Last week the sun shone. The sun was low and dazzling rather than providing warmth but at least it made things feel more cheerful. The temperature is dropping as winter draws ever closer.
We wrapped up warmly and I donned sunglasses to head for the allotment. My eyes don’t tolerate brightness at the best of times so the conditions were particularly challenging.
We completed a lot of work on the plot. We cleared more beds and lifted the rest of the dahlias. The tubers were brought home and spread out in the greenhouse under layers of fleece.
The tubers will also be covered with wood chippings to provide additional frost protection.
Martyn, cleared and dug over a bed that had been planted with autumn raspberries. The bed hadn’t been dug over for years so it was rock hard. We now need the winter weather to break down the solid clods of earth.
I had an easier time clearing sweetcorn roots and weeding another bed. It may have been easier than Martyn’s task but it still kept me nice and warm.
Our fruit area had become really messy as we always seemed to have more pressing things to attend to. Last week we decided to tidy it up.
We had previously tidied the area around the apple trees and redcurrant bushes.
Last week I pruned three of the jostaberry bushes. The previous year I had pruned the other two. I thought the two that I cut back wouldn’t produce fruit but I was wrong. The harsh treatment didn’t affect fruiting at all.
The blueberry bed was the next area to tackle.
Then around the pear trees …
… and then around the jostaberries.
Finally, we cleared around the blackcurrant bushes and the quince tree.
Now the challenge is to try and keep the area reasonably tidy.
Some of the clumps of rhubarb were given a treat – a mulch of manure
We took Ruby on her usual walks. They are preparing for a Christmas light display at Temple Newsan so our walk there was spoiled as on paths usually restricted to walkers, vehicles crept up behind us. Areas were also fenced off, restricting access.
On the other hand, at Nostell the cattle have now been taken in so the electric fences will soon be removed and we will have access to a wider area.
Autumn is now drawing to a close. There are now more leaves on the ground than on the trees.
Throughout the year, I took a photo from the same spot by the lake each time we visited Nostell. These have been made into a slideshow which is included in this video.
The swans seemed to think that we had some food for them so it is time to buy more waterbird food.
Just one juvenile swan remains on the lake. The others have headed off for a new home. Strangely just one young bird hung around until spring last year too.
As usual, I will finish with a selection of last week’s meals.
I made a chicken stew in the slow cooker
Some of our potatoes, carrot, onions along with peas and runner beans from the freezer were used. 
I used some of our onion and red pepper in a turkey mince curry.
A vegetable quinoa pilaf was packed with our vegetables. I used onion, carrot, sweetcorn, green beans, peppers and peas as well as some shop-bought celery. 
That’s all for this week so as always, until next time, stay safe and stay well,
I’ve never grown or eaten jostaberries, Sue. How do you use them? You have a clean plot, I haven’t had time to clean it because the temperatures are already below 0 C. Martin is a good man, he dug up such hard soil. I like your dish of vegetables with chicken.
We make jostaberries into compote to freeze, Nadezda and use on porridge, breakfast cereal or with croissants. You can also use them in pies, crumbles or other fruit desserts. They are a cross between a gooseberry and a blackcurrant
Jostaberry? They must be worth it if you are maintaining five. What do you do with all the fruit?
We ended up with six by accident as they root so easily, Mal. One is left in a wild state and the birds have free access. The other five we try and cover for protection but wood pigeons weigh the net down asd steal lots. The berries we are allowed to pick we turn into compote to freeze and use on porridge, breakfast cereal or with croissants
Thank goodness you had a break in the weather that held to enable you to do that work. How do you find the blueberries? When I had them, I found they were more work than the worth of it as they did not fruit well enough to warrant the effort they demanded.
We don’t do much with the blueberroes, Debbie, just a bit of trimming and cover with nets to keep the birds off. The three bushes fruit in succession ao we pick some over most of the summer.