Have we reached the turning point?

September is in many ways a turning point in the year.

As Martyn wrote in his weather diary blog in meteorological circles it marks the start of autumn. The blueberry bushes seem to agree as the leaves are turning a vivid red although we are still picking a smattering of berries.

The gooseberry bushes too are preparing for a well earned rest.

And its not only the leaves that are turning - we picked our first red pepper - Jimmy Nardello. It looks like a dreaded chilli pepper but isn't!

This year we have grown this variety and an upright carroty sort of shaped one called Tequila Sunrise which should ripen to an orange yellow. So far these seem to be giving better results than the bell peppers grown in previous years - or maybe we have just looked after them better!

We have picked our first apples which we think are Discovery. The apples have a lovely pink tinge to the flesh. They were on the plot when we took it over buried under grass, brambles and goodness knows what else which is why we can only guess at the variety.

The Conference pear in the garden has started to shed its fruit - the ones above are windfalls. The bruised fruit is being stewed. The fruit on our new pear trees will need to be picked and allowed to ripen off the trees.

Onions are now all lifted and drying off in the plot greenhouse - no point leaving them outside just in case the rain undoes all the good work.

And just look what I found in the garden flowering away under some rogersias - there are also some of these hardy cyclamen pretending to be snowdrops - they are growing just where the snowdrops will be in spring. We started with only a couple of corms - one pink and one white and now not only have mini cyclamen popping up all over the garden but some have also managed to make it to the plot. Somenow have corms the size of dinner plates.

To read my full diary entry for last week click here

Martyns has also posted a summary for last month's weather here