I am not late; I am just making an entrance: Six on Saturday

Here it is. This week’s six. (See how cleverly I have sidestepped the whole Saturday/Sunday issue?).

Since we last spoke, the garden has gone further to autumn.

Here are the marigolds that were just a promise last week. They have really come into their own now. And do not the stripey one- that’s a first this year, it is!

The beans too, have ripened. This is not the peak of the harvest time, but the trickle has begun. Pretty , aren’t they? This is a local variety called ‘chitra’- it means ‘picture’ and is probably called that for it’s markings.

The agapanthus is done flowering and just the seedheads remain. These will be dried and hung from the ceiling this winter.

We are still hanging on to the last of summer though. This is not strictly within the garden, but Madhu and I walked down to the stream at the bottom of  the hill. She had a swim, I paddled.

Another person who still believes in summer is Chaunch-e-Cheel (Beaked-like-hawk). She was named for her sadly deformed beak; Mian and I had despaired of her ever being able to feed herself. But she’s survived and become a very good mother. Here she is, sitting on 4 as-yet unhatched eggs and two chicks.

Finally, a view down the path to the house in its late-summer glory. The weigela and foxgloves are over, the chrysanthemums are still to flower. The marigolds and salvia  are very much here.

 Do also go on to The Propagator’s blog. He is hosting this weekly get together – lots of lovely gardens up there!

The end of summer: six on saturday

I have enjoyed reading The Propagator's 'Six on Saturday' series for a while now (Actually I enjoy his whole blog..but this is about the series). In his words, it is "Six things, in the garden, on a Saturday.  Could be anything.  A job completed, a project, a pest, an interesting plant, a boring plant, anything at all!"
Why not, I thought..might just refresh this blog of mine.
Here are my six.
1. The mornings. Autumn is just coming in. And at no time is this more evident than at that magic moment when the sun just peeks over the hill. The mist is still there, backlit by the sun, and for a few minutes the whole world is made of copper and pearls.

2. Fragrance. The honeysuckle is putting out its second flush of blooms. And in the mornings as I potter around with my coffee, every now and then I catch that lovely, lovely,scent. And then I miss my Mian.

3. Birds. Marauders. Actually, they are the latter only when they attack my persimmons. The amaranth, buckwheat, sunflowers and bajra are grown for them. And to be honest, for my pleasure when I watch them snack on the seeds.I wish they would leave my persimmons alone though.

4. Sex. At least I think that's what was going on with these two butterflies. They were flying around each other all around the garden before finally resting on a leaf. Lovely to watch, but if they've laid eggs on my beans, I shall be very cross indeed.

 5. Food. This has been a good year for beans. We have planted two types, a white bean a friend had given me many years ago, and some 'chitra' beans. All fruiting nicely, so I think we will have enough beans for the next year. Despite my habit of snacking on the tender beans as I walk past.

6.Glow. I planted out lots of orangey-yellow flowers for this fall. The chrysanthemums are yet to come  in, and quite a few of the marigolds too. But the sunflowers are quite enough.