It is an overcast, gloomy day but a very busy day in the garden. There’s drizzly rain which does add up over the day, giving us 2mm, so needed after a dry couple of weeks.
The morning was the last session for the ukulele class, after ten weeks, but many of last year’s there too, along with friends and family. Lots of food and Pimms, as friendships were made as well as acquiring a musical skill. I listened to their melodies as I changed the pump in the pond. The battery lasts two days. I shall continue with the pump until the end of October, and then with the colder days, much of the pond life will be dormant and won’t need the extra oxygen, so I will put it away till the spring.
The sunflowers are still blooming, though looking a little ragged. There’s white and purple poppies in the wildflower bed. Is that alyssum too? Way past its sell-by date. The bed will be cleared this week. We aim to have more wildflowers about the garden in 2026, in order to encourage bumble bees and insects, and to have less garden varieties. It’s too easy to add more and more garden varieties, so you have to have a positive policy to cut back if you want to encourage wildlife,
It’s seed time. The sycamores are full of helicopters, the globe thistles bristle with seeds, and the agapanthus has paddle-like seed heads. The grapes are wizened and many have been eaten by birds and squirrels. The leaves on the trees are tired, browning at the edges; they’ll all have fallen in the next six weeks. In contrast, the two pots of petunias in the pergola are in full bloom, oblivious of the season. Well, I won’t tell them.
We had lots of grapes this year, but no plums or olives. It has to be due to either the dry weather in the spring or lack of pollinators and I can’t say which. Our pond is very low, but there is no need to worry. It’s cooler so less evaporation and I am sure October will give us plenty of rain to refill it.
Overlapping with the ukulele party was the garden volunteer get-together. The purpose is to help us get to know each other, create friendships, and say what the garden plan is for 2026. About 30 came. There was plenty of food, with that left by the ukulele party added to. So we began with eating and chatting. Then a talk on the year: in short, more wildflowers and use water wisely.
After the talk, we all had a go at making mosaics, instructed by Jenny. As beginners, we had tiles the size of coasters. We were shown how to cut the ceramic pieces, smear grout on the tile, and off we went. Some more adventurous than others. My tree ended up less tree like, and more abstract. But all in all, a good bonding session.
Following the volunteer session, a family and friends came to donate a memorial bench for their mother who died too young. The bench is in the middle of garden, has ornate metal sides and back with wooden seating. We are wary of what donations being a fairly small garden, but this is a very good addition, a sturdy, attractive seat to enjoy the sights and sounds among the greenery.
A non-stop day, as we segue into October, Autumn proper.