Autumn

Tegan the monbretia has been flowering here for weeks, it must have liked the weather!

Sue I agree there is a touch of Autumn about.

I feel an empathy with that season, having been born in September, and I get a bit of a high when we have sunny days and chillier evenings and the trees start to change. I know that might sound odd but it's true.

We took the dog for a walk on Tuesday night and the S.O. turned to me and said 'it's getting autumnal, I can feel it tonight'. To me, the beginning of autumn is the sight of the rowan berries and monbretia and the drift into winter starts with the cyclamen flowering. I used to love winter when I was younger but not now that I get creaky joints [and worry about the cost of heating].

Opinion was divided at the Golf Club Ladies Morning yesterday some said yes an autumnal change in the air one said ' are you bloody mad'.

There's a definite autumnal scent in the air this morning! Nooooooo!

Ripe wild blackberries and mist in the valleys here in East Sussex.

Hmmm - you are right. Mist in the valley this morning.

No - don't even think about it! - I am enjoying my summer, and the children have not that long broken up.

We have been picking cultivated blackberries for weeks.

It was very warm and quite humid again today. Just to make me eat my words from yesterday!

Our blackberries are nearly black here in the East Midlands.

No sign oif Autumn in Oxfordshire, no blackberries are ripe yet - and it looks like a bumper harvest when they do ripen. Last year I was picking blackberries in July.

I felt a touch of autumn on Monday morning, when I went out into the garden. The air felt, and smelled different. It's interesting to see I wasn't imagining it.
It's pouring with rain here this morning, but still unusually warm. A few blackberries are already ripe, the sweet peas are looking as though they're coming to the end of what's been a great month of continuous flowers. I love the seasons as well Inishowen - autumn always used to be my favourite season, though as I've got older, increasingly I love the spring.

I love the seasons. In ireland we've had heavy rain the last few days. At the moment the sun is shining and I'm hoping the weather is turning nice again. My plants will be so much better after all the rain.

One year our downy birch leaves had started truning yellow during the first week in July, so seeing them and those of the goat willows beginning to turn a month later does not seem early. I enjoyed seeing the beginning of leaf colour change on our way to archery practice on Sunday.

But the leaves never stop changing, of course – from their fresh spring greens, through the darker summer greens, to their varied autumn tints. I love it all.

It's been raining here tonight too, very heavily. But my flowers have gone over very quickly this year, my lilies only lasted a few days. Something is up because I have watered them. Even the sweet peas have dried up a bit, again, watered them too. We have had some very hot weather in July (my little doggie was getting too hot sometimes).

But I do love it when the Autumn starts to creep in, the nights start to shorten and walks taken early or late are crisp and warmer coats are needed.

I can't say that has happened yet, although I am observing the lovely hot sweats, so it might just be me.

I thought that too, sue, and I noticed it last year as well. August used to be the hottest month surely?
In fact, I wondered if the seasons were shifting

Yes the lamps are on here at 20.15!

We have a dry garden and thanks to the heat the borders are all tired and flagging. They look like August has already been and gone.

I would not say no to a spot of rain but please allow my washing to dry first.

Yes, I agree, suebailey1. I have detected the merest touch, a feeling in the air, a slight cool mistiness first thing in the morning.
And today it's raining VERY heavily here!

I haven't noticed leaves turning brown (or golden) yet but the nights are getting darker earlier and the evening feel cooler (which isn't a bad thing really if you don't like too much heat). I have been wondering if our seasons are shifting forward slightly as summer seemed to start earlier too.

On the M90 yesterday morning there was definitely a slight turning of leaves to brown!!!
I think it might be due to the very hot weather we have had.

Marelli move to London, it is totally different here. The trees have beautiful green leaves and there is no hint of brown. It is too humid here yo consider a frost.

I don't detect any sign of autumn down here, it's still pretty warm. Walking through Marks last week I noticed they had school uniforms for sale. My children used to be outraged that this always happened before they'd even broken up for summer.
It better stay nice as my 2 GDs and their father are coming down for a few days in a couple of weeks time.

Yesterday evening there actually seemed to be a nip in the air. The sky was clear and there was a really fresh smell - almost as if there was going to be a frost!