not just something bad tasting but something poisonous!
Do you roast your pears? I cannot fathom turning on the oven during our 95F+ days but when the weather cools, roasted pears with a bit of sugar and butter and a drop of vanilla in the middle are magical.
Oh, I don’t know how you cope with the heat, the thought of another six weeks of it….sighs. I do hope California gets some rain to help with those awful fires, it’s so sad to see them burning again. The yellow flowers are tutsan, it’s a lovely shrub that has flowers and red berries at the same time, then the berries turn black. It’s part of the St John’s wort family. It’s so easy to grow, it seeds everywhere here. I’ve never roasted pears, we tend to eat them raw but I will certainly give that recipe a go, it sounds delicious. Thanks Anne.xxx
Snowbird … I am thinking you are an Autumn person like I am ! .. I love Autumn .. it is like wrapping a comforting shawl around my shoulders .. they seemed less hunched and stressed with the thought of cooler , crisper air that brings a late freshness to the season.
I can well imagine how wonderful it is to smell the scent of those lilies .. I am going to try my level best to fight the dreaded beetle more intensely next year so I can enjoy my lilies.
I am a fan of pickled beetroot ! … nothing like that intense red and aroma !
I am so ready for Autumn .. I have a lot of work to do in the garden .. but I am steeling myself for it and I am determined to get it done.
Love seeing all your critters in the photos whether they are meant to be there or not ? LOL
Take care and stay safe !
Thanks Joy. Yes, I do love autumn, I’m not a fan of the heat. I’ll be spending the next six months brushing up leaves! Pickled beetroot is wonderful isn’t it? Good luck with all your garden jobs!!!xxx
Lovely to see your photographs.
I do agree Autumn does seem to be creeping up on us, a friend of mine was also talking about Christmas!!! Much too early!!!
Enjoy these August days that’s what I say 🙂
All the best Jan
Thanks Jan. Oh goodness, the very thought of Christmas!!!! I wonder what Christmas will look like this year! xxx
Yes, the signs are there, autumn does seem to be creeping in and I am not ready for it as we don’t seem to have had a proper summer. The weather has been wonderful but we haven’t been anywhere except our own garden. It’s lovely to see your late summer garden. Hibiscus does bloom late and it also comes into leaf late and looks dead in early spring.
Your garden is very productive, everything seems to be fruiting well this year.
By the way, I’m trying your spring onion root trick.
I know what you mean about staying home, I don’t feel like we’ve really had a summer as we haven’t been anywhere either. We are hoping to go to the Lakes in October, fingers crossed the numbers don’t go up. Good luck with your onions. Thanks Chloris.xxx
Autumn is on its way down here too, just subyle changes but they are there allright. Some of my holly berries have turned red already, others won’t be far behind. I must try moving my lilies, that is a good idea, anything to confuse the dreaded beetle!
The berries seem early this year don’t they? Moving the lilies in pots works like a dream here, I simply can’t grow them in the ground anymore. Thanks Pauline.xxx
Thank you for the lovely tour of your garden. I would love to have 100 pears to harvest, wow, I wonder if I can find a space for a pear tree….
Our Rowan berries have all been eaten, I think it is the blackbirds that take them here.
I haven’t noticed any hints of autumn yet, I shall have to look out for them!
It’s truly autumn here now with all the wind and rain. The leaves are pouring down and plants are beaten to a pulp. It’s wonderful getting so many pears, I really must prune the tree this year as the pears are so difficult to reach. Thanks Sustainablemum.xxx
There’s still colour in our garden too although things are looking a bit tired with the changeable weather. It’s a busy time gathering produce and preserving. A few figs went mouldy because of the rain, but now it’s drier and as there’s an abundance we’re enjoying these large, juicy purple variety. Pruning will have to be done on the pear and fig tree some time as it’s difficult to get at the higher branches laden with fruit. Your lilies and hibiscus are looking pretty. A good idea to move the pot plants around. I do that just to create a different scene since we’re in the garden so much these days. xxL
I do envy you your figs, I have a fig tree, it’s really healthy and grows well yet never produces any figs, fingers are crossed for next year. I’m the same, harvesting and collecting seed, my freezer will be be well stocked this year. Thanks Linda.xxx
Unfortunately, lily beetles are a plague… I pull them off the leaves, discard the eggs (black pouches usually under the leaves), and throw them into the woods. It is useless: the next day I find others and they eat my lilies. The royal lily is certainly the most beautiful of all and its scent is intoxicating (in a positive way) 🙂
Fortunately, after the first storms, the temperature dropped here too. We had several days at 36° in the shade, the highest heat wave, which forces you to take cold showers even during the night.
As for mushrooms… yes, you are absolutely right. If you don’t know each other, don’t eat them!
Hug :-)c
I agree about lily beetles being a plague, the only way to confuse them is to constantly move them around in pots. I’m not a fan of heat so I’m enjoying the cooler weather. I do love to listen to rain so am enjoying our storms at the moment, the trees are almost bent double in the wind. Thanks Claudine, love and hugs to all.xxx
Very autumnal here too. Apparently lots of hibiscus plants are prematurely discarded as they shoot so late that people think they are dead. I’m just a nervous at the thought of foraging for fungi.
