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Monday 01 October 2013
Freezing
Fortunately it wasn’t the weather that was freezing it was the job of getting our tomatoes, pears and apples sorted and frozen. The weather was dull and mild all day. The sun didn't manage to make an appearance.
After what seems to be a long dry spell we are expecting some rain over the next couple of days before the weather improves for the weekend. It will be most welcome especially down on the plot where I’ve put autumn digging on hold as the soil is very dry and doesn’t break up when turned over but just remains in large clods which dry even harder finishing up like pieces of brick.
Hopefully we’ll get a decent amount of rainfall and then I’ll be able to continue digging over the last few beds before any really bad winter weather sets in.
The first of our winter onions has germinated sending up a new green shoot. It’s a Sensyu Yellow and was only planted on 21 September. We now need a few of its friend to get the hint and make some roots ready for winter.
Our cyclamen on the plot are now forming large clumps and are producing some exceptionally pretty displays at the moment. They seem to readily spread in the flower beds on the plot where the ground isn’t continually dug over. They also enjoy growing in the grass beneath the fruit trees and although they occasionally get an accidental strimming they soon come back ready for more.
Tuesday 02 - Monday 07 October 2013
A Short Break in Somerset
We had a little break away in Somerset from Thursday to Sunday. Luckily for us the weather was very good for most of the time. It poured down for most of the journey down to Taunton on Thursday morning and continued for most the afternoon but it did eventually stop. Friday, Saturday and Sunday just got better with more sunshine and warmer each day.
On Friday we had a trip on the West Somerset Railway as they were holding their autumn Cambrian Railways Gala.
On our journey from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead two preserved steam locomotives 7822 Foxcote Manor and 7812 Erlestoke Manor hauled the train through the Quantock Hills to the seaside resort of Minehead.
On Saturday we visited Dunster Castle a National Trust property. The garden has a sub tropical feel to it and was still very lush even in early October. The castle sits on the top of a wooded hill and allows impressive panoramic views over the surrounding countryside.
On Sunday morning we visited Barrington Court a beautiful old manor house and another property looked after by the National Trust. It has its own orchards and working kitchen garden which supplies the restaurant with fruit and vegetables.
The flower gardens were designed in consultation with Gertrude Jekyll and had a special autumnal look to them in the bright morning sunshine still with a heavy dew on the grass late into the morning.
