Three quince, two kohlrabi and a pumpkin
Monday 28th September. An evening meeting to plan changing the world. We discuss a community market garden to feed the village and whether the drop between the lakes on the other side of the Grange could generate power (our village was the first in the country to put electricity in the church, so we have a reputation to keep up).
I swap three quinces, two kohlrabi and a pumpkin for a big bag of conference pears.
Tuesday 29th September. There has been a storm. Although no rain came, the wind gusted through the oaks along the track and brought down branches. They crunch underfoot and I research dye recipes using acorns. I thought the roses were over but Mme Alfred Carriere continues to give generously. At the beginning of the year they are pure white with gorgeous reddish marking on the guard petals. The ones I cut today are distinctly blush pink in their tones. The scent remains wonderful.
Jug by Annie Rigg. Isn’t it wonderful?
Wednesday 30th September. Did I ever mention? If you grow cosmos, you need three plants. Four max. Five if you are running an international cosmos farm. They are unbelievably prolific. I know this and yet, every single season, in my enthusiasm to get going with spring, I forget. I have about thirty plants and therefore about a million flowers. If you are in Somerset and you need some cosmos in a hurry, call me.
Thursday 1st October. This pumpkin was growing up the estate fencing underneath the Bramley apple tree. Every time I inspected it, which was often, it threatened to topple and fall. Today, I take a deep breath and cut it. I hate doing this because unless you are really really careful, it is all too easy to cut a vine and cut off a smaller fruit further along that really needed a bit more growing time. But it is October now, and I cannot imagine more growing will be done this year. Not even any real ripening. I think we may have had the last of the sunshine.
Friday 2nd October. A box of the most gorgeous journals arrives. I adore paper. I love pictures. I have an absolute obsession with Settle in Norfolk, the project of Jo Flowers and her husband, John, so when she featured the magazine Considered on her Instagram feed, I was struck. It does not disappoint. As well as some utterly gorgeous photographs of Settle, there is an article of regenerative agriculture (also current obsession, see Monday’s entry) and a directory of sustainable businesses to support with my money.
Saturday 3rd October. It rains. Hard.
Sunday 4th October. It rains some more. I light the fire and eat more stewed apple and quince than is probably healthy. No gardening jobs were done at all this weekend. (Most of the photographs in this newsletter were taken in exactly the same place, that's how much time I haven't spent outside.) If you did anything meaningful outside this weekend, I salute you.