Picked this week 28th October 2012

This week's harvesting has been mainly about picking crops before the threatened frost arrives. Runner beans have already finished cropping though.

Still managed to get some cucumbers - probably the last. Cleared off the chillies and a tiny cherry pepper to ripen in the kitchen and picked salad leaves from both allotment and greenhouse although they should be ok under glass.

We don't have many cold weather veg as the torrential rain put paid to carrots and swedes. We do have some rather large parsnips though which could last a while.

Red October

surprise poppy

blueberry bush

my garden seems to have come over all red this week - the leaves on shrubs are changing colour and suddenly lots of red flowers have appeared - including an out-of season oriental poppy.

nasturtium taking over

kaffir lily

another angle on the poppy

late, late strawberry

Picked This Week 21st October 2012

lots of different salad leaves - baby green and larger red oak leaf lettuce here but there's also american land cress and rocket to pick.

 I'm amazed that we're still picking raspberries and blackberries - even after a frost! Two bowls this week.

...and cucumbers - this is one of the largest crystal lemons that we've had this summer. Not sure whether the capsicum is a strange shaped pepper or chilli.
...and two more crystal lemons on Saturday - and a very small beefsteak tomato.

not so surprised at the brassicas - lots of kale to be pulled, a scruffy red cabbage and small green one and second shoots of broccoli

pulling leeks as needed and a tiny carrot!

 very few beans and a handful of peas. The few pea plants aren't doing too badly - unfortunately not many survived the downpours just after they were planted. Next year I'd like to have more.

decided it was time to clear some of the french beans that should dry out to keep over winter. Not too sure if they will.

Surprise discovery

I've been continuing with my garden redesign which involves adding new paths.













While trying to level the ground before laying out the bricks I made a surprise discovery ....



....potatoes! A couple of years ago a root of them self-set by the compost bins. Although we tried to lift them, we always seem to miss one small potato and they continue to grow.

First frost

I wasn't up early enough to see it but there was a frost last night. Nothing too severe and everything looks ok - even the nasturtiums which droop very easily. Runner beans and peas at the allotment are ok but not the really delicate courgette.
Tonight's temperature is set to drop to 5 then hopefully things are warming up again.

Picked this Week 14th October 2012

Another busy week lifting crops before they're hit by cold weather.
Bad weather over summer means a lot of things didn't grow at all - these 3 carrots are the best of this year's crop! The beetroot are all small but where they've survived slug/snail attacks the leeks are starting to thicken up.

Beetroot after washing - most of the year's crop

I managed to get some tomatoes this week - not many of a reasonable size - and a couple of finger sized courgettes - these might have grown larger but the plant is outside and night time temperatures are set to plummet this weekend. 








I cleared the last of the sweetcorn - all of it baby sized but at least I've salvaged something. Runner and french beans are still cropping fairly well - certainly more than we're eating.








There are a few pea pods ready - I'm hoping the rest with survive any cold nights





and of course there's more kale

 Cucumbers are doing very well - two long green one and three small crystal lemons this week - as are lettuce in the cold frame. We've now replaced the netting with glass (old window frames) to keep it warmer.

 I cleared the small apple tree in the garden - and this was all the fruit. I don't think there's any to pick from the larger tree. There was lots of blossom but the fruit has been rotting on the tree.

Autumn raspberries are cropping really well though along with blackberries from the allotment edge.

Kale

This isn't the most glamorous looking plant in the world but has turned out to be one of the most long lasting. We've been picking leaves for months now and the plants have gone on growing. A couple of them have flowered so we may have our own seed to set next year.

Picked this week 7th October 2012

Lots of lovely leaves - american land cress, red salad bowl lettuce and baby AYR green lettuce.

 mixed brassicas - loose leaves from a very late spring cabbage, kale and a couple of tiny broccoli sprigs

french beans, peas and runner beans

mini sweet corn - should have made full sized cobs but the weather hasn't been right for that at all

3 odd cucumbers - though the crystal lemons SHOULD look like that - and a tiny courgette

unripe tomatoes - any are welcome as we've had such a bad crop this year

October butterflies

 In yesterday's sunshine - two red admirals and a very ragged comma on the Michaelmas daisies.

October flowers

 For now we still have quite a few flowers brightening up the garden

 mainly dominated by huge drifts of Michaelmas daisies

 but also some roses hanging on

 and calendulas

 feverfew

 

 sweet peas

 and nasturtiums running wildly everywhere