There’s something special about autumn in the countryside. The mornings are cool and crisp, the hedgerows glow with berries, and the fields take on golden tones as the last harvests are gathered in. It’s a season of slowing down, preparing for the colder months, and enjoying the simple pleasures of home and garden.
Baking the Season In
Autumn is the perfect excuse to retreat to the kitchen and fill it with the warmth of baking. With orchards heavy with apples and pears, fruit crumbles and pies become staples of the season. Pumpkin bread, spiced biscuits, and loaves enriched with nuts and dried fruits make their way into the oven, their aromas filling the whole house. Baking becomes more than just food—it’s a way of creating comfort, celebrating the harvest, and sharing goodness with family and neighbours.
Gardening in Autumn
While summer’s blooms are fading, autumn brings its own beauty to the garden. Chrysanthemums, asters, and dahlias provide splashes of colour, while leaves carpet the ground in copper, russet, and gold. It’s also the season for tidying: gathering fallen leaves for compost, cutting back spent plants, and preparing soil for the year ahead. Many gardeners find autumn a peaceful time, a chance to reflect on what grew well and what to try differently next spring.
Planting Autumn Vegetables
The garden doesn’t rest just yet—autumn is an ideal time for planting hardy crops. Garlic cloves go into the ground now, promising plump bulbs come summer. Broad beans, onions, and winter-hardy lettuces can also be sown to give a head start for the following year. For those with greenhouses or sheltered spaces, spinach, rocket, and radishes thrive even as temperatures dip. These plantings keep the rhythm of the countryside alive, ensuring that the garden continues to nourish well into the colder months.
The Countryside Rhythm
In the countryside, autumn is a season of balance. Days are shorter, nights cooler, but life is full—between baking in the kitchen, tending to the garden, and planting for the year ahead. It’s a season that reminds us to enjoy both the fruits of the harvest and the quiet satisfaction of preparation.
All the best - Jess x