Is AUTUMN arriving early this year?

[naturediva]

I know from the date on the calendar that we are in mid-summer (just had to check that after last few 'glorious' days! ha ha so much rain I nearly bought a sou'wester)
So, just wondered whether some of you have noticed anything that suggests Autumn is on its way early this year?

About a fortnight ago a looked at the trees as I drove down the road through a leafy glade and felt and thought "the trees are on the turn".
Do you know what I mean? (a bit like watching the tide when its between high and low tide there is a brief period inbetween where you know its turned though at that precise moment you can barely see the change).

In fact last wednesday my daughter also spoke of the same observation about the trees around her and she lives 150 miles away in the staffordshire region.

Also, for instance, the amount of berries on the rowan trees and all the rose hips etc. etc...
Been observing some harvesting too, do you think some of the fields of crops have changed in readiness for gathering slightly earlier than usual or is this my imagination?

The weather has been so changeable it's difficult to know what to expect from one day to the next and also some days have been so dark for this time of year.

Have any of you noticed anything autumnal in your locality?

[alan refail]

Is AUTUMN arriving early this year?

No. Not yet

[Elaine]

Hi Naturediva. We seem to have a lot of fallen leaves around here but I'm hoping it's just the high winds which have caused it. (The weather, OH, the weather! )
The Rowans are heavily laden and ripe too, and this seems to happen earlier every year.
Cheers.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Elaine, thank-you so much for the explanation, it's just that it has taken me a while to understand that gorgeous accent of yours.

It does feel quite autumnal out there today.

[FelixLeiter]

So, just wondered whether some of you have noticed anything that suggests Autumn is on its way early this year?

No.

Also, for instance, the amount of berries on the rowan trees and all the rose hips etc. etc...

Berries will be forming all summer. It doesn't mean that they're ripe yet.

The weather has been so changeable it's difficult to know what to expect from one day to the next and also some days have been so dark for this time of year.

Nothing unusual about it. It's just British weather.

Have any of you noticed anything autumnal in your locality?

No.

[alan refail]

I suspect that "turning" leaves are more a result of the hot dry weather than anything else; the falling leaves a result of the high winds. We have had neith very high temperatures nor very strong winds and everything here is looking as it should mid-summer.

[nannygreen]

My pumpkins think it's autumn-some of them are so huge I need help to lift them. I don't know whether to leave them until usual harvesting time or take them now before they get any bigger. Also the Tuscan kale, spring broccolli and winter cabbage are ready now. The Witloof chicory is flowering so it must have skipped autumn and gone onto spring! What do I do? Harvest everything and buy another freezer?

[Monika]

One thing we have noticed around here is the early appearance of "winnel (whinnel?) straws". I don't don't' what they are called in other parts of the country but here they are the yellow dried grass stalks which stick up above the green grass. And this year they are certainly covering road verges and many fields and making them look quite autumnal already.