Autumn ....

[TheOstrich]

The rain relented early morning so I took the opportunity to get raking and fill three garden bags with fallen oak leaves (giving up when my back started creaking!). That's only scraped the surface, so to speak, many more to go across the lawn, and still plenty of leaves on the trees to come down. What we really need is a good storm - we've found in the past that a wind-storm tends to create eddies which nicely pile the oak leaves up against the patio window and that makes them much easier for collection.

Raking the lawn uncovered much evidence of nut-burying by the resident brood of squirrels, who have been actively "at it" 24/7 of late, one even perching on a pot right outside said patio window and replacing the carefully-nurtured winter pansies with acorns while we watched it.

How is your garden looking?

[Paddypix]

My garden is looking like a wildlife sanctuary. Heaven only knows what's lurking out there. Since Mr PP had the stroke the garden has gone to hell in a handcart and we have a man coming next week to dig it all out and replace the borders with stones. I tried for a while to keep on top of the weeds but I gave up months ago.

[Kaz]

Mine's looking a wee bit ropey Ossie I've had all good intentions all week long, of sorting out my pots, but in my defence every time I've had the chance to do so it has rained, in stair rods! Apparently we have a dry weekend forecast, so that's my job for Sunday afternoon whilst it's quiet Mick will be out taking H home, the dogs will be with him, and I think B is working - so no excuses I also have a fair few leaves, mainly from our Robinias, and that's a painstaking task as they lodge between the gravel at the front of the house and the chippings in the back garden, so have to be picked up by hand one at a time

The lawn actually looks great, it's the greenest it has been since we moved in here! I think it must have been optimum lawn growing weather this year or something

Paddy that sounds like a great idea, making the garden as low-maintenance as possible. My MiL has a beautiful large garden, but recently has had to get a man in to do the harder jobs. It looks amazing but is very labour intensive, she's almost always out in her garden during the summer, when I pop round!

[Gal]

I haven't cleared any leaves so far....I've been after a leaf sucker-upper, looks like a big hoover Other than that, the garden isn't doing TOO bad.... one or two things could perhaps do with cutting back/pruning, but most of it's ok

[tonicha]

In the front garden,. my lemon tree was shedding leaves like nobodies business Now, it's in bud, with lots of new leaves.

The plumbago is a riot of very pale blue flowers, the bush that we think is a variation of honeysuckle is gorgeous, looks like the sun, when I come downstairs and look through the frosted glass. the red oleander is just starting to flower again, but the frangipani is now just leaves and the aloe veras are the same.

in the rose bowl in the front garden, whatever it's called plant is beginning to flower (purpley)

I love the snowball we have in the back garden, as it just gets covered in teeny white flowers.

And the bees are loving the flowers out

And the orange tree in the back garden has so many buds on it - so why do we end up with just a couple or oranges???

[Workingman]

I do not have a garden, we all share the green at the back. It is flanked by a mixed copse of common deciduous trees and so far few leaves have dropped.

We need a good few windy days to start things off.

[Ally]

Autumn was always, always my favourite season in the UK.

One of the very few things I miss living here is the 'change' from Summer to Autumn.

No conkers, no rusty/reddy/orangey leaves on the trees and definitely no crunching of said leaves underfoot.

Absolutely not complaining because we have such lovely temps.....but still.

[TheOstrich]

It's been quite a prolonged autumn this year, Ally, it seemed to start very early on in September in our neck of the woods. The trees have retained their leaves for a long time and the colours have been quite spectacular ....

We have a bowl of conkers on our windowsill, collected over the years, and the 2015 additions were picked up in Leighton Buzzard, by the canal, and a second batch from near Spaghetti Junction!!

[tonicha]

no crunching of said leaves underfoot.

I love that too - but we do have some scrunchy leaves, but just not at this time of year..

[Diflower]

Ours is a scruffy mess
It wouldn't take much but needs Bb here when the weather's good enough and he feels like doing it, and I feel like directing