Autumn – Suppose I Should Clear Up

Well so far the autumn has been fine but what you might ask have I been up to in the garden since the last post.

The answer is not a lot really. I have cleared out the growbags in the greenhouse and one of the ones from alongside the greenhouse. The others will go as soon as I have time and they are finished growing and any tomatoes left aren’t really ripening or are too ripe. We’ve had such a glut of tomatoes from all the plants that there’s no keenness to use any of the ones left!

Still producing are the peppers in the greenhouse, and it’s been so mild and even sunny many days that they are probably still ripening. Also still producing are the courgette plants but I would guess that apart from the courgettes that are currently still on the plants there won’t be any new ones. The cucumbers have more or less given up growing as well. the cucumelon has ‘fruit’ on but I’m not sure if they are ready.

There are still potatoes in the ground, but the carrots and beans are finished and cleared away already.

On the fruit side I’ve harvested the apples (Lord Lambourne & a few Braeburn) as the wind had blown many of them off anyway. The blueberries were finished a couple of weeks ago, I was able to have some with my breakfast cereal for several weeks. Also, raspberries, from the canes that have been in the garden since before I moved in have been producing until only a few days ago, again nice with mmy breakfast. There have even been a coupl of strawberries in the last week!

I have been potting up a load of winter bedding flowers including Bellis, Pansies and Sweet Williams plus some ‘garden ready’ Bellis and Polyanthus delivered a week or so a go are waiting to be planted out.

Wildlife

Not much to say except several squirrels have been taken on holiday since the last post. The results of a trail cam at the bottom of the garden have shown regular visits from cats and hedgehog(s) plus one sighting of a fox.

The birds, mostly tits, have been going through the sunflower seeds rapidly together with a ‘fat slab’.

Still Harvestin’

Yep, even though the weather has been a bit crummy since the last post – colder than normal and showery days until this weekend I’m still harvesting.

Of course this is said to be a ‘mast’ year and certainly some of the evidence from my garden confirms this – for instance the brambles – which I’m still harvesting. Another bramble and apple pie is distinctly possible tomorrow.

The peak tomato ripening has passed for now, though there quite a few left on the plants (and in the fridge) it will need a bit more sun to ripen them off.  The courgette surfeit is still with us though, plenty in the fridge and some still growing despite all attempts to eat at them every opportunity.

There are still carrots which I planted in a container this year (see picture) not big, but pretty good nevertheless and there are still quite a few of the baby leeks left and leaf beet is still just about worth picking (as shown below)

Carrot & beet leaves

There are still the beetroot as well, which have been left probably too long, but we’ve had no call for them until now, and like the onions grown as an experiment. I’ve harvested a few so far but haven’t tried them.

I’ve harvested the onions, well most of them, there may be a few more hiding – not spectacular but better than any onions I’ve grown before. Whether it’s worth growing them is a moot point, since they are cheap enough to buy and the harvest probably represents only a few weeks worth of consumption.

I’ve pulled up the mangetout peas, so the climbing beans will be next, and that will be a second raised bed empty.

Meanwhile, as I’ve already mentioned the courgette plants are still growing rather too well, though the cucumber plants have had it and only produced 3 cucumber between them – not very impressive. The butternut squash (a bought seedling remember) has simply grown about 8 feet long and produced one baby squash so far – not really a good buy at all – still again just an experiment.

The potatoes are probably ready to harvest and I’ll be having a look tomorrow to see if we can have some with our Sunday roast.

The grapevine on the other hand (in the greenhouse) was loaded with grapes – I harvested them today and there are plenty – I haven’t been able to weigh them yet, I’ve just managed to take them all off their bunches – which itself was a long job. The next decision is what to do with them – creating grape juice is the prime option at the moment though some sort of preserve is a possibility. Putting some in the freezer looks probable as well.

Oh yes – I’ve picked all the apples – not actually a great harvest this year despite all the ‘mast’ year indications. Only about 15 good apples in the end.

There are of course hedges to cut and lots of general tidying up to do as well as the harvesting so there had better be some fine weather to come. Ho hum I just hope I have time as well.

Wildlife – well another squirrel is now on holiday a long way from my garden. The butterflies on the buddleia did produce a couple more species – small tortoishell and comma (2 today on the last couple of flower spikes).

It’s noticeable that the birds have plenty of natural food to eat as they have gone missing from the bird feeders at the moment.

Weather – I’ll summarise the months weather based on my weather station at the end of the month. (now done see here)