a different sort of harvest

have been collecting seed from various veg - pumpkins and poppy heads, scarlet emperor runner beans, painted lady runner beans and borlottis from the allotment.

picked this week - home and allotment

not a lot to pick at home - lifted several of the leeks this week - all good sized ones but I'm not sure they'll withstand the frost and snow, so eating them now.


from the allotment we picked some romanesco cauliflowers, lots of carrots and beetroot ( a compost bag full of each), a few onions, a large butternut squash and a ragged starting to burst cabbage

Busy

Last weekend we took over an allotment.
The previous tenant had planted lots of things and although they'd cropped some of them an awful lot were still sitting there going to waste. The allotment association don't like this as it's messy and allows weeds, particularly brambles, to take over the world. I was just thinking of all the food on the plot going to waste. Still, we've all got the same end in view - clear the plot!
Frost was forecast for the end of the week, so despite weekend rain and cloggy ground, we set to work lifting lots of carrots and beetroot, a few onions, died-back borlotti bean plants for the seed, a large butternut squash, some romanesco cauliflowers, a ragged cabbage..... The more weeds that were cleared, the more vegetables appeared underneath the mess. We can now see two nice rows of leeks, one of parsnips, perhaps some turnips and some cavallo nero cabbage/kale.

not a lot picked from the garden this week - some lettuce, rocket, spinach leaves







2 forgotten apples






but pulling veg left by previous occupant on the allotment - onions, beetroot, carrots and butternut squash.

Allotment!!

Exciting news this week as we have managed to get an allotment at last. Yippee!! We've been on a waiting list for about 18 months/2 years since Hubby retired, but had been told it would be several years before we had any hope of getting one. Fortunately the allotment association have been clearing overgrown areas of brambles and making more space available - and, when they phoned round to offer plots, a lot of people had either found a plot elsewhere or lost interest. So yesterday we went to look at a choice of plots - expecting to be offered a half share. It turned out there was also the possibility of taking on a full plot that had recently been worked but been abandoned in the last few months - so we've opted for this. It has fruit trees, strawberry plants, a currant bush and polytunnel! Can't wait to get really started on it.

last flowers

after last night's heavy frost - a quick dash round picking the last of the calendulas and rudbeckias

Frost

Really heavy, white over, sparkly snow-like frost this morning. Glorious sunny day now. Have been pulling out the remains of nasturtiums and peonies before they turn to complete mush. Fingers frozen now.

picked this week

just some bits and bobs of lettuce, spinach and rocket.

Pumpkins in the kitchen are now ripening and being eaten - this one carved for halloween gave just over 3lbs of usable pumpkin flesh. some of the others are bigger so looks like a lot of meals there!


Also received a big bag of windfall pears via freecycle this week - trying to look out recipes for preserves as I don't think they will 'keep' long.

November garden - crops

brussels nearly ready to pick


leeks most certainly ready


rocket outside,





lettuce, spinach and even a small pepper in the greenhouse

picked this week

bits and pieces of lettuce and spinach leaves


the last cabbage and a handful of broccoli







chillies and teeny tomato from
the greenhouse


and a surprise crop of potatoes found while digging up the runner bean row

November garden - trees

leaves everywhere right now







glorious blueberry bushes











front garden rowan














cotoneaster











pyracantha













flowering cherry


















and even the currant bush is turning autumnal

November garden - flowers

tagetes, fuchsias, calendulas, rudbeckias and ....... winter jasmine!