Well, it must be late autumn because the leaves on the Virginia Creeper have turned fiery red and mostly fallen. Then again the sky is blue, it's mild, sunny and dry; more like the tail end of summer. The landscape is usually sopping wet at this point in the season even on a day without rain. But I'm seeing minimal dew and zero condensation. Today would be a good day to put your washing on the line.

 It has been said we will need seven months above average rainfall to replenish rivers, reservoirs and aquifers. If we have a dry winter after the drought and then another drought it will be (to quote an old folk song) "Hard times in old England, in England very hard times".

 I'm not complaining about a beautiful day to be out in the garden but I am a little uneasy...

Postscript It must be late autumn because it was pitch dark by six o'clock!

 

 A delivery from the Beth Chatto nursery, always known for propagating quality plants in conjunction with the renowned garden she developed. In doing so she became hugely influential both as a horticulturalist and as a garden designer. She wrote a number of books on various facets of her work and they are essential reading. 

 

 First storms of winter blew across the country the past couple of days (coinciding appropriately enough with the end British Summer Time). No dramas to report, just a spindly Silver Birch at the music school that blew over and snagged another tree. It was slender enough that I cut it with a bow saw and dragged the sections deeper into the trees to rot.

 

Still life.

 

 The last harvest of the Runner Beans is the dried out pods containing next year's seed.

 Ok, I'm cheating (a bit). I sowed Foxglove seed in trays to prick out into small pots for planting next spring. But I left it a bit late (end of August). Foxgloves are biennial which is a somewhat flexible term. If you sow them early enough they can flower the following year e.g. in 2026 for 2027. Then again they are apt to take two full years i.e. a 2026 sowing will bloom in 2028.

 So I bought a tray of plugs as seen above which are more advanced than my seedlings; hopefully some or all will flower next year. Plug plants are not as cheap as growing from seed but they still represent good value. These were a pound per plug plus a few pounds postage.

 

Autumn in South London.