After more than ten weeks of glorious sunshine and intense heat, the rains from the remnants of Storm Erin have returned with biblical force to mark the end of the summer. No complaints – the ground and the trees badly need the soaking. You can already feel the distinct autumnal chill in the morning air and the days are rapidly getting shorter. It will be the autumnal equinox in just three weeks. The visitors have gone, and the beach has now returned to its calm and peaceful state.  

Time to reflect on a few garden favourites as they begin to fade and dieback, and the big clear out begins. My choice is the new bourgy with its concentrated deep fuchsia pink colour. It’s as good as anything I’ve seen across southern Spain and Greece. The deep carmine climbing rose runs a close second and it’s been flowering all summer despite the conditions. And then there’s the vibrant Caribbean cannas which have been on constant show along with the ubiquitous and very English hydrangeas, trailing geraniums and nasturtiums. This is the look of a fine summer.

We’ve been working on the veggies in the new terraces. Best have been my beloved beetroot, along with lots of cucumbers and courgettes, spuds and tomatoes, and lettuce and carrots. The garlic has been harvested and tied into a French-style rope hanging by the front door. That will keep us going through the winter. And a squash has survived the drought and it looks promising for the harvest festival.  

With all this fun in the garden, there has been slow progress on the new Book this month. But June Schneider, the artist, is getting ready to work up the cover design and I aim to have the first part of the manuscript (20k words) ready for the test readers by mid-autumn.

Come back next time to find out what’s happening as we transition into October and return to wintertime. With the long dark nights, this is the best time for writers like me so I’m optimistic that I might have a book ready for late next spring.