Thursday 29 October 2015

Autumn leaves

Suddenly everything is golden. The leaves on the trees - those that are still attached - are various shades of yellow, red and brown, but mostly bright, golden yellow. The big cherry tree has started to drop leaves, aided by the stiff breeze. The big ash that we were so worried about in the early summer is completely denuded. Now it's a playground for all kinds of birds as a staging post between the rowan berries in our neighbour's garden and the bright red berries on the big hawthorn tree in our hedge. Big fat wood-pigeons, crows, blackbirds and some smaller birds which I think are field-fares. There's also some very small birds - possibly long-tail tits which move so fast I can't identify them. They are fun to watch.

The leaves are so lovely I made a picture from some of the maple leaves.

Autumn leaves from the maple.

Sunday 18 October 2015

Grave digging

I'm not a fan of Will Self's poetry, but this piece about gardening as a reflection of our mortality made me smile.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34538014

Will's childhood experience in the garden - climbing trees and digging holes - is more like my gardening. I really enjoy just being out there with the bugs and birds and dirt. I'm not a decking person - I prefer to sit on the grass. Love growing veg and fruit because home-grown is pesticide-free and in any case I hate to shop. But everything else is really just watching what happens - and wonder.


Wednesday 14 October 2015

Spider webs

We're well into Autumn with lovely early morning mists and dew and the occasional light frost. There's a definite chill in the air even when the sun is shining - as it is now.

The leaves are turning golden and red. the variegated maple and the plums have shed nearly all their leaves. The big ash tree in the field is dropping leaves already, even though it was so late in coming into leaf this year we were worried about ash die-back. (Actually it's mostly young ones that suffer from this and our tree must be at least 150 years old).

The dew in the mornings gives some wonderful sights like these amazing spiders webs.



Spiders take advantage of the old rose arch

Amazing structures spun by our spidery friends