Friday 24 September 2010

Where is Summer?


I am a bit confused... Summer is generally meant to be the bit between spring and autumn. But somehow it has passed us by this year.
It has been a poor year for my cucumbers, only had a handful. But the tomatoes are still going strong and it's mid September. I am now officially fed up of tomatoes!

The potato harvest has been a poor one with them mostly being small and not such a large amount from each plant. The ones in buckets did the best -warmer conditions maybe?

The runner beans were also poor compared to last year but the French beans are still coming.

The hooligan pumpkins have come into their own at Nanna's garden, although they are a bit too small to do anything useful with. The sweetcorn there (last chance for me as each year I have had no success) was OK, but don't think I shall bother next year.

The onions bolted just after out holiday in June so had to be pulled - I have already used them all. I have a few shallots left but need to plant different varieties next year maybe?

I have been making loads of home brew and have lots of wine on the go - marrow, apple, apple and blackberry, sloe, blackcurrant, plum and loads of cider. Marc actually managed to break the press this year as he was a bit too gung-ho with the jack! Our apples were late and quite poor so we managed to scrump loads from a local farmer. Some time next spring the cider with be ready as it has to go through a secondary ferment to make it smoooooth :o)

Peppers and aubergines and chillies were poor. Again, I shall be more selective with the varieties next year.

The raspberries were all in large pots and have been fantastic this year, so they have been cut down and given a bed of their own in the garden. We had loads of early strawberries then they seemed to wear themselves out and by the time we got back off hols in late June they were few and far between. I will move them in with the raspberries and get some new ones for next year.

Still pulling carrots, they are lovely and fat now. Yet to pull any parsnips, will wait a bit as want to save some for Christmas dinner. I have mini-sprouts coming too - Marc will be delighted they are his absolute fave vegetable..... oh no, I am lying he hates them!

I have got 150 leeks in the bit of land next to the house and some onions. The bloody weeds love that bit of ground :o/

The brassicas cover was accidentally mowed and has got a massive hole in it so will need to invest in something else next year. The cabbage whites were mental this year but the chickens have benefited from any manky looking plants. They don't care what they eat!

One of my girls was poorly and had to have a tip to the vest - a proper James Herriott type with cow poo up his arms! We had said no vets for the chickens but as we didn't know what was wrong with her we couldn't just dispatch her, and turns out she had a parasite. Something my regular wormer doesn't cover. She has perked up since then but hasn't laid for a few weeks as went into a moult. I also have Daphne, my favourite chicken, in a moult so egg laying has been down lately.

We have been having a big push to get the house finished so less time has been spent in the garden. The awful weather ensured this was no hardship really. I have had 2 large areas of the garden gravelled to cut down on my weeding duties.