The music of falling leaves

And suddenly it is autumn. Dusk welcomes us home to Towerwater on our returns from Cape Town. Gone are the long leisurely evenings washed with daylight that stretched into the late hours.

The sprinkling of oak leaves on the lawn is a clear sign. Nature is striking the first chords of autumn.

Garlic plants

My four different types of garlic plants, Susan Delafield, Rose de Lautrec, Tuscan and Egyptian White, are already standing more than 100mm high. This year, I decided to order the garlic earlier from the Gauteng-based supplier, ensuring that I have a variety of old favourites and some new ones.

Mixed beetroot seedlings

Normally, I wait until April before planting the garlic. But, by April all the best varieties have been sold to the gardeners up North. Their garlic planting season starts earlier than ours in the Cape.

Mixed carrot seedlings 

That is why my garlic bed is now reminiscent of two sophisticated ladies traveling Italy and Egypt.

Fruit and vegetables prepared for juicing

The new beetroot and carrot bed is showing the promise of a healthy crop, with the plants coming up strongly. I have planted Black Nebula carrots along with a mix of purple, white, yellow and orange. To be honest, I prefer the straightforward orange carrot. But the other colours are such fun to have on a plate. It allows me to colour-play with my vegetables.

Beetroot and apple juice

The beetroot I planted is also a mix of white, yellow and purple, just for the fun of it. Last season’s bed of carrots and beetroot are still going strong. But at this advanced stage of their season, I prefer to use them in soups or juice them.

Carrot and apple juice

The garden is still producing healthy pickings of fruit that we either eat fresh, or use with the vegetables to make fresh juice blends.

The pace of the garden is slowing down. A new rhythm is tangible at Towerwater. Sitting under the oak tree, drinking a fragrant cup of Earl Grey tea, one can listen to the music of falling leaves.