mellow autumn

 SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;

To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,

And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; 

A perfect autumn light filled the garden this morning. I love the crisp sunlight and moody glowing colours of this time of year.

I haven't been doing much gardening lately, I need to get out there and cut some things back and plant some winter vegetables, but time is flitting past and weekends have been busy with other things.

I do have a garden wander everyday though, it is my meditation. I love seeing what is happening out there, my garden and the creatures in it have a life of their own.

I love to see what's thriving, what's flowering, what's changing colour, see fruit ripening, flowers opening.

Yesterday I was delighted to see this white hydrangea tanned to a bright pink and green. I loved the fairy floss of the Euphorbia silver fog delicately hovering over the budding daphne. Such a great plant this one. My maple is slowly turning yellow via this great lime green and the feathery grass has suddenly died back to a rusty brown and collapsed over a bright purple salvia.

The salvias are in their prime, bursting with colour where there was none. The last of the roses are spot blooming and this little native has produced its tiny mini apple berries, which the birds haven't had a chance to steal yet!

All the seeds I put in have been eaten by slugs and snails, the peas, the beans, the spinach. But still the chinese greens are doing their thing and these little globe carrots with their lime feathery leaves.

My first ever mandarins are starting to colour on the little dwarf tree we put in a year ago. It can hardly hold them up. 

My favourite sight this week,  through the kitchen window the other day I saw and photographed this hawk, a brown goshawk or collared sparrowhawk I think. I wish I'd got another photo but I'm happy to have this one, amazing I had my dslr sitting close by with the long lens on. 

I just hope he was eating mice and not my little bird friends!