Today's mystery object is...

A real autumn mist pervaded our neighbourhood for most of yesterday morning, the first day on which the clocks had gone back. The days are cracking on now and even I am starting to think of Christmas, have previously slated the shops for starting the season too early. I've succumbed already to buying some bottles of Christmas ale, an offer at the Co-op being too good to refuse. They are sitting there on the shelf now. Will I resist temptation, I wonder?

Among the presents I got last year from my daughter was what I described at the time as a teabag full of herb seeds, bought at the Imperial War Museum North. You had to place it in a bowl of water for a day, then plant under a thin layer of soil.

The label said the bag was embedded with a mix of herbs including parsley, chives and basil. I don't know what has happened to the mixture, but I have succeeded in getting one herb only after about four months of growing very slowly in the pot. But what is it?

Susan suspects it's parsley. In truth, so do I. But I'm not totally sure. I am a dunce, aren't I?

The man who planted garlic

A nice autumn day today, dull but not too chilly or raining. It's windy, though, because that's the nature of where we live. You could have sailing boats becalmed at sea and there would still be gusts of wind at our house.

With the clocks having gone back last weekend, I have been unable to tend to my small plot during the week as it is dark by the time I get back from work. This morning was a time for surveying the scene, rooting out a few weeds that have grown hold and getting rid of leaves that are all over the place.

Took the opportunity to pop in a few cloves of garlic around the edges, probably about a dozen holes altogether. Sadly, they are shop-bought rather than any rare or organic type. I think I might move into that sort of thing later when I've got the hang of this thing.

Anyway, the garlic is in now before the frosts come and I gather I just sit back and wait until they start to appear sometime next year. It was a near run thing that I got them in at all as our dog Dolly decided to come out and help me dig. At least her willingness to be near garlic proves she is devoid of any vampiristic tendencies.

Revving up again

My mate Alex 'Pip' Paton (he's a bit posh) has offered to give me his Reader's Digest Gardening Book.

Bloody good of him as I am sorely in need of advice, both verbal and written. I'm heartened by the friends who are supporting me in this little project. I think my energy had dipped a little after planting the seeds and getting no growth, but I'm back in the driving seat now and planning ahead for autumn and winter.