A foggy day

So, typically after a week of sparkling blue sky and beautiful sunny days, along comes the weekend and it was so foggy this morning I couldn’t see the other end of the allotments! I could hear the farmer and his gang harvesting in his orchards, but couldn’t see them at all.

But, cold and damp as it was it turned into a highly productive morning. Firstly planted up some spring cabbages and caulis. 

Behind them are the winter equivalent that i planted a few weeks ago and which are powering along.

Secondly moved all our strawberry plants out of our fruit cage where they were starting to get badly crowded from raspberries on one side and a blackberry on the other, and moved them onto our newly acquired plot. 

Pretty amazing to think that all these plants originated from just three a few years ago! By the time I took this photo the fog was beginning to lift but its stayed pretty murky all day.

The new plot is beginning to take shape in our mind. Essentially it’ll be an area requiring very little effort after the initial planting and building. Most of it will be taken up by more fruit trees and bushes, a couple of cobnut trees and a greenhouse. Whatever room we have left will be raised beds and a dedicated area for cut flowers. With the fruit, living very close to the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale, has inspired us to focus on growing heritage varieties only, so all the apples, pears etc won’t be available in any high street shops. Not only will they taste great (hopefully), but they’ll be helping keep rare species alive.

Lastly, when i got home I mowed the lawns whose grass had grown about 6 inches high! and began drying the seeds of Tumbling Tom and Sungold tomatoes that I have growing in my back garden ready for next year’s crop.

A really good day all round.

Saturday 19th September

Well what a beautiful weekend of weather we’ve just had! Felt like early summer once again, rather than early autumn. Underfoot though I had to wear wellies for the first time since about April due to the wetness of the ground after a whole week of near incessant rain. Luckily our plot dries pretty quickly so it was just damp rather than boggy, meaning could go up and get a few jobs done.

Our beans are now finished, so they’ve gone to the great compost heap in the sky

have kept the roots in though for extra nitrogen. This area will now remain fallow until next spring when potatoes will go in here.

However our autumn cabbages are now coming along brilliantly. 

They’re so incredibly tasty that I’m not sure the remaining crops will last for too much longer without being eaten. They’ve been protected from both pigeons and more importantly cabbage white all year with very close woven netting, but have removed that all now to give them and the brussel sprouts room to grow. Pleasingly the sprout plants have the first offerings on them already, so I’ve high hopes for a good crop this year. 

By the way that’s our neighbour’s shed and greenhouse in the background, not ours.

Elsewhere the damp conditions allowed me to complete another approx 10 feet of our central path. 

Very simply its the stones dug out of the plot laid about 4 inches deep then firmed into the soil. it works a treat and is totally free of course. Only about another 30 feet to go and I’ll finally have finished a job that I intended to complete 3 years ago!

Finally have stripped all the fruit off the tomatoes and they’re now indoors ripening. Once ready what we don’t eat straightaway will go into making super spicy chutney with my remaining chillies.

This coming week we’ll settle on exactly what we’ll be growing next year- something that I always enjoy thinking about. No doubt we’ll be sticking to some old favourites but also some totally untried things too.

Saturday 5th September

So meteorologically speaking we’re now into Autumn and it certainly felt like it this morning! I actually had to have a bodywarmer on which is a depressing thought as it’s only the first week of September. Never mind though as the allotment remains in full production mode.

Pleasingly our first tomato is ripening

Not that there’s usually anything remarkable about that, but this year they were a very late addition to the plot and are growing outdoors. If the forecast for a return to warmer weather is true then that should give us a bumper crop.

Elsewhere, the later ripening plums are just starting to become ready. 

These are green fleshed Marjory Seedlings and are superb. Not sure why one looks green in the photo though! Our apples and pears are coming along nicely too. Probably about a month away from picking.

Picked the first Autumn cabbage 

I love growing brassicas for a couple of reasons. Firstly they’re easy to grow, but more importantly they taste great. Far superior to any shop variety. We should soon become pretty much self sufficient all year round in brassicas of various types which is great. Another of my favourite veg-leeks are coming along strongly. 

Another crop whose flavour and texture can’t be matched in store in my opinion.

Also dug plenty of spuds again and plenty of blackberries and raspberries. Finally on the harvesting front our first sweetcorn are ready. 

I’ve never really liked sweetcorn, but grew some for my wife as she does. However, it looks so tasty I shall happily give it another try!

Just need the ground to dry out a bit now and can begin clearing our newly acquired extra space. Luckily its been half cleared already but a lot of work lays ahead to turn it into a site we can use. Hopefully the Autumn weather will be kind to us and allow that to happen.

Cheers and happy growing!