The roses are still in bloom in what I laughingly refer to as the garden but the swallows have left us and with their departure a particular silence descends upon the land. It's always a sad moment. They have thousands of miles to go before they reach their next home and it will be at least six weeks before they can stop and rest and build new homes. It's such an incredible feat of courage and fortitude and many will die on the way from starvation and exhaustion. Humbling stuff.
Meanwhile the fields are busy being cut, ploughed and sprayed. It is an active time for farmers and the sound of a tractor is ever present. Our field remains an oasis of mess and chaos. The display of grasses continues to change its colour and most of it still remains upright. The winds blew hard at the end of August and gave us an early leaf fall but September brought many lovely, warm, sunny days, giving gentle encouragement to the last days of growth before the hibernation of the land. Blackberries have been late to plump up this year and it is the end of the month before the real juicy harvest appears. We then rush around filling as many baskets as possible. Jam making beckons.
The white owl still makes its evening visit, flying low past the kitchen window to let us know her/his nightly adventure is about to begin. How do you tell the gender of an owl? More answers to seek. Many flowers are still on show. The ragworts still wave in the field, fading from yellow flowers to dried silver and bronze skeletons. Pink campions still clamber out of the hedges, racing each other for the highest position - they always look like they're trying to get somewhere else. Scarlet pimpernels, feverfew, dandelions, hedge woundwort and some catsear, or is it hawksbeard? Who can tell? Certainly not me. More skeletal forms, this time from the agapanthus which grow alongside the orange montbretia and the dark red fuschias. They are the weeds of the Cornish hedge around here, a wonderful brew of colours.
Particular winners in the best display for September? Our docks are looking magnificent, showing off their luxuriant new green leaves, the mexican fleabane is making a bid to take over the world and the bindwed looks glorious. Although the bindweed is considered a pest to most farmers, my faithful teacher Nuttall considers it from the 'point of view of a flower lover...it is just a pretty little plant which has evolved many ingenious devices whereby it may excel in the competition of life'. Well it certainly does around here.
The equinox arrived on the 22nd and in one day Summer ended and Autumn began. According to the Met Office UK, we saw the arrival of 'strong gusty winds accentuating the cool feel'. And the BBC added, 'it will be windy in the South West', it was, we had gale force atlantic winds of 50 mph. Cold North winds, followed by driving rain from the Westerlies, leaf fall, mud, cold hands, waterproofs, cobnuts, acorns and wet dogs. The message came loud and clear, Autumn is here.
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