Friday 9 October 2009

PLEASURES OF AUTUMN


Slightly wonky camera taking artily-not-quite-right photo of one of my favourite autumn pleasures, the sunlit spider web. 

Over at Veg Plotting Madame Veg says I had a bit of a go at her last year when she moaned about autumn. 

(I don't actually remember doing this, though I'm sure it's true.)

I do really like most things about autumn, except the days becoming so much shorter. But I love the smell of wet leaves, the sense of things winding down; even squishing the funny little fruits that fall off crab apple trees is fun! (Though they make an odd metallic bonk when they fall off at night onto cars, which still wakes me up.)

But one of my favourite things about autumn is getting on with planning for spring, so that I feel like it's not too far away. This year I am doing posh white bulbs in terracotta pots, and then a separate downmarket garish scheme in 99p B&Q buckets. You need to make drainage holes with a bradawl, not a hammer and a nail, if that's a helpful tip. Then I layered up probably far too many bulbs. 




I do love autumn, but I also really identify and sympathise with all the people saying they'd rather not bother, if at all possible. 

I think planting bulbs is the absolute number 1 top way to look forward, understanding that it's all gonna come back round rapidly. And don't forget the indoor bulbs too! Paperwhites need to be started any day now to be flowering at Christmas, which is the best possible way of all to feel that spring is really not far behind. Check the wise words of Nigel Colborn, whose excellent instructions and tasteful planting suggestions I followed last year. 





98p! 98p!!!

9 comments:

Arabella Sock said...

Hooray - my delivery from Avon bulbs arrived today. That will make for an exciting weekend as I have forgotten what I ordered - I just know there was a lot. I tried not to order Queen of the Night tulips AGAIN but it's possible they slipped in anyway.

Martyn Cox said...

I'll be planting bulbs pre and post watching the mighty Leyton Orient tomorrow. I've decided not to plant anything in pots as I got really annoyed with the sheer amount of containers in the garden over spring. This year I'm concentrating on fillng the beds.

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

I was going to start planting my bulbs this weekend, but it's raining today and the lows are forecasted to be below freezing, so I'll wait on the outdoor ones. I'm going to force Lydia Tulips again this year, they are such a treat in January & February when the world is black, brown, gray & white.

VP said...

Bulbs! How could I gorget about bulbs as one of the grrrrrreat things about Autumn!

I've planted mine (instead of January, which is what I did last time), but thanks for the Paperwhites reminder :)

Rob said...

I tend to go a bit SAD over the winter, so each autumn I say to myself, "don't let it get to you, just ignore it and it will go away". It can be difficult to ignore January and February...

As autumn goes, I really love it. I'm all for the autumn-flowering bulbs and autumn foliage. At the moment the Nerines are flowering their heads off, shrugging off the cold and wet.

I think the only bulbs I'll plant this year are some of those massive Crocuses. I think they're great.

VP said...

PS The Lakeland catalogue didn't get mentioned because it has that word which begins with C which doesn't happen until December in it and it's Winter by then ;)

VP said...

50 tulips for £3.50!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AMIT said...

Is it spring or autumn?

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Shish kebab said...

Hooray - my delivery from Avon bulbs arrived today. That will make for an exciting weekend as I have forgotten what I ordered - I just know there was a lot. I tried not to order Queen of the Night tulips AGAIN but it's possible they slipped in anyway.
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