Wednesday, October 02, 2019

Into October

I can't believe that October is here already. 

 Yesterday started with heavy rain and the collard doves were paddling around the bird feeders waiting for their breakfast.

 We are still getting produce from the garden and greenhouse

Courgettes and tomatoes are coming to an end now but aubergines which we didn't expect to grow have belatedly produced five fruits.

 We usually don't do well with aubergines but every year plant them with hope. It has been a strange year with the weather so lets hope they grow a bit more before the predicted colder weather arrives.

We've sown rocket, spinach and lettuce seeds in pots in the conservatory.  The rocket is the first to germinate.

Meanwhile on our not quite daily walks (more like three times a week) there are plenty of  signs of Autumn to be found.

Berries and rose hips at Wolesley Nature Reserve.

Lords and Ladies at Trentham Estate

Sweet Chestnuts at Trentham Estate

Shaggy Ink Cap mushrooms at Westport Lake Nature Reserve.

Horse Chestnut leaves and 

a couple of conkers from the tree at the top of next door's garden plus a few little windfall pears.


This morning was completely different to yesterday - the sun is out and there is no rain.   I took this photo out of the bedroom window of the sun appearing through the trees in the little wooded area behind the holly hedge at the top of the garden.  It is where the foxes live in their den and possibly where the badgers live too.

Tomorrow we are off to Derby to meet with friends from Nottingham.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the next belt of bad weather stays away until we get home again.

23 comments:

  1. A lovely collection of photos :)

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  2. Autumn in your corner is not far apart from ours. I covered the tomatoes with plastic and they are still producing (slowly). But I fear the zucchini (courgettes) are about finished. It's getting too chilly at night for them.
    Lovely photos. I think it's wonderful that you live close to a woodland with foxes and badgers.

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    1. Thank you Lorrie, we have a few green tomatoes now ripening on the kitchen windowsill, we have used one of the larger aubergines and the last of the courgettes, it is getting too chilly here too for any more. We love the foxes and badgers even though the badgers, which we don't see as oftenas the foxes, dig holes and dig up vegetables - they took all the swedes this year:)

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  3. Well done on the aubergines. It’s not been a great year here for produce. I may try rocket in pots. I put some in the veggie patch and it was gobbled down within seconds of germinating! Fingers crossed for a calm journey to Derby. We are meant to have strong winds on Friday. B x

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    1. Thank you Barbara, the aubergines were quite a funny shape but tasted okay when we tried one, we kept ours in the greenhouse this year. Derby was cool,clear and dry - thank goodness:)

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  4. Fantastic news about the aubergines and other produce as well as a lot of beautiful seasonal photos. It was such a bright sunny day yesterday although quite chilly, I'm hoping all that rain has gone for a while. Have a great trip. 😊

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    1. Thank you Karen, we were peased that the aubergines eventually grew, we tried one on Wednesday and it tasted okay in rattatoille. Trip was good and it stayed sry:)

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  5. Lovely photos of your recent days out-and-about and at home. We're still gathering tomatoes that have ripened in the covered yard. The ones outside have been brought indoors to ripen. Enjoy your day with your friends.

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    1. Thank you Linda. We are ripening our last tomatoes on the kitchen windowsill. Loads of signs of autumn now in the fieds, hedgerows and gardens. We had a lovely day out and the weather was kind to us:)

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  6. Very nice to see the garden produce, it gives a good sense of achievement I think! There's been plenty of paddling here too and some very wet birds!

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    1. Thank you Pam, I was thinking that we hadn't had too much luck with produce this year but them al of asudden things started to grow. Wet birds and squirrels that morning:)

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  7. A lovely post Rosie - I wonder too where this year has gone! It is good to see your garden produce and great news about the aubergines. We are still getting tomatoes and a few runner beans. We made a meal out of a mini marrow at the weekend. I am just hoping the remaining pumpkin (the other has gone rotten!) will ripen for Halloween!

    Enjoy your day with friends and I hope it remains dry.

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    1. Thank you RR, the year seems to have raced along. I hope your pumpkin holds on for Halloween it is always a treat to carve one you have grown yourself, had a super day out will blog it later today:)

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    2. Thanks Rosie. My husband inspected the "rotten" pumpkin yesterday and managed to cut out the rotten bit and the rest is fine. We are using it for pumpkin curry tonight :)

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  8. I could certainly believe it was October when I put my nose outside the back door this morning; it was perishing! You've found some wonderful pictures.

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    1. Ha,Ha yes it was a lot colder, my winter coat came out of the wardrobe and I wasgrateful for it:)

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  9. Lovely photos Rosie - the last one being so magical! The light shining through is so pretty. I hope you have a lovely (and dry) weekend so you can get out and about. x

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    1. Thank you Simone, the last photo caught my eye as I opened the curtains. Hope you have a lovely weekend too:)

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  10. Well done with the veg....our tomatoes were a bit of a disaster! I love the photos of the mushroom....they look like fairies live there! Have a lovely weekend xxx

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    1. Thank you Lyn, hope you too have a lovely weekend:)

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