Fall is in the air....

The season is changing...from summer to Fall.
We can feel it in the air...and in the garden.
The limelight hydrangeas are turning from lime to pink which they do every year at this time.

The colchiums are blooming

Mr. HB and I have been busy in The Humble Bungalow Garden.
The grass in our backyard had never been very good and after trying for over 30 years to make it look decent we decided that we would splurge and have it professionally redone. The company we hired came in and dug out all the old grass and weeds and levelled out the area, top dressed it with soil and laid down some lush green sod.
Our job now is to keep it watered until the roots are established and then maintain it.

The area marked off with string is where our greenhouse is going to be located.

We are eager to grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and a variety of vegetables.

Two raised beds were moved from this location

nearer to the asparagus bed.

I made an easy dinner ~ a hearty beef and vegetable stew.

This recipe is based on one of Mr. HB's Mother's recipes.

She called it "Little Stew."

Saute onions, diced carrots, green peppers in oil until soft.

Use any vegetables that you have on hand.

Add in ground beef and beef stock.

Season with salt, pepper, and a few dashes of worchestershire sauce.

Add in some chopped potatoes...I used yams and russets.

Simmer for at least an hour.

About 15 minutes before serving add in frozen green peas.

This is especially nice served with a soft loaf of bread.

Comfort food.

Sunday morning we had a lazy start to our day.

I savoured a bowl of coffee with foamed milk and leisurely browsed the pages of Country Living UK.

Chester kept me company...

he found a sunny spot

and promptly fell asleep.

He has taken to sleeping on "my" Morris chair so I sit in Mr. HB's chair while Mr. HB opts for the linen sofa in the family room.

We cut back some of the roses...

Jude the Obscure is quite vast and is very shapely so we left it alone.

Some of the roses were far too large and some needed deadheading.

It's almost time to put the garden to bed for the winter.

We planted broccoli, brussell sprouts, garlic chives and parsley in our raised bed.

Lots of time spent in the garden this weekend.

We didn't get much else done.

I couldn't resist bringing in a few rose hips inside as they are really quite pretty in their own right.

"Every season hath its pleasures:

Spring may boast her flowery prime,

Yet the vineyard's ruby treasures

Brighten Autumn's soberer time.

So life's year begins and closes;

Days, though shortening, still can shine;

What, though youth gave loves and roses,

Age still leaves us friends and wine."

~ Thomas Moore ~

(1779–1852)

"Spring and Autumn"