Archive for previous years' diaries dating from 2007 can be accessed by clicking here
Weekend 5 October On the plot
Things are really starting to have the look and feel of autumn now. When the sun does come out is it fairly low and dazzling.
The sweet corn was picked and frozen last month before we went on holiday but it wasn’t really as good a harvest as we have enjoyed in previous years
We are continuing to harvest a few berries. The blackberries are nearly finished – just one or two remaining berries. We have had a bonus helping of strawberries from our perpetual fruiting variety and the alpine strawberries continue to provide us with a few berries. The frost has nipped some of the flowers. We would like to grow a different variety of alpines next year but can only find seeds for Mignonette so if anyone knows of any other source of alpine strawberry seeds then please let me know. Nothing at all wrong with Mignonette but just fancy adding a second variety.
The salad leaves and lettuce are doing well now. Some that we grew in the summer months went to seed before they had chance of being fully ready but following advice that they are short day plants we sowed and planted more and it seemed to do the trick.
We harvested some chard which always looks bright and colourful at this time of year especially when the sun falls on its stems.
The whitecurrant and blackcurrant cuttings have now established themselves into strong young plants and the blueberry bushes are a beautiful colour. I think they are probably worth growing just for the autumn colour alone although I am hoping that as the plants mature they will offer a bigger blueberry crop.
In the garden,
The border alongside the greenhouse is in need of attention. It is only narrow and the verbena bonariensis and Michaelmas daisies are just to vigorous for it and are spilling onto the lawns. It needs a bit more restrained planting for next year.
The sambuscus niger has also grown to quite a large size and so will need some serious pruning. No doubt this will result in more cuttings – maybe with the plants fetching about £10 a time I should have a market stall next year.
It didn’t take the birds long to spot that the bird feeders were being filled again after our time away.
In the greenhouses
Just a bit of tidying necessary in the garden greenhouse.
The penstemon cuttings that I took earlier in the year are now rooted. I think I may just leave them to overwinter in the pots that they occupy at the moment and pot them up next year in spring.
Out and about
Autumn colours are starting to be evident – wonder if they will be as spectacular as last year
Weekend 12 October On the plot
I choose another lot of cosmos to collect seed from as I can’t find the strings that I fastened round the stems of the last lot. The string was green so maybe it was a bit silly – this time I have used white bag ties.
The frost has hit the squash plants and blackened the leaves but we have harvested quite a tonnage of fruits of various shapes and sizes.
We had quite a bumper crop of apples too – delicious straight from the tree. On gardeners’ World it was suggested that apples were best stored in plastic bags punctured by several holes, so we are trying that this year and will blame them if it all goes pear-shaped!
The strawberry beds have been tidied up again. The problem with straw mulch is that it seems to contain grass seeds that germinate and compete with the strawberry plants. Also more runners had developed that needed removing. We are still getting a few berries if we manage to get to them before the slugs.
The foxgloves that I planted were getting a bit swamped by the limnanthes (poached egg plants) that had self seeded everywhere so they have been rescued at the expense of the limnanthes.
Checked the stored potatoes this week and quite a few that looked OK when dug up now are blighted. The potatoes that were planted in the area of the plot contaminated by the manure had been left but were dug up this week. It’s such a shame as there are some really good potatoes – no doubt courtesy of the manure but at the back of our minds is the fact that they were grown in the area that was contaminated. We are told that they should be safe to eat but will that allow us to enjoy eating them.
We had a few laurels on the plot – planted several years ago after a friend passed on some small plants. Over the years they got somewhat large and out of hand but never really came very high on the list of things to do. Last year some had a severe pruning and responded fairly well to this. This week another was subject to the chop. We now have a huge pile on discarded branches but far more light.
Some branches are quite substantial so we are thinking of using them in some sort of construction project! The rest will be recycled as pea-sticks.
Winter onions and shallots have been planted.
The blueberry bushes are beautiful again – it is almost worth growing them for their autumn leaf colour.
In the garden
The two crab apple trees in the garden are now just about bare of leaves.
We have noticed a hedgehog rummaging about during the day which is always of concern as it can be a sign that something is wrong with these nocturnal creatures. It has been around most days this week and he seems to be missing part of one of his/her back legs. At this time of year I am hoping that it is just to try and add as much body weight as possible before hibernation occurs. With this in mind I popped some food out for it which it happily crunched through. No milk though as this can upset their stomachs.
A pair of coal tits has been flitting around the garden – they seemed to be searching out bugs for lunch. They move so quickly that it is difficult keeping an eye on them. We have also spotted a wren creeping about under plants.
In the greenhouses
We have a few green peppers and chillies set on plants in the greenhouse in the garden. The chillies are fairly big but I would be really surprised if at this stage they go red.
Sowed some wild primrose seeds.
