Good morning everyone. I painted this watercolour sketch of the autumn harvest a week ago in Wortley Hall walled garden. Actually, it’s one of our new favourite things to do – walk round and inspect all the crops! Also, we chat to the volunteer gardeners given half a chance. And ask about planting, pest deterrent and so on, only fascinating to fellow mad gardeners!
Anyway, the pumpkins were a triumph, and the earth around them was quite bare. Because all the luxuriant growth of their stems and leaves were withered away, having given their strength to the fruit. And you can see the drying green runner beans on their bamboo supports in the background. Perhaps the red bush beside them is amaranthus – I’m not quite sure. But the nasturtiums right up front, left side are in their prime. Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to get mine to flourish for a few years. When they do, we eat the peppery leaves in salads and make a pickle from the seed pods, like capers. Quite a good autumn harvest, I think.
Our Autumn Harvest, this time Last Year
Perhaps you may remember this quick pencil sketch I did last year, showing some of our pumpkins ripening on the soil. Incidentally, this year’s harvest was even better . And we’ve already started enjoying my favourite, pumpkin soup. On a different note, have a look at this post here for glorious autumn colour in the leaves of trees. In effect, quite a beautiful time of year here in the north of England.
I love this. The bright colors of the pumpkins bring it to life.
Thank you, J. They were spectacular – huge and very vivid orange.
Your pumpkins certainly look ripe for the picking.
Thank you, Vivienne. I suspect that all the other pumpkins in the patch had been picked already. And these ones had been left to grow on, and, perhaps, to delight visitors!
Your food from plants descriptions is almost as yummy as your top color image, Margaret! ❤️
Thank you, Felipe. The soup is delicious and the rest of our harvest of pumpkins is waiting in the cellar to be roasted and ‘souped’ in winter!
We’re finally getting enough not-hot weather to start thinking about soups and squashes; ya’ll’s sound “very” yummy! 😊