An abundant autumn

It is autumn and the heat of summer has extended its stay. Autumn in the Towerwater garden is sweet and fragrant.

With the abundant pears, figs, quinces, plums and hanepoot (Muscat d’alexandrie) grapes, it is as if the sweetest fruit is now filling the bowls on the kitchen table.

It is a good season and it looks as though we are winning the fight against the fruit fly infestation. Only time and the bait stations will tell.

The colours seem like subdued sunshine with yellows, golds and green in the skins of the fruit. It is as if the trees and vines have captured the summer sun in the intense sweetness of their fruit.

In the absence of blossoms, the bees have invaded the butterfly flower bed I planted for them at the bottom of the vegetable garden.

Walking through the quiet garden, I was taken by surprise when I stepped around the cottage corner and found the whole bed alive with bees. My first instinct was to capture the intensity of their activity with my camera. I soon realised that only a video with sound would really capture the ‘buzz’ in this bed.

I decided to simply marvel at their unceasing collecting of nectar and pollen. Closing my eyes gave me the opportunity to listen and feel the vibration of possibly a thousand tiny bee wings.

The flower garden seems to be in shades of pink with the Crinum Moorei, butterfly flowers and the pink hydrangeas slowly turning to their green autumn shades.

Like us, the bees seem to find pleasure in the abundance of Towerwater’s autumn garden.