The Autumn Equinox is official this weekend – I was really sorry to see summer go but I have to admit it has felt so much more like autumn these past few days than it has at this time in previous years.
The weather has been so unpredictable – one minute sunshine, the next rain interspersed with anything from a light breeze to a howling gale. In the calmer moments I have been out and about capturing the hedgerows turning I love the varied mix of vibrant green and red at this time of year, the colours echo those of Christmas.
Before we left for Scotland I had already switched over to my warmer clothes and these last few days I have been snuggled up in my Parker and woolly hat before venturing our for an evening stroll down to the village and back – well more of a brisk walk really as there is rather a bite in the evening air and a shrill wind blowing off the sea – so we have not lingered – tonight we took the torch with us too as it was dark quite early.
I did not go in the garden at all today, DH finished the ‘winterising’ of the caravan and then the garage door and I sat inside attending to our finances. I had a heap of receipts to log, statements to balance and a new budget to set- after all this is not a holiday I still have chores to do!
We have been making more and more cooked evening meals too recently – curries, Cauliflower and Broccoli bakes, nut roasts and baked potatoes – always my favourite – and salads have now been reduced to lunchtime only.
I was amazed at the colour still in the garden here in Scotland – the pictures were taken yesterday – but then we are in the Gulf Stream and many of the plants are quite sheltered.
The Valerian – still protected with netting from being eaten by the pesky bunnies are doing well. This was the tray of plants given to me by Elizabeth MacGregor when we visited her nursery in Kirkudbright at the end of the season last year. Having such a large garden you have to think of planting in threes or fives to get a good swathe of colour and mass so a whole tray full of around twenty plants was wonderful – an instant garden – thank you Elizabeth!
The Chamomile self seeds all over but it is very welcome here on the seaside garden.
This Fuchsia and Lavender were both one of those cheap plants from Morrison’s – I bought them to fill a bit of a gap in the border when the other shrubs were small and newly planted. They definitely like it here. 
I am not even sure where this white Agapanthus came from I don’t remember buying one but it has sneaked into the border under the Viburnum.
The trailing Nasturtiums flower well into November and are a lovely burst of colour on a grey day.
The wild Fuchsia by the pond still providing a little colour now all the summer flowers are over.
Below is my dad’s hydrangea taken from his garden after he died – it stands majestically in a central position on the edge of the lower woodland walk. 
And lastly the Bramley apples – they have been abundant this year and much rosier now than when we picked some on our last visit. So many windfalls – 
…we have been giving them away and will probably put some outside our gates for the walkers to take. 
Do help yourself!
where the journey takes me 2 
I have always loved the colours at this time of year. Golds, russets and reds. Your Scottish garden still has plenty of colour too. Enjoy your break
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Thank you it is nice to get away from the demands of home – although there are still ‘jobs’ here we can go at a more leisurely pace.
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An amazing amount of colour still in your Scottish garden. Have to admit, when I read of the Valerian-eating bunnies, all I could imagine was a scene of dozing bunnies all around your garden. Good thing you you netted it. 🙂
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Your imagined scene is not far off reality – when we arrived in the evening we couldn’t drive the car through the gate for a dozing bunny and often we have three just by the caravan dozing. They hardly make a move now unless we run up to them. They think my seaside border with the Valerian is their own little veg patch – I can hear them sharpening their teeth ready for a snack attack LOL!
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Your garden is full of beautiful colour. I would love to wander around and have a nosy at all your plants! x
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You’re welcome anytime if you are on holiday up this way! I too was amazed at how many little pockets of colour are still going with this early autumn this year. x
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A lovely post about the autumn garden xx
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Thank you Lyn – we have been out in the garden today – all the weeding I did in the borders on my last visit has been covered in weeds again as if I hadn’t touched it! It is never ending!
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Thank you for the apples! So good to see you both today. Isn’t blogging wonderful?
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Just arrived back at the cottage, tired but it was a wonderful day – the trip up there is so worth it. We saw the pottery guy and then the wood man – he has the most wonderful long oak garden bench in his driveway and I love his windowsills inside the house. We then just managed a trip to the potter and lino cut artist on Holy Marina – bought a beautiful little vase / pot and two stocking fillers for my girls at Christmas. Seeing the lino cuts has given me the motivation I need to get going on doing my own.
Thank you Freda for providing a lovely lunch and most of all your company for a couple of hours. I would have missed all this had I not been blogging! Here’s to blogging friendships.
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Such lovely flowers. The garden must look wonderful, especially as the leaves change colour. I love autumn too; so bright and cheerful one day and howling gales the next. Very exciting.
xx
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It has been a lovely few days here – the weather seems to have settled down a lot and it is quite warm in the sheltered spots in the garden.
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Like you I grow fuchsias, hydrangeas and valerian, all so pretty.
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Hello Terra – nice of you to drop by. Thank you for the comment – you have some lovely colourful plants in your garden. I especially love the idea of the poetry board in the garden of your neighbour and even more so your statue of Mary and Buddha residing side by side in peace in your garden – if only all the religions and faiths of the world could do this.
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