You know winter is approaching when pallets of toboggans start arriving and the tomato plants look decidedly queasy.  How did such weedy plants ever produce so many fruit?  But some plants clearly love this time of year.  The leeks and cabbages are thriving and even the Jerusalem artichokes seem to be unperturbed by the first frost.  Time to get into soup making mode.

I am a big fan of the BBC’s Springwatch and Autumnwatch programmes.  I like being reminded of how much fantastic nature there is on our doorstep and I invariably feel the desire to go an a local safari immediately afterwards.  I was surprised though that in last night’s programme we were being encouraged to watch out for the wonderful aeronautical displays of starlings, when this doesn’t usually begin until the end of October.  Or is climate change bringing it earlier?
I was also surprised to taste the pink celery that I have been nurturing since germination in February.  Its tastes vile.  Does it need cooking or leaving in the ground for longer?