Back to the Allotment: Early Autumn Surprises

dorsetcountrylife
12 hours ago
2 min read

ripening cherry tomato's picked in early autumn. — The allotment is always full of surprises after a week away. Cherry tomato's are beautifully sweet!

There’s something wonderfully grounding about returning to the allotment after being away for a week. A lot can happen in seven days—especially at this time of year, when the seasons are gently shifting and the garden seems to be in that beautiful in-between stage.

The first thing that greets me is the smell—a mix of damp soil, fading summer warmth, and that unmistakable scent of green things still growing. I half-expect to find everything winding down for the season, but the allotment always finds a way to surprise me.

In the greenhouse, the tomato plants are still hanging on. Their leaves are a little tired now, curling at the edges, but clusters of fruit continue to blush red and gold. I picked quiet a few—warm to the touch, sweet as ever—and can’t help but marvel at their resilience. Early autumn light might be softer, but it clearly hasn’t dimmed their spirit.

Outside, the dahlias are putting on a show as if they’ve been saving their best for my return. Stunning pompons, semi cactus and water lily shapes in deep pinks and purples, and creamy pastels—each bloom seems to demand attention. I gather an armful for the house, leaving more than enough for the bees who are still busy making the most of mild days.

And then there are the salad leaves. Tender new growth, fresh and vibrant, waiting to be picked. It’s such a small joy—one that only gardeners truly understand—to come back and find food waiting for you, as if the allotment itself has been quietly tending to things in your absence.

It’s a reminder that even when life pulls us away, nature carries on at its own steady pace. The allotment doesn’t mind a week’s neglect—it just keeps growing, ripening, and unfolding in its own rhythm.

Much can change in a week, indeed. And sometimes, those small changes—ripe tomatoes, blooming dahlias, crisp salad leaves—are enough to make you fall in love with your little patch of earth all over again.