Late Summer turning into Autumn
Oh, Summer. Sometimes I do dream of Summer holidays by the sea, on a tiny greek island, away from the crowds, warm and gentle winds, not doing much just reading, while it’s too hot to do anything else, then walking to a local restaurant for dinner, then walking back in the evening, listening to the sound of the cicadas and that of the crushing waves. And so on. Well, to be honest, I was very close to something like this on a shoot in May, not in Greece, not that close to the see but on an island. I really shouldn’t complain as my Summer included many exciting travels but I was never travelling light and I’m getting a bit tired as the Autumn slowly arrives.
After a very long week earlier in August, I managed to spend a whole weekend at home. I wasn’t particularly exhausted, more like excited about the time I could spend in my own garden. Around that time, we were given so much beautiful produce, the bounty of the gardens at the end of Summer is especially rich this year. We got plums from Anna, tomatoes from Emma, courgettes from Carrie, aubergines from Amanda, all from friends or gardens I visited for a photoshoot. These beautiful vegetables and fruits inspired me to pick up the camera and find all the colours that might go with them. That weekend, I also went to my very local (and best) flower farm, Green and Gorgeous and picked some dahlias. Then I picked some more at home too and started to play.
The light in my shed is still my favourite.
These grapes came from Worton Kitchen Garden near Oxford. They were so so so so sooooo delicious! The crab apples are slowly turning orange. I absolutely love their colour when they are ripe. The tree is laiden with fruit this year.
Aubergine. And veronica Bampton. One of my favourite self-seeders. It just goes everywhere in the garden and I really don’t mind it,
These plums were also so so delicious. Dahlias, some from Green and Gorgeous and some from my own garden.
Tomatoes in a bowl I made years ago when I was taking pottery lessons from the lovely Joanna Oliver, our amazing local potter. Orach. Orach also grows here like crazy, I have to be very careful with it.
Every year, I’m longing for Autumn. Not this year. I mean not the same way as before. I take each day, thank you, as it comes, had a really good Summer, apart from the heat and the brightness, too much light is not good for me, it was a generous Summer but I’m happiest this time of the year, September, so gentle, that soft light, all blemishes are accepted, I love all the “rotten” colours, all the oranges and browns, not as blousy as Spring, I prefer the crab apple tree when it’s full of fruits to when it’s full of blossom although that was a very pretty sight too, not long now until that comes back again, it’s time to think Spring bulbs, I’m getting lots of narcissi and no tulips this year. Happy September!
