Monday, October 22, 2018

Autumn Traditions

One of the things I missed so much about the north when we were living in Devon was the very marked changes and differences in the seasons and rhythms of nature. I suppose it's what you get used to and when there's a change it just does not feel right.

For instance, bluebells bloom in May, that's bluebell month in the north. Down south it happens a good 4 to 6 weeks earlier because the temperatures are so much more temperate. That just felt so wrong to me.

Up north autumn is not only a riot of colour but the season also ushers in the first frosts much earlier than in the south. In fact, I can remember the number of frosts we had in the south - not many - whilst in the north, frosts are expected throughout the course of autumn and winter. In my seasonally attuned mind, that is part of the joy of autumn and winter. I love the beauty of a good old hard frost. 



We live just outside Chester and the countryside here is just beautiful. Everywhere is a riot of autumn colour. I simply love it here. What I hadn't realised is how close we are to North Wales. Chester borders Wales so it's exciting to know that we can easily explore this beautiful part of the UK over the coming months.

Today my daughters and I took a drive to the most lovely farm shop in North Wales, only a 15-minute drive from home. We had a coffee in their little coffee shop and then took a walk around the apple orchard and pumpkin field. We try to visit a pumpkin field each autumn. It's a little tradition left over from our homeschooling days that we started about 4 years ago.


I was very pleased to see that not only were was there a lovely pumpkin patch but rows upon rows of apple trees of all kinds.


We had obviously missed the best apple picking times as the branches were pretty bare...lots of windfalls. I will make a note in next years planner to come out in September and pick lots of apples.


At the entrance to the farm shop, there were crates of lovely farm produce. I was slightly disappointed with the high prices though. It's not like there are road miles or storage prices that need to be covered. I had ideas of stocking up on farm-fresh produce but decided against it after looking at what they were charging still, the displays were pretty.


One thing this trip did do was inspire me for next years veggie patch. I have oodles of space now so I will grow our own pumpkins and plenty of fresh vegetables. Home-grown is best anyway and the satisfaction in picking your own home-grown food is wonderful.


I hope that your week is off to as delightful a start as ours is. Remember to embrace the season as it is fleeting. Enjoy the small things and keep looking for beauty in the ordinary small things 😉

1 comment:

  1. A lovely tradition to visit a pumpkin patch. Such a shame about the prices, although you can taste the difference when it is locally sourced straight from the field.
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