Autumn notes: September
September highlights in my French garden
September was quite wet and humid, and I didn't spend as much time in the garden as I wanted to. There were storms, rainbows, dramatic skies, and spiderwebs laced with raindrops.
Most roses had another flush of blooms; I usually stop deadheading roses in September, to help them go dormant, but the frequent rain made many buds ball up and rot, so I cut those off to avoid disease.
I still managed to enjoy many beautiful blooms, as some roses coped with the rain better than others.
Snails and slugs loved the rainy weather, and happily munched on many of my cabbages and seedlings, though I managed to save a few.
The grass kept growing by the day, and harvest mites thrived in the humidity - bad news for me. I got bitten so many times that I ended up taking anti histamine medications to stop the hitching and painful swelling.Â
The autumn equinox brought in mist, beautiful soft light, and cooler temperatures, all things I love - autumn is my favourite season.
I harvested the last tomatoes and peppers, and made lots of roasted tomato pasta sauce, now in the freezer, so on dark winter days we’ll be able to taste summer from a jar.
The raspberries did quite well this year, and I had enough to make raspberry jam. My husband picked up lots of blackberries too, which I froze, until I feel like making more jam.
I walked around the garden, noticing how plants were faring, writing down notes, and adding jobs to my extensive to do list - mostly digging up plants and moving them to other spots.
Some plants grew more than expected, and are now cramped; some didn’t thrive in the spot I chose for them, and others didn't meet my expectations and are really not to my liking so will have to go, either to friends or the compost heap.
I will make changes in the coming months, hoping for the best, but keeping in mind that I cannot truly control how plants grow.Â
I suppose most plants could be forced to live in challenging situations, but I want an easy maintenance garden that I can enjoy without too much work and struggle.
So the garden keeps me humble, and reminds me to let go of control and work with nature, not against it - simple wisdom that applies to life too.
I'll leave you with a link to my YouTube video - Click the image below to see my French garden in September, I hope you enjoy it.
Dear Cristina -- Please don't ever wonder if what you share ever makes a difference -- it definitely does! Believe me. Reading your posts and looking at your wonderful photos bring me such joy and a feeling of instant relaxation. I'm just sorry that I didn't express my gratitude earlier! Take care!
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