On the plot we have planted some garlic cloves – just for a bit of protection.
Out and about
The trees are now putting on quite a show. Driving along the M62 – it looked as though someone had been dabbing big sploshes of colour on along the trees on the embankment. There were all the sorts of colours that you would use if you wanted to paint an autumn picture. Lots of trees around where we live seem to be a shining yellow.
Weekend 19 October On the plot
Not much to report this week mainly due to sniffles etc. But early in the week we did manage some tidying and burning.
We also clipped back a hawthorn tree that is growing by the greenhouse and a conifer as we don’t want either to become so large that they outstay their welcome and then prove impossible to deal with. The hawthorn was trained from a small seedling deposited by a passing bird and the conifer was a ‘present’ from a friend who didn’t want it in her garden. Both are kept on the grounds that they benefit the wildlife that shares our plot with us.
Unfortunately we had a visit from vandals this week. Various crops such as pumpkins and cabbages were found just smashed to pieces probably having been used as footballs. Sickening!
In the garden
We had our first harvest of medlars this week. Maybe the word harvest paints the wrong picture as we only had five fruits. It is our first crop so we don’t really know what to expect or what we should do with the fruits. Apparently the fruits have to be bletted before eating which seems to mean allow to rot a bit! It doesn’t sound very appetising but apparently once bletted the fruits have a caramel taste. We’ll let you know! Click here for more on our medlars.
We are still being visited by a variety of birds. They are keeping our interest in the garden going when many plants are fading. A pair of coal tits seems to have adopted our garden as their permanent home. The video on this page shows just some of our frequent visitors. The collared doves just shouldn’t be able to visit bird feeders but they do.
Plants have now formed seed pods or berries but others such as the pieris and fatsia are producing buds and shoots for next season.
The Michaelmas daisies and verbena are continuing to provide much valued colour as are a few late clematis flowers and the schizostylus in our wildlife pond. I suppose pond is a bit of a euphemism as it is more a bird bath about 18 cm long! We also have the odd flower on the hostas although most are now almost leafless.
In the greenhouses
Things are all quiet in the greenhouses now other than one or two pans of seed and some fading plants.
The peppers and chillies remain green!
One of our banana plants spent the ‘summer’ in the greenhouse and a stephanotis in a nearby plant pot has decided to twine around it so that is going to need untangling before being taken into its winter living quarters. Last year the banana was kept in the house but this year it may be a bit too large for that.
Out and about
Just more of the same really – beautiful autumn colours! Leaves are now also beginning to carpet paths and pavements.
Weekend 26 October On the plot
Another quiet week on the plot. Whenever the weather is friendly enough we are spending time clearing beds and of course are still managing to harvest quite a lot of produce. We have just about come to the end of berry picking – just one or two raspberries, alpine strawberries and blackberries hanging on.
We have decided to overwinter our carrots on the plot again this year as this method has proved so successful for the last two years. Probably famous last words! At this time of year the swede, turnip and chard are also providing a supply of winter vegetables as are the ton of squash that we have gathered.
All the gladioli bulbs have been lifted, the leaves have been cut back to leave about 20 centimetres. Now it’s a case of letting then dry off for storing over winter.
The pineapple sage has suddenly decided to develop flowers. They were quite a surprise being a bit like a lobelia cardinalis in colour. Sages are related to salvias so the flower shape is a bit like perennial salvia. The leaves of this sage do actually smell very strongly of pineapple but as yet we haven’t actually used any in cooking.
In the garden
It was the RSPB Feed the Birds Day on 25 October. Every day is bird feeding day in our garden – I am sure if we stopped the birds would come knocking on our door. Bird’s get used to where they can find food so it is important over winter that we are regular in our feeding habits. As it could be a life and death situation for our feathered visitors. Even in the coldest of weather they also need a supply of water. The birds that seemed to have deserted us for the summer are now heading back. Robins and wrens have now joined the regularly visitors list although the blackbirds are still conspicuous in their absence. Click here for our fat cake recipes.
In the greenhouse
In the plot greenhouse we now have a pile of gladioli bulbs waiting to be boxed and also some young sweet potato plants that Joe on the next plot has given to us.
The garlic is also now sprouting.
The garden greenhouse still houses the pepper and chilli plants that still have green fruits. I think we may have to settle for that.
Out and about
The weather has been wild this week with the really high winds. The colourful leaves on the trees are being buffeted and blown off so their display will soon be over. The media are telling us that this year has been a fantastic year for autumn colour but unless I am remembering wrongly they have said this for the past two years now. Each time the explanation of why this is seems to be different. I wonder if it is just down to the types of trees that are available these days as many catalogues boast about wonderful autumn colour when describing trees and shrubs.
The clocks went back this weekend – always a bad sign – I hate long dark nights!
