Sunset Shades in September

What a week of golden weather! We’ve been very lucky here in London and are enjoying a nice spell of late summer sunshine.

September is a lovely month, full of changes in nature, the end for some plants and the beginning for others, and the sun is low and warm. There’s loads to do up at the plot as old foliage is cut away and cleared, vegetables and fruit continue to crop and of course there is always weeding to be done. I found myself alone on site in the afternoon sunshine yesterday, while sitting up on the deck enjoying a well-earned break I noticed this little spider, camouflaged in the purple foliage:

Can you see it? Look closer....

I cut back the old, dead stems and leaves from the hollyhocks that backdrop the fence right at the top of the bank. While doing it I noticed this tiny snail

nestling in one of the hollyhock’s new flowers

Then on to a good couple of hours hand weeding between plants, strong and delicious scents wafting around me in the leek bed, where I also removed one of the green courgette plants which was looking very sorry for itself and on its last legs. The other plant is still going strong though,

as are the golden courgettes

and the beautiful yellow chard, just one plant which self-seeded.

The (allegedly) Turks Turban pumpkins are growing very well. They are golden orange, some with green stripes. They definitely came out of a packet marked ‘Turks Turban’ but is that what they are? Any suggestions as to their true identity would be welcome.


Life is Golden
Love Life
XXX