The Autumn Garden
@ Hoptroff & Lee
Welcome to Autumn, when the last of the sun's rays brighten the tops of the trees and there's a burst of colour in the fields and parks.
Birds are flying South, animals and insects are building their nests for the coming Winter months. We can all take inspiration from this wonderful season to decorate our homes and gardens. This year, create a feature within your garden that will cheer & nurture you during the Autumn months and brighten dreary days ahead....all with the help of some well-chosen vintage items!
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When planting and harvesting in the garden, there are some lovely old planters around for your autumn tasks! Some age-worn terracotta pots are a big favourite, retaining a bright orange glow among the foliage.
Old buckets, bowls, & crates make a great display and are ideal containers for autumn bulbs. Vintage trugs, wire & wicker baskets are a delightful way to collect fallen fruit & the last tomatoes, and to display dried grasses
and flowers.
Group baskets and pots in the garden on seats and patio tables with your gnomes and stone squirrels for the best end-of-year display in the street!
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Come & see what we have in store!
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Wildlife in the Garden...
how much do you know?
Encouraging and protecting wildlife in your own garden is important all year round. But in Autumn we are heading for times when it is hard for wildlife to find sustenance. We want to ensure that there are places for the birds to come when it's cold, and provide areas for insects to hibernate.
Vintage nature books are a great place to learn about the habits of some of our more common garden inhabitants and what we can do to help them in winter. These books always have such nice illustrations helping you to identify creatures, and some are very informative. Observer books are particularly lovely, & Ladybird titles have some unsurpassed illustrations.
See selected titles in store now.
Our feathered friends need food and water all year round
Insects
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Insect stations are a great idea to set out in Autumn. You don't need to spend money on expensive pre-made huts, you can have a go at constructing your own with vintage materials. In a small space you can use a wooden box or crate, or something like an old birdhouse with a firm backing. Place in it several types of natural materials like hollow stems of the dried flowers from your garden: twigs, fir cones, hay, even paper straws. Insects will snuggle into the tiniest places to keep out the cold. Leaf cutter bees will find their way into enclosed areas to ... If it is a mild Autumn with insects still out and about, place your box securely between plants in sheltered areas to show our creepy crawly friends where to hibernate.
In a larger garden a bug hotel can be constructed using a piece of flat-backed furniture such as an old bookcase or cupboard.
More about water
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Water butts and dolly tubs are a great way to collect water during the winter and provide a higher drinking station for wood pigeons and crows. However, do ensure that hedgehogs cannot fall into deep open buckets and tubs placed close to the ground, or beneath low walls.
Loose lids are a hazard to a curious creature like a cat!
Vintage tubs and tanks also make great planters for your Spring bulbs and Autumn cyclamen.
Nature-Loving Rules
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Lastly, please be kind to all things in your garden. Some people don't like spiders, others rats, and the neighbour's cat is a no-no near your birdbath. Go easy on every living creature, they are there for a purpose and they cannot help their natural habits! Humane rat traps are available as are sonic sounds to ward-off cats, but you'll probably never avoid a flock of starlings! They are all inquisitive and they all need to eat.
Autumn Treats
When you've finished all that hard work in the garden take time to enjoy a warming drink or two, al fresco. Utilise an old patio table and some vintage crockery & glasses, a tablecloth etc according to the weather.
Cocktails and hot drinks for the Autumn season need to be colourful, warming, spicy and sparkling, with a surprising refreshing taste and perhaps a little kick! There are endless drinks ingredients and recipes to get you in the mood, but here are a few ideas.. and they're
all tried and tested!
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Read on......
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For true autumn colour the ingredients of choice are the jewel-coloured liqueurs like watermelon, orange, pomegranate, & cherry. These can be mixed with iced tea, cider or vodka in amounts to your taste. For a non-alcoholic alternative try apple juices, and syrups like grenadine and agave. Pumpkin flesh can be added to a margarita cocktail for colour and texture if properly strained beforehand. Top it off with a dollop of fresh cream! Sparkling ginger beer is delicious on its own but it also mixes well with gin, apple juice and cider. Add lots of sliced apple, orange and lemon to garnish.
Colour & Kick!
Warmth & Spice!
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A hot coffee can be made even more comforting with the addition of a syrup like pumpkin spice, caramel or gingerbread. Another favourite addition to coffee is an Irish cream liqueur in mint or orange flavours, or a good quality brandy might be your favourite. Mulled wine and spiced cider are traditional warming drinks. Add sloe gin to them for a little extra lift! There are lots of proprietary brands of hot chocolate these days and they are particularly delicious spiked with rum and spices, or that famous Irish cream liqueur again!
Add cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla pods to your drinks & enjoy the pungent flavours.
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Herbal teas are becoming popular making a warming and colourful addition to the rinks table! Try rosehip or cranberry, orange spice, and the much-loved lemon and ginger. A good reviver is fresh mint tea, or for sleepy evenings there's lavender
and camomile!
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Cups: don't forget to present your hot drinks in long, clear glasses or suitably-coloured cups and mugs for the season: gold, copper, reds, yellows and chocolate browns! It all adds to the warmth! Vintage teapots are great fun so look out for the novelty ones like little owls or cats, or a good old simple Brown Betty with knitted cosy!
HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING AUTUMN!
Pop in to see us Thurs to Sat 10am to 4pm! We're really on-season!
