Autumn

I love Autumn.
In Australia we don't do autumn like the northern hemisphere.
Autumn leaves are not the norm, although some villages and gardeners do go for autumnal colours.  But here, where I live in the lower mountains green is the norm.

We have had a very wet autumn this year. 

Some of the downpours have been quite astounding.

The garden is damp and little and not-so-little fungi are popping up everywhere.

Most of my herbs in the herb garden are doing very well thank you very much, especially the thyme which is creating a cascading silver-green carpet in the rockery.

Autumn, is of  course, harvest time.

So our community Crop and Swap celebrated the end of Season Three on Saturday with a community lunch after the final meet for this season.

After each swap I go home feeling very blessed because I'm sure I always go home with more produce than what I bring.

Herbs don't swap very well...only because everyone seems to be quite successful at growing herbs of one sort or the other so I've had to diverge a little think about what else I can take to the swap that will be of use to others.

This month to the swap I took:

6 jars of homemade organic full cream yogurt

Many bars of handmade soap (two types)

Lemongrass

Thyme

Chilies

5 or 6 Handmade paper garlands

Decorated note book

A posy

A jar of die cut paper butterflies.

I took home

½ a pumpkin

4 potatoes

14 persimmons

11 eggs

A bag of Jerusalem artichokes

3 choko

A bag of tamarillos

A bag of cherry tomatoes

Coconut and cherry slice

2 gluten free blueberry love bombs (aka muffins)(they were to die for by the way).

1 strawberry guava tree

2 punnets of snowpea seedlings

2 cobs of corn

Lemon verbena 

2 limes

6 lemons

1 kids’ cooking book

1 gardening book

A pot of jam 

A bouquet of flowers... 

and a raspberry bush.

Phew!

Here are some photos I took of the most amazing roses that Paula brought to the March Crop and Swap and which I was the lucky person to take them home.

 

 

 

Our little village, each autumn celebrates the founding of the town of Springwood with a festival.

I think the best part of the festival is the midday parade.

Military Pipe Bands have such a profound affect on me I have been known to cry whilst watching a parade.

 

The drummers from Hands Heart Feet had people dancing in the street!

And the rain held off just long enough for everyone have a wonderful day!