1 SEPTEMBER

I was excited when strong winds blew in this week, bringing chestnuts to the ground - here is my stash! They vary in stages of development and size; some as big as apples, others like walnuts, and some very small. The smallest ones had broken in half and at first the interiors looked just like white pith, but I found they easily pulled apart to reveal tiny little chestnuts snuggled inside. Glossy as though waxed, their imprint can be seen clearly in the pith, exactly as if they have just been turned out of a mould. Larger fruits display early spines, still quite soft. A few have surfaces like tiny cantaloupe melons; I found them like golden moons lying in the grass.

This one is the same size as my thumbnail, the tiniest chestnut I have seen, although I am sure smaller can be found. It is interesting to compare this with a sprouted one I dug up last week, when I remarked that the shell was still intact although separated from the young stem, and full of an oozy, gel-like substance - that must be what becomes of the pith over time.

I tossed my hoard into a small hump-moulded dish I made a few years ago when I was studying ceramics. I didn't arrange it at all, but I am taken with its accidental Ikebana-like appearance, and it has pride of place in the hallway!

Thanks for visiting, see you next week!