Autumns Bounties

I doubt many may still follow this haphazard gardening blog of mine, but real life is just much more fun than sitting behind a computer all day. So I make no apologies for dipping in and out of here.. But those of you who still get updates, and read, and comment.. I thank you most sincerely for your perseverance. I am grateful to you all. But I have been busy enjoying Summer, our garden, nature and growing our own veggies.

This blog post has been in the making for over a month as I promise myself to sit down, upload photos and share the progress on the plot.. But some days are just too full, of other creative things, which I hopefully will share with you in picture format.

Spring and Summer here in the UK was unusually dry as you know, and Summer one of the hottest on record for England, so, while some things thrived, others didn’t fare so well.. But that is Gardening, its swings and roundabouts.. We win some and we lose some.. Its different ever year… That is the challenge of gardening. You learn patience and you adapt.

Lots of things just didn’t like the heat despite our watering. Such as these cabbages and broccoli which bolted.

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  Broccoli Bolted

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  Cabbage bolted and split

The Kidney beans this year dried up almost after flowering, then they got a second lease on life with a late flowering and fared better, many plot holders agreed their crops were not as abundant as in previous years. On the other hand our Dwarf French Beans did well… But it took lots of leg and arm work carrying water from the cistern tanks back and forth every day keeping them watered.

The Sweet corn too, while the cobs looked full, many were very dry…. The dryer ones and misshaped ones with gaps of corn, I still froze them, and I will use to make soups out of. Nothing much goes to waste.

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  Apples

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  Apple pie.

The Apples were small, but were much better than last year, as last years which were diseased. But we used an organic spray of Bicarbonate of Baking Soda, vegetable oil and washing up liquid that we used to spray on the trees earlier in the year which seemed to have stopped the scabbing from last year.. This also is a great natural spray for White fly and other things such as mildew etc.. A video of how to make can be found Here..

Lots have been happening too on our plot as we went independent and a new committee was formed.. To raise funds our Allotment held an Autumn Fair where we had held a raffle and had some stalls of home made preserves, a bottle tombola, book stall, and veggies for sale along with a competition… This was all organised by the new committee and to say it was only a few weeks in which this was organised, and the very first of its kind as long as we have had an allotment on this site which is over 20 years, It was a great success raising over £500 to the kitty.

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  Autumn Fair Day

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  A fun competition

We also had some surprises too I had left a small row of Rainbow chard in that went to seed, as they were providing shelter for some other plants, When I at last pulled them up I saw lots of the seeds had fallen and self set in the ground.. So I left them to grow where they were.. And saved many of the rainbow chard seeds for planting next Spring. Here are the young rainbow chard growing among the weeds which I weeded out once the chard was bigger .

The Sunflowers this year perfect weather for growing them.. Here are a selection, along with some Dahlia’s.

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  Dahlia’s

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  Pink Dahlia’s for cut flowers

We also had some high winds too, which rocked a piece of rickety fence which we had protecting the greenhouse. We put the fence there mainly as our path is shared by a fellow allotmenteer on his plot at the side of us, who unfortunately for the last couple of years has been too ill to do work on his plot. As the path is higher and as this gent fell a few years ago, we didn’t want anyone falling and hurting themselves on the path on slippery grass in the wet and falling into the greenhouse. My hubby found some old pieces of fence which was donated him and put a sturdier one alongside the green house.

He also replanted new raspberry bushes and intends to build a frame over them so we can hang a net to keep birds from pecking before we pick them.. We have some greedy pigeons that swoop in and do lots of damage eating crops and young shoots..

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  The fence to stop anyone falling from the higher path into greenhouse

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  The new raspberry bed

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  A clearer view of the raspberry bed with redcurrant bush on the left.

Of course Biscuit our cat is always joining us on the plot and he had to see what I was doing when I cleared out the outdoor tomatoes.

Biscuit our Cat inspecting the outdoor tomatoes.

Picked outdoor tomatoes as weather too cold to ripen now.

My hands have also been busy as I have crocheted throws, knitted gloves, along with cushion covers, and doilies.

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  Cushion covers and throw.

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  Head and chair arm protectors

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  Head and chair arm protectors

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  Curtain ties.

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  Fingerless gloves

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  Crocheted Throw

Last and not least I pickled a few jars of shallot onions. Which should just be right for eating around Christmas.

“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.” 

– Gertrude Jekyll

Thank you for reading

Happy Gardening