Monday 20 September 2010

Autumn Dans La Jardin


Wee Slug fest feasting on shortbread Floral Haulage delivery for wedding

The finished Product, Flowers-Cosmos, Perovskia, Sweetpeas, Vibernum, Euonmyous. Salvia, Scabies Seed heads, Larkspur, Oats and Barley


The smell of Autumn abounds-Mornings are somewhat chilled and Nature is offering up a feast from garden to hedgerow before the winter famine.
I always struggle with this time of year, everything is slowly dying back for winter, with only a few flowers brave enough to embrace the Autumnal chills and frosts. The last swallows have flown, and the bees and butterflies stock up on the last of the nectar before they snuggle somewhere warm and secluded for the winter months (I wish I could do the same).
But enough of this maudling chatter of darkness and cold, and dormancy dans la jardin, a toast to the productive season shall prevail.
I work at a centre for adults with a learning disabilty and a delightful part of my job is to run and manage a pick your own flower garden where the public can pick at their leisure amongst an array of colours and smells to make your nose dance with delight.
I had the pleasure of providing the flowers for a friends wedding recently- Floral Haulage-From North Yorkshire to Scotland with buckets of freshly picked flowers. I will continue to look at the pictures throughout the winter months, as the very sight of them gladdens my heart and soul. Its amazing what you can grow with a few packets of seeds-I feel passionate about everybody having a go at gardening, there is no mystery, or huge budget needed-nor anything to be afraid of-Plants often tell you what they want, rather than us dictate what THEY want!
Post wedding I returned to my home land of North Yorkshire having sat on a packet of shortbread biscuits in my bag smuggled from the bed and beakfast I was staying in-I emptied the crumbs out into my garden and thought no more about it-Later on by the light of the moon, I let my cat in and caught sight of a slug festival occuring on the shortbread crumbs-There was slugs galore (including my faithful friend the leopard slug) feasting upon the sugary crumbs-I think I may have stumbled upon a new form of companion planting-I expect to see them in wee sporrans doing a sluggy jig soon.
May your hedgerows be full of natures delights and happy gardening in the Autumn sunshine.