Autumn is here

Hello Everyone,

Bob and I hope you are all very well. Thank you, once again, for all the lovely messages and kind words which you have been sending us. I am now soooo much better, not fighting fit but on the way to being at my best, or what I would like to think is my best.

After being indoors for a couple of weeks and then venturing outside, it is much more obvious how the nights are becoming darker earlier and the temperature is dropping. Our fire is on, providing a cosy warmth and the curtains are closed, enhancing the cosiness. 

The foods we are eating are all about cosy and comfort. The Autumn season is beginning to provide roots and brassicas for filling and comfort eating. Meals with veg and gravy or sauces are just what we need to keep us energised and warm. It’s as if Mother Nature is saying…right it’s getting colder and darker for the next six months so here you go - enjoy this season's produce which will keep you warm and bright.

Not only do we have potatoes and carrots, we also have celeriac, swede, parsnips, beetroot, Jerusalem artichokes, salsify, turnips…all roots to look forward to. More leafy kales, cavolonero, chard, mustards, orientals, cabbages (just like this magnificent Savoy cabbage above) and the tasty calabrese, cauliflower, leeks and squashes are all about to be enjoyed.

I do hope, like me, you enjoy moving from one season to the next. Not only do we have a change in our diet and a change in our climate, the views we have and the sounds we hear all change. At the moment I am listening to the huge number of crows chatting in the garden, the cows will all shortly be spending their days inside barns and will be a miss in the fields (funny story this week…our next door farmer ‘lost’ seven cows and five calves. Someone had left the field gate open and they went on a wander. Some were found in our Green Field with the polytunnels, thankfully no damage to the cows or crops was to be seen. Every farmer owns a bucket for feeding the animals, the cows followed the bucket back to the barn).

The green trees will be turning hues of gold and orange in the coming weeks. Sunrises and sunsets can be amazing reds. All sights and sounds to look forward to.

So, the Autumn/Winter season of clothes also ups it’s game…away go the shorts and out come the thermals and waterproofs. Big boots and warm coats are the order of the day soon. Comfort while working is a big thing for gardeners. We need to be able to bend and move freely while wrapped up and cosy. We are outside for long hours so staying dry, warm and comfortable is paramount. The winter days outside always give tingly bodies when we arrive back inside for the night. Such a good feeling, coming back into the warmth. 

So, from someone sat in front of the fire right now, you stay warm. But enjoy the sights and sounds of the great outdoors.  

Have a good one,

Ann👩‍🌾