Darker evenings!

   The clocks have now gone back and that for a while means dark evenings and shorter days in the garden, however, the weather over the last week or so has been fantastic for October! Lots of sunshine and it has even been very warm! Surely this cannot last. 
   In the garden broad beans and garlic are growing well. My winter cabbage patch has been raided by some critter and several plants have be munched! Cannot blame the chickens this time despite the fact they have tried to get under the netting I have put over the cabbages. The turnips are swelling so hopefully I will get some.

Sprouting broad beans

   It is strange at this time of year that you think you have lots of time to do things but in reality you do not. It is dark by six o'clock and of course one does not get going until about ten thirty am and before you know it is lunch time and then you only have a couple of hours left! Still with the extended good weather I still have managed to get some tidying up jobs done. Much forking and weeding. The bonfire pile is getting to the point where I now need to light it.  I have also at last got round to clearing my daffodil patch. The soil in this bed is brown clay and hard to work. It does not help that it is still very wet and was full of buttercups.  It has only taken all summer to get to it. It was interesting to see that  the bulbs are already sprouting and are about 1/2 to 1 inch up. The daffs are ahead of the crocus bulbs which are only just starting to sprout. It is going to be a mixed up winter I fear. The ground this summer has hardly had a chance to dry out. I can recall only one period this summer where I have thought that the ground is getting too dry. This does not bode well if we have a wet winter.
   In the poly tunnel the Christmas potatoes are thriving and enjoying the mild weather. I do not doubt that we will have new potatoes for Christmas this year. Spring cabbage is established and my rescued fennel is growing away. The sweet peppers are coming to an end mainly due to mould rather than cold. Radishes are about to fill out and there is still lots of lettuce. The Nigel's green outdoors chili (been grown indoors) is still producing nice sized chili's and has really been this years success story. I guess it will go on until there is a cold snap.
   Well guess I must continue with the clearing up jobs while the weather holds as best I can.