Thursday, 21 October 2021

Hazy Autumn days

 

Still flowering profusely.

Labyrinth has done so well, especially as she was left in the ground all Winter. Her 'friend' Cafe au Lait didnt fare as well this year, producing one flower and then fainting. We discovered that something had eaten the roots. I read that Lorrie has managed to keep her Cafe au Lait going. It is a spectacular Dahlia growing up to 5 feet and producing huge flower heads.

We wake to misty mornings now. Looking over the village I can only see hazy outlines of trees and roofs. Later it clears and there is a thin sunshine for a while. Then we get caught out as an immense rain shower sweeps the roads and gardens.

It's definitely turned into full Autumn.

Trees are dropping their leaves quickly now, and I recreated a moment of childhood the other day as I whooshed my feet through piles of brown and yellow fallen leaves. This was the time when we were in France that we started to look for the Sweet Chestnuts on the trees nearby, (not to be confused with Conkers). We'd roast the chestnuts with our neighbour on his fire, sprinkle with a little salt, and enjoy the fruits of Autumn..



By 4 oclock I am drawing the curtains to keep the dusk out, switching on table lamps to give a warm glow, and wondering what Winter will bring. It's time to plant the bulbs for Spring, daffodils, tulips, crocus, all bringing a ray of colour in the future months.


13 comments:

Sandi said...

"By 4 oclock I am drawing the curtains to keep the dusk out, switching on table lamps to give a warm glow..."

Sounds like a lovely evening. 🙂

Angela said...

I love roasted chestnuts! We don't have an open fire here - maybe I should try the microwave method sometime...

🌺 Debby/From My Shasta Home said...

It all sounds so warm and cozy

ellen b. said...

That is such a beautiful variety of Dahlia. Glad it bloomed for you. It's getting darker earlier here for sure. Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Granny Marigold said...

The days are definitely getting chilly and each day there are fewer leaves on the trees. Evenings seem so much longer now than a few months ago. The year is winding down.
We only have the inedible Chestnuts here but they are pretty and I collect them when I can.

Jackie said...

Sounds much like around here, except we are getting colder and colder. Soon the white will cover the gardens and roads. Not looking forward to that at all.

I love the colour of the Dahlia.

God bless.

Lorrie said...

Labyrinth is a very showy dahlia - so pretty. I think my Cafe au Lait survived by sheer luck for I left it in the ground and it came up in a spot I didn't want it to, and so I moved it.
The days are drawing shorter and with the rain, the darkness seems to arrive even earlier. Stay cozy and warm!

ann said...

If it make you and Lorrie fell any better, we lost all of our dahlia tubers over last winter. Heather and Gerald had given me 25 for Mother's Day one year, so I didn't grow any this year, so I will have have to look for Cafe next spring. As for chestnuts, I've nerve had any. Sometimes street vendors in the cities will have them during the holiday season. You sound like you are returning to normal. Have a lovely weekend.

Elderberry-Rob said...

You have had some beautiful blooms - I like the way you showcase them and enjoy them in your house - I rarely have cut flowers indoors unless I am given them :) Just one bloom is sometimes more enjoyable than a whole bunch I am thinking. Drawing the curtains at 4pm sounds cosy and certainly keeps the heat in - we are expecting a big rise in our bill since our tarriff discount has just ended - I bet many of us will notice the difference. I love early mornings now when it's pitch dark, I light candles and have espresso coffee in the conservatory with the cat - how is your 'special' cat? do you still stroke him?

Carolien said...

Autumn it is. Have a good weekend, dear Barbara!
Hugs and love from me,

Carolien

Deanna Rabe said...

It sounds like a lovely autumn to me.

A Joyful Chaos said...

Your flower is gorgeous!

We used to have a horse chestnut tree (conkers) in our front yard. The nuts were so beautiful and I used to have a lot of fun playing with them. The tree sure was messy though!

Blessings~

Cheryl said...

Nice to catch up with you this evening, Barbara! Your description of autumn in your corner sounds so incredibly cozy. Hope you are finding it so!

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