More goodies from the land

   Its been a mixed bag of weather over the last week. As I sit here writing this the sun is shinning and it is very warm, however, first thing it was misty and cool. There has been thunder, lightening and every thing from light to heavy rain. A real mixed bag. Autumn colours are now showing. So, what has this meant for the garden?

     Well for a start cutting, picking and pulling of various vegetables. Aubergines, mini sweet peppers, sweet peppers, cauliflower, lettuce, chilies, carrots, beetroot, haricot buerre and yet more tomatoes of various types. The Gardeners Delight have done well and much to my surprise the French heritage varieties have also done well too. Also the last bed of potatoes has been dug up. A very good crop of Desiree red main crop potatoes. Good size.

Digging up potatoes, the last bed!

    Of course my old friend the grass has been growing with the mild wet and warm weather we have had. Out there mowing again and I dare say that there will be a couple more sessions before winter really kicks in. Oh, I forgot to mention. There were two water melons left to pick. The plant has only just decided enough is enough. Home grown water melon at the end of September. Cannot be bad.
   Winter veg is well established. Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots, beetroot, swede, parsnips and spinach all looking good. I have not yet dug up the tree onions. I am thinking that I may leave them over winter. I am concerned about the poly tunnel soil fertility. I need to think about what I am going to do about that.
   I have a pumpkin patch! There are at least six pumpkins ripening up. Quite amusing really to have a pumpkin patch.
   On the animal front the chickens have been moulting like there no tomorrow. Feathers everywhere. The ducks are being ducks and the sheep are being sheep. Noisy and rams starting to eye up the ewes. We need to keep the rams away from the ewes this year. We do not want lambs next year. With that in mind I have put up some barbed wire on on length of fence. Those rams can be jumpers! 
   Here is hoping for continuing mild weather!

Pumpkin

Autumn gathers pace

  Apologies for the delay in this blog. I returned to the UK for my youngest grand daughters second birthday bash so I was away for a few days. This entry more or less covers the last two weeks. The weather has varied from warm and sunny to cold and wet but stuff is still growing well. Autumn is here, the leaves are turning and falling.
   Lots of pulling, cutting and picking going on. Carrots, sweet peppers, chili's, courgettes which are now finished, haricot buerre, cucumber, tomatoes (various varieties), purple cauliflower, white cauliflower and much to my surprise aubergines. The aubergines had been devastated by Colorado beetle and I was not expecting much from them but they have recovered and are producing a good number of aubergines. Autumn is gathering speed with the squash and pumpkins ripening and the courgettes now finished. I have picked a reasonable crop of haricot buerre  much to my surprise. There is one large water melon that I must pick soon but the plant is only just starting to give up. The tomatoes are coming to an end with just a few hanging on that are very slowly ripening on the vine.Of course the  grass continues to  grow and requires mowing again!
   The tree surgeon has been and the second large conifer outside the front of my house is now cut down. There is a significant increase in light in the house.
   All the animals are doing fine. The chickens are not laying so well probably due to the shorter and much cooler days. Many jobs to do, digging up the final bed of Desiree potatoes one of them.

Purple cauliflower

  

Time to harvest.

   After last weeks statement on tomatoes the plants are continuing to produce. Lots of Gardeners Delight (grape tomato) with a good number of Roma and French heritage. Another two lots of litre size freezer bags of Gardeners Delight put into the freezer and at least one more to go. The round courgette plants continue to produce with at least six more courgettes since the last blog. Too many courgettes! I have continued to dig up potatoes with Cherie now done. A bit late really as they are designated as earlies. Several rows of Desiree still to do. What else is being picked, cut or dug? Marketmore cucumbers, sweet peppers (Washington giant red (they are not), yellow and orange mini stuffing), chili (Nigels Green outdoors, Basque), beetroot (Cheltenham green top, Sanguine), 5 Dessert melons (delicious!). 

Ouessant ram

As we are keeping the chickens out of the garden my spinach is  growing well as are the beetroot. I have now thinned out the spinach and sown a few more seed to complete the two rows. Carrots have been a disappointment this summer but there are a lot still showing a good growth of leaf in the ground and I am hopeful for some over the early winter. Of course weeding is a must and I should be doing it every day really. At this time of year, just like in spring, weeds and grass grow quickly. My winter cabbage looks good both savoy type and what in the UK we know as Dutch cabbage (large white, often made into cold slaw) are doing well. The swedes are putting on a lot of leaf and I am hopeful of a good crop.
   I am sure the ram in the picture is about to stick its tongue out at me. Chickens are on protest strike. Very few eggs being laid at the moment. Ducks are fine, the female continues to lay one egg a day, the ewes and rams, well, are being ewes and rams.
   Autumn is well underway with the first delivery of wood arriving. Many, many black berries and they are big and juicy. I need to find some time to pick some.