Rondo for an autumn garden

summer•shorts no:15

What a composition of colours, a symphony and green burgundy and purple! This is our 'Rondo' grapvine heavy with fruit.


Shhhh! hum the tune quietly - don't tell the hens.

Sister act

summer•shorts no:14

I think you'll agree that this year's Three Sisters bed is quite magnificent. Sister-Corn is the star of the show, just look as those cobs becoming plump on the sturdy stalks with those tufts of male flowers on the top. They dance like warriors in the breeze.

Sister-Bean is playing a quiet supporting role this year, she's there if you look carefully but doesn't steal the limelight. But by late October I'm sure there will be a good harvest of beans for comforting casseroles and soups.

And lastly Sister-Squash, she holds the whole show together – her stout limbs run around and around holding the giant green leaves aloft. She sends up tall stalks with exotic frilly yellow flowers that the bees and hoverflies love and tucked below her fruit are forming, drinking up the rain-water and getting bigger and bigger every day the sun shines.

You grow girls!