Cooler, gustier, greyer and decidedly miserable… but enough about me, how about September? Yup. It looks as though the Indian Summer we always hope for has seen our faces, changed its mind and taken a shortcut to somewhere else. India maybe. In its place, at least now as I sit looking out of my window, is a vista as grey as a multi-washed bra and as cold as a polar bear’s bottom.
Yes. Depressing isn’t it. I’m sorry. Mrs Drew says I need to be much more positive and that I spend too long moaning in my blogs so, to cheer you up and take your mind away from the empty, dark, screaming-of-the-soul abject poverty of life… here are some kittens…
Distracting Kittens. Ahh.
Better? Good. Now September, in the song written by Kurt Weill, and Maxwell Anderson, seems to be a time of regret and loss for the Summer that has gone and a plea to the young to use their time wisely and not waste it, but, if we are to be truly earthy and upward thinking about September I would have to say that it is an exciting time of change when the fruit of your toil and much of your planting becomes edible and we await the amazing colour of Autumn. See. I can be positive. Tell Mrs Drew. If I can only be like that more often I can save money on pointless photographs of young animals.
Talking of which, the kids are back to school of course. Oh dear. Oh Yes. One of mine cried the morning school started again, but not as much as I cried when I saw the bill for the new uniform. It’s a blazer for crying out loud, what’s it made of? Unicorn fur and Saffron? We have to stop them growing.
The absence of the little ones (little is relative) means the days are quieter, but I have to say I am missing them being around the house, cheerfully fighting, breaking all my stuff and eating everything that isn’t under lock and key. The cat is certainly relaxed again.
So. What do we have to look forward to this coming early Autumn? Well, lots of harvesting of course. If like me you have a little patch of ground on which to grow vegetables and while away Saturday afternoons, you’ll soon be awash with courgettes, marrows (courgettes you forgot about) beetroot, carrots, peas, onions, cabbages, leeks, cauliflowers, potatoes, …all coming to throw themselves into your delicious soups and stews. Definitely, time to dig up any potatoes you have in the ground before the dashed molluscs get them.
Don’t forget, when it comes to storing your produce to let it all dry out, especially onions, and keep them in a cool, dry, dark place where they are unlikely to be disturbed by light … your teenager’s bedroom perhaps.
You might want to clear up in your greenhouses where the summer fruit and veg were all aglow and full of lustre not long ago. There will be foliage to deal with and now, even at this early stage, it may well be worth investing in a good shredder to turn your crop and flower detritus into mulch and clear your garden with ease. This one from Einhell is worth a look. It’s powerful, a decent price and quieter than a TOWIE cast member in a general knowledge quiz.
The other thing to do with your leftover flora is, of course, a compost heap. If you have one you will know what I am talking about. If not, time to make one. This little blog by Holly will offer you a few handy tips on how and this fabulous article from the RHS will give you plenty of advice too.
Here’s another tip. Get ahead of the fall before it falls and prepare to cover your pond so you don’t end up with it getting clogged with leaves. You don’t have to net it or cover it right now but get that cover ready ‘cos when they fall it’s too late!
And that’s it for this week. Short and sweet perhaps, like these…
Another Basket of Cute Kittens for No Apparent Reason
…well, I might as well get my money’s worth, I have to pay for these photos! Where was I? Oh yes, short and sweet this week but to be honest, I’ve got to go and do a lot of that stuff myself and I’ve got to do the garden and the allotment. If any of you have tips for early autumn or September must-dos do pop them on our facebook page
Until next time, enjoy your garden! Drew Hardy.
