"Martin" wrote
On Sat, 1 Sep 2012 13:06:19 +0100, "Sue" wrote:
Every year it feels as though the dark evenings close in all at once.
One day you're out there really late in the evening wandering round
with a glass of wine and the air is still warm as little bats come out
to flitter around - and then it seems like almost the next it's pitch
dark at 8pm and really chilly and autumnal. All the more reason to
make the most of any warm days we get though. Cross fingers for an
Indian summer.

Rather chilly here today, I must say, but at least it's dry atm.

It's autumn here in Zuid Holland.

Shh. Break out the Pimms and pretend it's still summer.

I saw a really young wren hopping around among my patio pots the other
day. They must have had quite a late brood.

--
Sue

On 01/09/2012 14:33, Sue wrote:

"Martin" wrote
On Sat, 1 Sep 2012 13:06:19 +0100, "Sue" wrote:
Every year it feels as though the dark evenings close in all at once.
One day you're out there really late in the evening wandering round
with a glass of wine and the air is still warm as little bats come out
to flitter around - and then it seems like almost the next it's pitch
dark at 8pm and really chilly and autumnal. All the more reason to
make the most of any warm days we get though. Cross fingers for an
Indian summer.

Rather chilly here today, I must say, but at least it's dry atm.

It's autumn here in Zuid Holland.

Shh. Break out the Pimms and pretend it's still summer.

I saw a really young wren hopping around among my patio pots the other
day. They must have had quite a late brood.

Strange, I had one chattering outside the back door yesterday, went out
to have a look and there it was just about 10 ft away, now we hear them
a lot but almost never see one.
Well a moment later the call was picked up off to my right, and there
were 3 more of them, I watched them for around 5 mins then went back
inside, Youngsters I presume.
David @ a partial sunny end of Swansea Bay

Jake wrote in
:

On Sat, 01 Sep 2012 09:19:04 GMT, Baz wrote:


Jake, how is that VicPlum going on? Mine is now growing some new wood
despite a poor spring and summer. It dropped most of the leaves early
on.

Hope yours is fairing better.
Baz

It's put on a fair bit of growth and is about a foot higher than when
planted (it's a dwarf that shouldn't grow more than about 8 feet
tall). Still looking leafy and healthy so it's a case of seeing what
next year brings. Despite lack of fruit, the fruit trees are the only
ones still keeping their leaves. Leaf collecting from other trees has
been a daily task since the beginning of August!

What I'm finding interesting is that the trees usually lose leaves
starting from the outside in; this year the leaf loss is starting
closest to the trunk and moving out.

Still picking strawberries, BTW, about a bowl a day, which isn't bad
from 24 plants. Plenty of flowers too so if we get an Indian summer
I'm hoping they'll come to something.

And I dug up my first dandelion of the year yesterday.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay where sometimes
it's raining and sometimes it's not.


You lucky sod! Maybe not luck, as you know just how to.
You dug up your first dandelion yesterday? Why do you grow them? We
really don't want them here, a bit of a nuicance on lawns etc.
Apart from the fruit trees and bushes, I have absolutely nothing in the
garden mow. A new start next year.
I have decided that a few flowers and flowering shrubs are in order and
have already bought some in pots to plant. A bit more balanced of a
garden, rather than just veg. I also have some winter pansies from seed
to brighten up things. They grow very slowly for my liking.
Who knows, I may become a "compleat" gardener one day.

Good luck, Jake(if you need it)
Baz

I prefer the evenings at this time of year. There's a real pleasure in sitting on the terrace after the evening meal with a glass of wine watching as the world gets darker. You have to wait around so long for that to happen in mid summer!

Wrap it up in suet pastry and make a dumpling.

Or slice it thinly and dry it into apple rings.

Or make just enough apple sauce to go with one helping of pork.

!!!!

I cleared a big heap of whitebeam leaves today, but there's still half a tree's worth to go. That's the only one even to have started dropping leaves.
Although the mulberry is beginning to turn - a bit worrying, given it's only just started to ripen its fruit. And not much of that, which is a bit of a disappointment as I rely on it for my supply of soft fruit

I'm in a bit of a gap at the moment - this morning I had to make up the breakfast fruit from a mixture of alpine strawberries, tayberries, blackberries and a single mulberry.

Martin wrote in
:

On Sat, 1 Sep 2012 14:33:10 +0100, "Sue" wrote:


"Martin" wrote
On Sat, 1 Sep 2012 13:06:19 +0100, "Sue" wrote:
Every year it feels as though the dark evenings close in all at once.
One day you're out there really late in the evening wandering round
with a glass of wine and the air is still warm as little bats come out
to flitter around - and then it seems like almost the next it's pitch
dark at 8pm and really chilly and autumnal. All the more reason to
make the most of any warm days we get though. Cross fingers for an
Indian summer.

Rather chilly here today, I must say, but at least it's dry atm.

It's autumn here in Zuid Holland.

Shh. Break out the Pimms and pretend it's still summer.

I saw a really young wren hopping around among my patio pots the other
day. They must have had quite a late brood.

We've got tits queuing at the bird feeders.

Lucky sod!
Baz