the fading of the light

Autumn is right here now, but the flowers are still blooming. Some, like the campanula (top right) are having a second flush, while others (like the fuchsia) had a late start. Most (like the pansy and the fire heath (top left)) are showing wear. The seasons are beginning to grind them down. They are slowing; more settling, less growing.


Then there's the fruit. Everything with berries is doing well this year, and my two dimensional lonerica (I'm growing it up a fence and snipping off everything that sticks out) is no exception. The raspberries are also doing well, though they've begun to taste a bit of rain and the damp, and of maybe getting a bit sick after eating them.

I grew the orange pears (it's a fancy heritage cherry tomato variety) in the flower beds after I ran out of space in the greenhouse. I always overshoot on my tomato seedlings and end up filing a few among the roses and geraniums. These did badly - only turning orange as they went rotten or were nibbled by slugs - but it's hard to know if I should blame the bad weather. Nobody's tomatoes did well this year.

With the exception of a mysterious yellow heritage tomato. My sister in law gave me a few plants and they blasted through the manky summer and threw out a bumper crop. They're not the very best flavour but they're solid gold reliable, and the best chance I've seen so far of a quality border tomato. I've saved some seeds and we'll see how it goes.