Autumn

I have just been cutting up fallen apples...a job intended for last Thursday when I brought them home from the Big Garden. They have been sitting in a bucket on the bench, rotting, since then. Gross. But I did at least still get to use some of them, despite the belated attention.

As I cut apples, I realised that I like autumn. Now this is a bit of a revelation because I have always preferred spring. Cute little lambs, daffodils, a hint of warmth creeping into the sun air (can you tell I feel the cold?!). Spring has always been my favourite season. But today I realise that I like autumn. I like how the air is getting cooler at night, and it is so nice to go walking during the day without expiring from heat exposure. The air is cool, but the sun is still oh, so nice and warm. Mostly though, I think my new-found love of autumn is to do with food. You see, in spring the garden is barely getting started. I have punnets upon punnets on our warm window sill, with tomatoes and capsicums poking their heads through the soil. But out in the garden, there's hardly anything to eat. Food takes time. That's one thing I'm learning. While I am ready to eat tomatoes in September, in reality they take until January to be ready (unless you're using a heated glasshouse). Our capsicums have only really come into their own at the end of March! There's also hardly any fruit around in spring. A few oranges and mandarins left over from autumn. You're still waiting for the first spring strawberries. Autumn, on the other hand, is a season of abundance! This is why I love autumn. There is fruit galore. Vegetables are still fairly plentiful too. Our climbing bean plant has just finished its summer-long production marathon and will be pulled out this week. There are heaps of pumpkins for soup and still greens for salads. We are eating the very last of the grapes and raspberries. The apples might last a couple more weeks, but the feijoas are only just starting. I can so understand why in times gone by late summer and early autumn would be spent canning, bottling and storing the summer's bounty in the cellar! It is a great time of year!

Amy

Tuesday, 12th April, 2011