Well didn’t that come round quick, or is it just me? How do you feel about Autumn? Sad due to fewer daylight hours and less edibles growing? Or excited for cosy jumpers, hot drinks and kicking your feet in crisp fallen leaves? Let me know! I personally love Autumn – I don’t burn within 10 minutes of being out in the baking heat (aka 20c plus), yet it’s not too cold for me to start panicking about my first winter on the narrowboat. We do have a log burner so it will be ok… right?!
I still have many plants growing; producing flowers, fruit and vegetables – how wonderful! I think it’s due to the extra heat we have had in the last couple of weeks. Cosmos, verbena, red bergamot, mint, raspberries and ‘black cherry‘ tomatoes from the Life at No.27 seed range. Blackberries galore too if I count the towpath, aka my front garden!
My runner beans are still flowering… look! The benefit of rescuing withered plants from dying in a local garden centre skip and giving them some love, good soil and water! If you see your local garden centre throwing plants and their containers in the bin… stop them and see if you can have them, they should say yes. If not, shame on them.
Whilst the amount of growing produce and cut flowers will begin to rapidly decline now, I can look forward to my hellebore’s coming to life! I utterly adore the rich plum and creamy tones I have gathered over the years, they bring delight and smiles when nothing else is ready to shine.
Autumn also brings another reason for me to be happy – it means I am not fighting a constant losing battle with the therapy site. It may have won over the Summer months, but I’m taking back control now and can’t wait to get it ready for opening Spring 2020.
I held a working party at the site in Towcester, Northamptonshire last weekend and what a turnout! The positive power of social media! At times, I was speechless with how passionate people were for what I am creating, although they had never met me. We had multiple generations coming together and making a day of it. Grandparents, parents, children and friends mowing, weeding and hunting out worms. We transformed the site, chatted, drank tea, ate cake and found lots of wiggly worms. A perfect few hours some might say!
I have set up the next working party day now too if you would like to come along and join the fun! It’s on Sunday 13th October and you can find out everything you need to know, plus register to come here.
Until then though, I will be up there at the land working away or enjoying my towpath container garden when the rain isn’t pouring.
I have lots of writing to do, healthcare conferences to attend and proposals to send – that’s just this week. Luckily in some weird way, the rain is being relentless right now, so it’s head down at the laptop and cracking on until the sun peeks out.
Welcome Autumn – my arms are open wide!
