Nights are beginning to draw in, which is a sign that our allotment season is winding down. There are still some crops to harvest. Some such as parsnips, cabbages and leeks will stay in the ground until needed and others will be brought home to store.
Planting will be put on hold and our attentions have turned to tidying areas of the plot that have become overgrown and unkempt whilst our time was dominated by harvesting.
Last week, Martyn intended to strim areas where the grass paths had become overgrown but his strimmer broke so that didn’t get done.
We spent time clearing the bed that had housed the Crown Prince squashes. It’s quite a large bed that suffers from bindweed infestation. I’ve dug out as much as I could but no doubt some tiny roots will have been missed which will grow and quickly reinfest the bed.
Two huge cardoons also grow in this bed which, Martyn cut down. It’s amazing how much growth they put on in just a year.
The squirrels have been busy as I found another baby oak tree when I was digging over the bed.
The Crown Prince from this bed and the Turk’s Turban squash from another bed have been brought home and put in the greenhouse.
Martyn dug up the last lot of potatoes. These were the odds and ends – tubers that we had left over once the main planting had been done.
We just managed to get all the squash, potatoes and the rest of the harvest, along with all our gardening paraphernalia into the car boot – or as we call it our mobile shed.
The peppers haven’t done as well, in our garden greenhouse, this year but we managed this harvest which has now been frozen.
Ruby had a busy week. She helped harvest some carrots and had fun on the plot. There’s a video posted here.
She had less fun having a shower in readiness for grooming. One of her favourite spots is sitting on the back of the sofa looking out of the window on guard and ready to warn of any intruders.
Nostell held a Paws in the Park event. Doggy agility equipment was set out in front of the house. Furry visitors could try out the various activities.
Ruby was so nosy watching what everyone else was doing. We tried to encourage her through the tunnel by rolling her ball through but she didn’t see the point of running through when she could run round to the other side and catch the ball as it rolled out.
There was a quiet time when people went off for lunch and with fewer distractions, Ruby made more of an effort.
Really she much preferred a game of fetch but she did receive a packet of treats as a gift.
The cygnets still spend time preening alongside their parents but are spending more time on the lake away from the adults.
Autumn is now starting to push what passed for summer aside.
The bracken is being cut back in the wooded areas but there are still one or two clumps of fading flowers. The photos below are little balsam.
So how did we use our vegetables last week?
I made ketchup using some of our tomatoes and onions. This was frozen in ice cube trays so that I can take a few cubes out when I want to use some.
I made a sort of orzo risotto using our garlic, a courgette, carrots, garlic and spring onions. The recipe has disappeared from the Internet but basically, the carrot and courgette were shredded and additional ingredients were tinned tomatoes, stock, various herbs, cheese, lime juice and zest.
Into a chicken hotpot went some of our potatoes, carrots, onion and some parsnip from the freezer.
I also made a turkey curry using some of our onions and sweet and chilli pepper.
That’s all for this week so ’til next time stay safe and well.
Again I am linking to Harvest Monday at Dave’s Our Happy Acres blog.
Mmm, the orzo risotto looks look, as do all those lovely squashes.
Oh, I don’t want to be clearing up yet, but it does seem that the time has come 😩
I does seem early Belinda but hopefully we will benefit next season
What a marvelous harvest, especially the squash. Loving seeing Ruby having so much fun, Good to catch up with the cygnets, how big they look now. Tasty looking meals, especially the orzo and ketchup. xxx
I don’t think will be entering Ruby for Crufts any time soon, Dina
A great idea with the tomato ice cubes. You’ve got some fantastic harvests there, the squash are excellent. I have an odd one this year that doesn’t look at all like the honeyboat that it is supposed to be. I am looking forward to trying it though, maybe it’s a new discovery! Well done Ruby, that looks like lots of fun. Bertie has a bath when he’s at the groomer’s, which he absolutely loathes. It was the vet’s today for jabs, which he also loathes.
Our groomer come to the house, CJ so we give Ruby a bath before she comes. Maybe the squash is the progeny of cross pollination. Have you more than one variety growing.
The potatoes might be odds and ends, but they look nice to me! Our neighbors have pecan trees so the we get pecan seedlings thanks to the squirrel planting.
The squash are more that enough for us, Dave I guess some will find new homes.
Is Ruby destined for Crufts agility competition? Bless her.
The harvest is still looking good, the pumpkins are amazing!
What do you do with the oak trees? Do you transplant them elsewhere?
Ruby seemed to think some of the activities were pointless Deb when she could see easier ways of getting from a to b. I’ve found more oak seedlings A plot neighbour has dropped some over the fence behind his plots. He has does the same with hawthorn seedlings that we have found and they have grown. Guerilla gardening!