It’s lashing down here now and blowing a gale. I suspect that’s the end of the sunshine. Hibiscus is such a late shrub isn’t it, I can believe how some may think they are dead. Thanks Sue.xxx
A subtle sent of autumn in the air is the perfect way to describe what’s happening around us.
I am feeling it in all sorts of ways and am looking forward to it this year.
Those who are not tuned in to Mother Nature consider it still to be high summer….but for me it is the end of summer –
Love all the pictures and love that you are producing tons of food.
Love to you and all the family. Janet XXXX
Thanks Janet. Ever since I wrote that post it’s lashed down and blown a gale! It’s certainly feeling a lot fresher, time to get the logburner running. Love and hugs.xxx
Things are still looking wonderful there! I love mushrooms too. Wish I could identify more edible ones. As of now, I only know one type that grows after the rain. Most delicious one.
Thanks Jade, I’d settle for just identifying one edible mushroom, especially the most delicious one. xxx
Nooooooooooo! It can’t be autumn already!! Love your love of growing things. Always lifts my spirits xxx
Thanks Gill, I know…sadly autumn is upon us. I think it’s my favourite season, but I think that as every new one begins. xxx
All is flourishing and all is homely.
Buddy is keeping up his profile. How’s Curly Cat?
I’ve noticed the rowans are producing really big bunches of shiny red berries this year, good for health giving properties in conserves, if anyone has a notion for it!
xxxx
I must look into using rowan berries in conserves, that sounds interesting. Curly cat is fine now, apart from being an extremely old cat. He may end up as a house cat pretty soon. Thanks Menhir.xxx
Our rowan berries have all been eaten now too – it’s more the blackbirds that eat ours. I’d love to be able to pick fungi. R and I went on a fungi forage years ago. They told us to always leave one on the draining board to be able to show them at A&E in case of symptoms. That put us off rather! Ooh, pickled beetroot, I love it! xx
Rowan berries are popular with the birds. Goodness, being advised to leave a mushroom on the draining board sure makes my point! I would love to go on a course though. Pickled beetroot is just gorgeous isn’t it. Thanks Veggiemummy.xxx
I can’t get over your garden this year, Dina, it really looks amazing….so productive with vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers! The pear tree producing 100 pears is also incredible, I’m sorry now that we put in a cherry tree. I guess you have had more time this year….are you still looking after wildlife?
Thanks Gerrie, I am always surprised how well that pear tree does, especially as I’ve never pruned it. The rescue is keeping people to a minimum during the pandemic so I haven’t been going in. I still look after what I come across if the animals just need a little tlc to take the pressure off the wildlife unit. xxx
It doesn’t feel at all like autumn here, but the shortening of the days is noticeable, and there are some birds that seem to be flocking up, or thinking about it, prior to migration. Before long, it will be at least a little cooler, and we’ll start getting that ‘second flush’ too — your roses are gorgeous. I didn’t realize that another name for Rowan is mountain ash. Apparently the trees grow here, too, but much farther north — that explains why I don’t know them.
Are your pears what we call ‘cooking pears’? Ours aren’t for eating out of hand; they have to be cooked in jams, pies, and so on before they’re really tasty.
Thanks Linda. The days do suddenly draw in don’t they. No doubt you’ll welcome some cooler weather, I don’t know how you cope with the heat in Texas! I do like Rowan trees, and all the myths and legends surrounding them. Our pears are eating pears and they are delicious.xxx
Great post and images. Getting close to spring here.
Thanks Peter, here’s to some wonderful spring weather for you.xxx
Oh, I do love this time of second blooms and ripening. Your roses are beautiful, Dina!
I’m with you on fungi. Love them, but not trained to distinguish.
I think I have a million poppy seeds, need to work harder to get the veggie seeds! We are harvesting tomatoes like mad and the winter squash are sprawling everywhere…I foresee great quantities of frozen soup.
Good to have buddies in the garden. I think I saw Buddy’s little tail end.
Thank you for a glorious post…wish I had pears! Yum!
You are an amazing gardener! 😊
Thanks so much Kitty. I don’t think I’d ever pick mushrooms even if I went on a course, Ido love seeing them in the garden though. It hasn’t been a very good year for tomatoes here, yet nothing deters courgettes! Yes, that was Buddy! Love and hugs to one and all.xxx
There’s definitely a feel of autumn about, especially today, dull and drizzly and much cooler temperatures. What a good idea moving your lilies about, we have to be as crafty as those pests are to thwart them. Oooh yummy, I love pickled beetroot, well, I love beetroot any which way.
I’m surprised how quickly the leaves are turning and coming down. Moving lilies around is the only way to deter the lily beetle in this garden. Homegrown beetroot is lovely isn’t it, any which way as you say.xxx
Lovely post and pictures. It feels the same here having changed from sunny and warm to damp and dull during the week. I’m collecting seeds as well. xx
Thanks Flight, it seems like the rainy season is upon us here.xxx