More than half way...

...through September and the sun is still shining!

Passiflora

“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house."

[Notebook, Oct. 10, 1842]”

― Nathaniel Hawthorne, The American Notebooks 

What a finale to a glorious summer.  This weather is unbelievable.   Also wonderful.  As was the compliment from my neighbour this evening when he saw me over our mutual fence and remarked how he had told his parents how pretty and colourful my garden is/was this summer.   A sincere compliment, much appreciated.   He's not wrong, the garden has surpassed itself this summer.   This doesn't mean it can't be improved.   I am so glad my neighbours enjoy it too.   Afterall they have to view it almost as much as I do.

Let's see, what has happened since I last tapped garden news?   The salad leaves have really grown.  The winter lettuce has germinated already.

Salad leaves

 The salad leaves are a mixed oriental variety  and the lettuce is a special winter gem lettuce.

Lettuce germination

Winter seems very far away because of the wonderful sunshine we have had since the beginning of September.

It has been so warm that the Mandevilla in the greenhouse has really grown.   The scent is so musky and tropical every time it gets a bit of water.  Very reminiscent of rain forest scents.

Mandevilla

I will bring it inside the main house once the weather turns.  All the sunshine is encouraging harvests nearly everyday.   This was my harvesting today.

Butternut, Sweetcorn and tomatoes

I am not growing enough edibles to support myself but there are plenty to supplement meals.   The tomatoes are sooo tasty.   I think it really works to water them from the base of the roots not the top of the roots.   I did this by inserting an old cut-off milk bottle funnel into the grow-bag so the water was channeled deep down not on the surface.  Butternut are tasty too...I've already eaten a couple of them.   I'll let you know about the sweet-corn.   Usually the less time and distance between harvest and plate the better the taste of the produce.

The Sweet-peas are still spectacular.   They have flowered non-stop since July.   I have had Sweet-peas perfuming and adorning my dining table pretty well every week, if not every day, since they started to bloom.

Sweet-peas

Let's not let the sun fool us though.  Autumn winds and rains will come.  It is also time to plan ahead. Order bulbs for spring.  Tidy up for winter as things stop producing.   Plant now for spring and, if possible, a bit of winter colour.  I have 9 little cyclamen waiting in the wings to be planted up outside. These will probably last through autumn and most of winter if the position has enough shelter.   Then they re-appear again next autumn.  

I haven't been able to get in the garden as much as I'd like this week due to other duties...children, flower-girl dress orders to fulfill and article deadline to meet....

Hopefully, over the weekend, there will be an opportunity to get some dirt beneath my fingernails.

“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the mind.”

― Luther Burbank

Chat to you again soon...now I am off to find my recipe for crab-apple and cranberry chutney...I should be able  to make at least 3 batches this year...the garden is not the only place that is fruitful at the moment!