To tell you all the truth September has been a bit of a blur. Two members of our family went off to college at the same time and it does take a while to get used to the new family dynamics. We feel rather like the way Bilbo describes himself to Gandalf in the 1937 novel by J.R.R Tolkien; “Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread.”
Now we are spread out in three different places and it takes some getting used to for all involved, but change is the only constant in the universe and we are very happy that all members of the family seem to be enjoying themselves.
In the garden things feel familiar and we are busy picking beans, blueberries, apples, pears and foraging for the odd blackberry.
It is great to see all the mushrooms and toadstools in the garden as they are a sign that the soil is healthy and full of life.
Around our main circle things have gone as they usually do at this time of year, a bit topsy-turvy from neglect. We don’t think this is a bad thing. The wilder the garden gets the more wildlife it contains. There will be plenty of time over the colder months to sort things out, do a bit of cutting back and tidying up to clear the paths and regain access to all parts of the land.
East
South
West
North
We are growing Jerusalem artichokes and they have really taken off this year. They are the tall plant seen in the background.We are looking forward to the tasty tubers in the coming weeks and months. If you leave some of them in the ground they will regrow and provide you with a crop for many years. They can even get a bit too prolific so think about where you place them.
The sun was shining for quite a few days and we did take some time to enjoy the garden in all its late summer beauty. Now we are looking forward to the fireworks of Autumn colour.
thegreenerdream 
Ah, I recognise that Bilbo moment so well. It’s such a strange thing when your precious children spread their wings, no matter how well-prepared you and they are, and everything at home tilts and changes – but as you say, change is the only constant and it’s what keeps us fresh and on our toes. It’s good to hear that everyone is enjoying themselves! There is certainly plenty to smile about in your garden, so much seasonal beauty and food. We have finally managed to establish Jerusalem artichokes here this year (the slugs have tucked in previously), they have been flowering for several weeks now and have created their own sunny ‘border’ full of bees and butterflies. Gorgeous. Now we have the delicious tubers to look forward to over winter, but I don’t want to rush the seasons on too quickly . . . 🙂
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I smiled when you wrote about the slug attacks on your Jerusalem artichokes. We tried to establish them a few years back and the second year they were eaten off at soil level as soon as they emerged and the slugs were so effective that the whole lot died away and never grew back. Now they are well established but as it is colder here we have only green stalks and no flowers so far. A few buds are present and I’m hoping we will gwt a few more mild weeks and they will hsve a chance to flower. Hopefully we will find some tubers later in the year. The flavour is very interesting I think. I remember eating them as a child. 😊
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Sorry about the typos! I’m not sure how to correct them. I’ve got a head full of cold at the moment. Time for a hot whisky! 😁
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Oh, I hope you have at least one flower, they are so pretty and great for wildlife. That said, we grew them for years in Wales and they didn’t come close to flowering once! The flavour is interesting, not to everyone’s taste but I love them and if you roast them they almost turn to toffee. Great winter comfort food, hope you enjoy a plentiful crop! 🙂
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I really like what Bilbo said to gandalf in the 1937 novel by J.R.R Tolkien. All the crops we grow in our garden are very tasty. I was surprised when I saw the blackberries in our garden too.
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Jerusalem artichoke is something I have never grown. It would be nice to try, since potatoes do not do so well here.
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You should definitely give them a go if you can find tubers. There is a smooth skin variety called fusea or something similar and they are much easier to peel. They can grow very tall and come from the same family as sunflowers so will need some staking. 😊
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They appealed to me because they used to be more common in North America. I dislike fads for vegetables from all sorts of unfamiliar cultures in all sorts of different places, while so much from North America gets ignored.
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I love your October post, Maria, but can’t find anywhere to comment on it for some reason. Beautiful seasonal colours in your garden, gorgeous sunflowers and I love the cabbage and claw! 🙂
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Hi Lis, thanks for your kind words! I will look into the comment space issue on the October post, that has never happened before. The cabbage is a new variety that I got seeds for from Suttons and it is almost unbelivably pink in real life!
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