Most of our vegetable harvesting is now done, with the last lot of tomatoes, and courgettes incorporated into a large pot of minestrone soup, along with a couple of the leeks (from the bed which will last all winter) and a couple of red peppers from the overgrown greenhouse. The soup is now potted up in the freezer all ready for cold winter days. The squashes are curing in the conservatory, taking up some of the space where Bramble likes to sleep!
The garden jobs change at this time of year; no more weeding and watering, but apples to store, the last seeds to collect, and logs to bring indoors. My work continues to be mostly geared to Christmas orders although most of them are delivered now, so I can begin designing and stitching the three commissions which are waiting. Then I will photograph and list new work here to re-stock what has been sold over the summer.
As we spend more time indoors and close the curtains earlier I notice the birds are again eagerly feeding from the bird table; the hens retire before our supper now, not after and the robin is singing again after his quiet period during the late summer moult. Golden October brings sunsets and conkers, acorns and spiders, roseships and berries!