Sunshine and shade

I'm glad Autumn has arrived because I've been carrying garden guilt for most of the Summer. Guilt stemming from not spending much time taking care of it and watching everything steadily growing out of control! It's not all bad though; the creepy crawlies have probably enjoyed a few undisturbed months and we finally achieved the established garden look we were going for. I say that but overgrown would be more accurate :)

In previous years I've spent quite a bit of time gardening at the front and plenty of people would stop for a quick chat — some I knew, some I didn't. There is a particular lady who caught the same bus as me occasionally but we've not seen each other much this Summer. I bumped into her last week and she asked me if we'd moved. She assumed we had because she hadn't seen me in the front garden and "normally it is trimmed so neatly". Haha! Oh dear, that's saying something.

Now Autumn has arrived, the front garden is clinging to the last of the Summer colour. In the back, it's a different story. Most plants have surrendered and now live in total shade. We won't see a drop of sun until next June. Sounds like a sad state of affairs but I'm a sucker for a seed pod so I welcome the change. I will miss an abundance of fresh herbs though!

^ The trowel has spent months in this position.