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Not enough rain...but lots of colour...Autumn 2016

Lori

By Lori

9 comments


The lower stream is now completely dry. I hope this does not mean we will have fewer dragonflies next spring…they do a good job reducing the mosquito population. We have had rain but not enough…
My tomato crop was stellar but I had to carry water for them. It’s a reminder of how everything is inter-connected.
This weekend (Oct. 8-10th.) is our Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for rain in normal amounts… wishing we had it too.
I have an Easter Lily which is in bud and will bloom shortly after our Thanksgiving! The delphiniums are blooming and the Cosmos who did nothing all summer have decided to set buds! I feel like Alice in Wonderland… confused and delighted at the same time.


The squirrels are stripping the walnut, beech and cedar trees of their bounty… it’s going to be a long cold winter according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The bluejays and robins have taken all the fruit from the Cornus.


I have a good carrot crop this year. I planted everything so late in the spring that I thought nothing would be harvested. So far, so good… :-)
There’s been a change in plans… Next spring the hillside across the stream will be planted in pumpkins and squash… thought I might try the “three sisters”… (pumpkin), squash, beans and corn. We had bush beans (green) this summer and they were sooo delicious, and the Native combo has me curious to see if it will work. Archaeologists have un-earthed a cache of squash seeds which were still viable after 800 years and the squash that grows from them is very large…looks like a combination of a marrow and hubbard. Will look into that, to see if I can find some of the seeds. Next autumn could see a harvest of corn, beans and a previously extinct squash! Plans were for strawberries…but I’m shelving that idea for now. Our weather is just too unpredictable.


Asters as a ground cover!… always wondered why a particular shade of pink was called “bittersweet”…now I know. Aren’t they lovely?
The Zinnias are tall and look like a jewel box of colour.


Walnut, Rhus, Beech and Cornus… the colours! I love Autumn. It’s a feast for the senses. Maple and Oak, with Pine and Fir for punctuation…

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Comments

 

Really enjoyed reading this, Lori, and the images show how colourful your garden is.

We have had to water quite a few of our plants as they showed signs of flagging. Had some showers but didn't seem to do very much. The leaves are beginning to turn now and the Acers are making a nice show. Evenings are getting chillier and soon it will be time to put our Altroemerias to bed until next year.

Squash: I remember reading "Little Women" years ago and having to consult a dictionary to try and find out what a "squash" was!

7 Oct, 2016

 

I didn't know either.I tried growing some this year but they went in too late - they are setting now, but no chance of them growing. Your garden is lovely Lori - something you can only achieve in a big area I think. Many of our trees here do colour up in autumn, but nothing like yours - spectacular!

7 Oct, 2016

 

What fantastic colours, a joy to look at! Can understand you loving this time of year. Happy Thanksgiving.

7 Oct, 2016

 

What will you do with all those tomatoes Lori ?
A completion has just been won here in the UK by a man who has grown a pumpkin to a gigantic size . He paid a high price for the seed but now his resulting fruit will fetch a phenomenal amount for him when the seeds are removed .
The old Native tradition sounds interesting , and worth a try ?

8 Oct, 2016

 

Thanks very much for your kind comments and Thanksgiving wishes, everyone.
The wheelbarrow full of tomatoes is only the last of them, Driad. I have bushels of ripe tomatoes (Roma) in the kitchen and 3 batches of tomato sauce in jars. this year I will do some in brine as an experiment and with the last of them make some green tomato pickle from my Mom's recipe. It's too sweet for me..so I'll gift as many jars as I can. It's wonderful with pork and lamb.
This year the maples and the dogwood are spectacular, Stera. The colours and the combinations change from day to day..and soon the leaves will be down..a new layer of carpet for the forest. Starting to notice the toadstools and mushrooms. I'm getting used to the succession which is more or less the same but the variations are what make it truly interesting. October is a wonderful month.

8 Oct, 2016

 

What lovely photos Lori. And a smashing blog.
The squirrel is beautiful.we haven't had red squirrels in my part of UK (South east ) for over 30 years....just the grey ones.
We are having a very dry late summer and early autumn, too and many of my plants have suffered although I watered the veg crops.
Lovely autumn colour you have, which hasn't started here yet.

9 Oct, 2016

 

Thanks Paul! I have two red squirrels that you'd be more than welcome to adopt! LOL! One I call Stumpy because he has a short tail. He's very busy all day long with the walnuts...and has built himself a lovely big nest in the fir tree beside the walnut tree in the front yard! Such convenience! The other, I won't give you the name I call him because it's not very nice...but he is trying his hardest to make his home in my attic. One morn last week I awoke to the sound of rolling nuts caroming off the rafters in my bedroom ceiling! Hence the unrepeatable name!

9 Oct, 2016

 

Yes, they look lovely but they can a real nuisance to get rid of if they get in the house.

10 Oct, 2016

 

A lovely colourful Auntumn garden. Love your red squirrel, haven't seen any on the mainland in the South of England since I was a child, but the Isle of Wight is a strong hold and Brownsea island.

4 Nov, 2016

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