Poorly chicken

[soapdragon]

Every year we have a family of swifts, swallows or martins (to my shame, I don't know which but suspect martins - they have forked tails) who nest under the eaves of our house - right over YS bedroom! It's fun to watch them sticking their little heads out of the nest and beautiful to see them subsequently trying out their wings and swooping round outside the house especially in the early evenings - I suspect bug hunting! We've even had people stop in the close to watch them! But they flew away yesterday and now it's very quiet without their tweeting.

There is a distinct nip in the air early morning and late afternoon and it's getting darker earlier. However, lovely and warm and sunny it it from 10.30am to 3.30pm this is all a reminder that the year is drawing on. Personally, I love the autumn (my birthday is October so maybe that has something t do with it!?) but it makes me aware of time passing and, tying it into the start of the new academic year,  my boy's getting older (to say nothing of my own impending dotage ) 

Set me wondering.......How do you all feel about the onset of autumn and what is your favourite season and why? Do we all really love the season that contains our birthday best (as one school mum I was discussing this with today theorised)? 

 

[Grandmashazzie]

I too love Autumn, it’s not my birthday month, as that is June. I can’t really explain why. There is that nip in the air and a different smell/ feel, the nights drawing in and cosy fires and cosy blankets. Nowadays I love Saturday nights, Strictly and Takeaways.

[Valkyrie]

Not too keen because I hate the long dark nights of winter.  I do love the warm evening autumn sunshine and the colours of the leaves.  But then it all goes really drab after that. Apart from a crisp and clear frosty or snowy morning.  I love spring because of the young bright green leaves and everything bursts into life.

Lots of swallows sitting on the telephone wires yesterday as we walked down to the pub.  Soaking up the last rays of the sun they were.  Summer and I can't bear the heat but I love growing the veg - even better though is eating it!

[mullethunter]

I like autumn on nice days when I manage to live in the moment (October is my birth month too), but I’m what my OH calls ‘a chilly morsel’ - I get cold easily and hate the cold, and I absolutely love the summer, especially a hot one like we’ve just had, and the long days where I can be in the garden until bedtime. So I’m afraid in general I’m not a great fan of this time of year - I find it quite depressing.

Soapdragon your birds will be either swallows or martins - the swifts leave in early August.

[Luvachicken]

I like all of the seasons.

I like spring for all the little bursts of life.

Summer for the smell, the sun and blue skies, the buzz of the bees, seeing butterflies and nesting birds.

Autumn for shiny blackberries and the colours of the leaves.

Winter for the crisp, frosty mornings and Christmas.

But like Valkyrie, I don't like the long, dark nights that drag on forever.

My girls went to bed at 7pm today  

[soapdragon]

I'd kill to go to bed at 7.00pm (whatever the season) 

Another autumn job on the list for this week is putting the garden to bed.........pruning the roses, digging out all the unwanted stuff, cutting the cardoons and teasels down, ditching the non productive and mould ridden sweet peas and getting winter tubs planted up. Hope the rain holds off!

[Daphne]

I also love the warmth of summer and am an August child, and I really dislike November as it seems to me a grey, leafless, wet month.  I love February onwards, as you get the snowdrops and then the rest of the bulbs and everything seems possible.  However, since moving to Portugal, the normal pattern is a scorching summer followed by a week of rain in late September, which gives a second spring as the grass and other plants come through green which is a welcome change after months of brown and gold.  Then its bright and sunny enough of the time to be a real pleasure till Xmas.  However, Jan-Mar are just wet and grey and full of low cloud, and I don't like it at all!  I never would have thought I could dislike Spring, but until the waves of wild flowers appear in March/April it is all a bit grim.

This year, though, is not following the script.  Firstly it wasn't that hot over the summer. We had a tiny bit of rain in August, which is unheard of, and yesterday there was a storm, with proper rain and power cuts, and it really feels like Autumn, that lovely crispness in the morning air and the sense of change.  I really like the difference between the long hot days of summer, when you don't do much because its too hot, and now, when I am suddenly overcome with the need to prune things and begin to tidy up, just like Soapdragon, but I also have the energy to do it, which is key

[mullethunter]

I’ve just done my first bits of pruning and tidying (after putting my nail varnish on for a wedding so I’m going  to tonight - not sensible).

Any ideas for pretty, cheap plants for winter colour before the bulbs come up to put in the sweet pea trough that aren’t pansies / violas?

[Patricia W]

I love Spring and Summer ( birthday is April). The worst time for me is November to February, although Christmas offers some respite.  

[Daphne]

2 hours ago, mullethunter said:

I’ve just done my first bits of pruning and tidying (after putting my nail varnish on for a wedding so I’m going  to tonight - not sensible).

Any ideas for pretty, cheap plants for winter colour before the bulbs come up to put in the sweet pea trough that aren’t pansies / violas?

Enjoy the wedding (actually I typed weeding....).  How about cyclamen?  Although I have to admit they always did better in my cold porch than outside if it was too wet, so if you can give them some cover they should do very well.  Some of them also have a faint scent.  I just love cyclamen

[patsylabrador]

My spirits raise towards the end of August when you can start to feel autumn. I tried really hard to enjoy summer this year but I ended up counting the days waiting for it to end. I  love the dark skies and early nights of winter. I like that bit in the afternoon around 3pm when the sky starts to go to sleep. I love watching the tube trains and buses going past all lit up and I can see the passengers. I love that funky damp smell outside, I love that London is quiet and calmer especially on the river. Pubs are cosy, shops look more exciting. I really enjoy that busy nesting feeling you get in the autumn. My birthday is in the spring so that's not relevant. I like winter clothes, I prefer public transport when less sweaty flesh has used the same seat that I'm using. I love the feel of cool air and the smell of the wind coming down from the north. I'm looking forward to getting the chimney swept and lighting fires again this year. 

[mullethunter]

17 hours ago, Daphne said:

How about cyclamen?

That’s a really good shout and they love my garden - but I’ve got rather a lot already! (Excuse the screenshot- can’t find the original photo).

Edited September 9, 2018 by mullethunter

[Daphne]

How pretty

Not quite as floral, but what about a mix of heather, varigated ivy, a dwarf something with bright berries on it like a solanum , or snowberry, or gaultheria plus something for a bit of height like a grass, dwarf conifer, or baby green shrub of your choice which you can remove and plant in garden later or even an arrangement of twigs/sticks if you are feeling creative (I'm thinking coloured bark/something with a seedhead or something loosely woven like latticework or some such).