Autumn is definitely here. You can smell it in the sharpness of the late afternoon air.
Nothing compares to October afternoons when the sun starts to dip, shedding a radiant golden light across the garden.
The shadows lengthen
and the earthy browns turn to bronze and gold.
In the garden shop the colours of the gourds and tomatoes take on a luminous light
and outside on the tables the pinks, golds and purples of the floral china appear in startling clarity.
After a wander around the garden I return inside. I have the best of both worlds; the sunshine streaming on to the slate floor at my feet and the wood burning stove warming my back.
Plus time for tea and chat.
Perfect.
I am on my way to Pythouse walled garden and decide to call in at Sprout & Flower to see my friend Sarah and to buy some pumpkins.
Sarah - who I have always secretly thought was a white witch - has her broom parked outside the shop in between the pumpkins and the crate of heather.
She tells me business is good. And whilst I am there the shop is buzzing with customers looking for fruit and veg and fresh bread.
At Pythouse garden they are busy getting ready for a Halloween party.
Most of the pumpkins have now been decorated or Matt the chef has got his hands on them for a big batch of pumpkin soup.
There may not be many pumpkins left to buy but there are splashes of autumnal orange all around the garden.
And in the potting shed there are loops of Halloween streamers,
and ghoulish ghostly faces.
Perhaps my favourite though are the Halloween cup-cakes.
Not to be outdone we head home with our pumpkins,
although I have to admit I think 8 year old Elena, who is staying with us, makes a better job of it than I could have done!
