Wet weather in recent days has slowed work down in the Genus garden, but in between the torrential downpours and scudding showers we have managed to make some progress. During the heaviest spells of rain we stayed dry by taking shelter in the greenhouses, tidying up the pots and sweeping the floors of a summer’s-worth of debris - each leaf and seed packet a stark memory transporting us back to those long arid days so far removed from this November’s offering.
Tomato plants with their desiccated limbs and shrivelled fruits were consigned to the compost heap along with their roots and the contents of the pots. Some polythene sheeting and sheets of horticultural mesh were folded and packed away in a large builder's bag, and canes stacked and sorted.
We like to feed the birds at this time of year, offering a menu of fat-balls, sunflower hearts, and peanuts, each species having a favourite and some grateful for the discarded scraps that fall to the ground. For the first time squirrels have discovered our offerings and are now frequent visitors to the feeding station, amusing us with their antics and surprising us with their increasing bravery as we press our inquisitive faces against the kitchen windows. An extra sack of peanuts is already added to our next order!
