I wasn’t strictly planning to post today, but I find myself in a sticky situation and unable to get up to go and plant the container for which I’ve just bought multi purpose compost and horticultural grit!
You see I have a snoozing Tinkerbell on my lap and I hate to move her! She’s all snuggled on my new Teddy Bear throw that I bought yesterday because I’m fed up with being cold!
Genuine Teddy Bear. We all know how I feel about Teddy Bears (or if you don’t, check this post out) so I seriously hope no teddy bears were harmed in the making of this throw!
I went to the gym this morning, and as I was driving there gasping at the beauty of some of the trees as they change to their autumnal colours, I pondered on some of the blog posts I’ve read recently whose authors have been extolling the virtues of Autumn and declaring their love for this season in which we find ourselves.
I’ve found myself wondering, as I’ve read these posts, why all these people so love Autumn when my heart slowly fills with melancholy as the days draw in and the bright pinks, yellows and purples of the Summer garden are replaced by bronzes, coppers and burnt oranges.
It occurred to me that whilst I’m fully aware that there are four seasons in a year, I actually think of us as only having two proper seasons, Summer and Winter, with Spring and Autumn merely turning up as the warm up acts (or should that be cool down act in the case of Autumn?)
I asked myself, if Summer came after Autumn would I still dislike Autumn? I thought about all the things that I like about Autumn. Stunning trees with bright red leaves that take your breath away with their vividness. This one is up our road and the photo doesn’t do it justice.
Shuffling through fallen leaves.
Cool enough weather to wear hoodies but not so cold that you have to struggle into fifteen layers before it’s safe to leave the house.
Being able to sleep in past 5am because the sun gets up later, but it not being so dark that I’m tired all. the. time (SAD anyone?)
Woah! Breaking news, turns out it’s not Autumn I dislike, it’s the fact that Autumn means Winter’s coming and it’s only going to get colder, darker and soul destroyingly miserable. I was not designed for the Winter months. I hate getting up in the pitch black and coming home from work in the pitch black! I hate hate hate being cold (hence the acquisition of the Teddy Bear throw) but I begrudge having to pay unscrupulous utility companies more and more each year (seriously, when are the price rises going to slow down?) just to keep at a reasonable temperature, I hate snow. Absolutely don’t understand anyone other than kids who may get the day off school getting excited about it. Yes it’s pretty until it’s been trudged through, but it’s cold, it’s slippy, it’s disruptive, it’s potentially dangerous. I digress.
I’m going to try to see Autumn as its own distinct season from now on, and maybe we’ll become happier bed fellows.
The Gousto delivery driver knocked the door as I was writing this and scared Tinkerbell off so I got to plant my container after all. I planted allium giganteum, normal alliums, tulip and snowdrop bulbs and on top I added a Calluna Vulgaris (one from the sale table at Notcutts) and some Cyclamen which were reduced in Homebase. Roll on Spring when they’ll delight us with their colour (sorry, I might have realised Autumn’s not as bad as I thought, but it’s still not a patch on Summer, and Spring means Summer’s nearly here!)
Green Girl Gardener 