And what a stunning day to start the month with!

Today, on the 1st, we start with Black History Month as well as Harvest Home/Ingathering. Tomorrow, 2nd, the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah, marks the start of the Jewish year 5785 at sundown.

The 10th is Old Michaelmas day (Christian/traditional), the 11th Yom Kippur, day of atonement (Jewish) which begins at sundown. Followed by Sukkot/first day of feast of Tabernacles (Jewish) which begins at sundown on the 16th.

Apple day is on the 21st 🍎🍏, British summertime ends on the 27th with the clocks going back one hour at 02:00. Good thing too for the Irish that they have their October bank holiday the next day (28th).

We’re finishing off the month with Halloween on the 31st 🎃💀👻

October’s full moon is called the Hunters moon or Blood moon. It’s the second of the three super moons this year and this month’s full moon falls on the 17th 🏹🩸🌙

Almanac by @lia_leendertz

There’s still a lot to do in the garden and I’m really wanting to finish most of the tidying jobs this month! Last weekend I started clearing the greenhouse and there’s still a fair bit to do. I’m thinking a good clean and transplanting out the best chilli plants in hope of overwintering them for a head start next year. Aside from that I have some ideas and plans I need to tinker on and most importantly, do.

Some of those are simple like emptying one raised bed in the greenhouse into various others and make it my in greenhouse storage. I’m finding I’m lacking in that as there’s storage pretty much everywhere else but there. So that’s an easy fix at least. Same goes for moving the two narrow raised beds back into the greenhouse. Not sure what I want doing with those yet, but at least in there they’ll be out of the harsh elements and gives me space to figure out what to do with them at least.

Another job on the list is to remove the trellis I’ve got on the border with my neighbour and putting it into the courtyard in prep for a passion fruit and one rose I want to move as it just does not seem happy where it currently is. Building on that idea is dismantling the narrow bed next to the greenhouse that used to have the tunnel in and fix and rebuild it voor the courtyard for the same goal as the trellis.

The biggest job will be clearing the patio I think. There’s still a lot that needs going. Also want to see if I can pull my tulips and gladioli (who knows, I may even find some lost dahlia tubers in there) from behind the box pond and plant them in the sleeper steps. if there’s one big win this year it has to be the sleeper steps – and courtyard. So much joy I’ve had sitting there, enjoying the sun and explosion of colours. More of that for next year please!

I’m so excited for the time ahead. I love autumn and winter for all the cosiness, candle light, twinkly lights, warming drinks and foods. Love it. I’m most looking forward to pumpkin picking in a farmfield with friends and their offspring. 🤞 the weather gods are kind and not make the field into a swamp. We’ve had a lot of rain the last week or so and we could do with some dry spells! 🎃🎃🎃

I’m also in full swing of saving seeds, preserving produce in various shapes, thinking ketchup, tomatillo salsa verde and many more.

Happy October all! 🍃🍁🍂