Getting Ready for Christmas

 

Italian inspired snack food. Taralli and grissini.  Both keep well - and taste a treat.

End of Year Report

 

Pride of place has to go to the brassica patch. Brussels, kale and PSB still to come. Far left is a short row of mooli that I keep forgetting to check for root development. 

The old potato patch looks like a building site, but there are garlic bulbs planted at this end and two short rows of potatoes left under the fabric. 

At the far end are parsnips for this winter and 10 bags of farm yard manure to beef up the fertility for next year.

The contents of the fruit cage looks suitably dormant. I am currently half way through pruning . The net has been removed to avoid the danger of snow damage.

My customary "view from the end" looks a bit bleak but the leeks in the foreground should come on in the spring. The net hides the end of this year's carrots and next year's spring cabbages. To the right of the net are the last of the celery and celeriac.  Both were high on expectation and a little short on delivery. ( The white piping is just awaiting deployment as protection for plants)

Just for completion, here is the pumpkin patch, currently fallow. There are beets, root and leaf, under the net, and some spring onions.  Beyond are strawberry plants and a wannabe asparagus patch.

After The Fire - The Frost

 

Here's the scene on awakening this Sunday.

Fiery Sunset

 The Edinburgh sunset this afternoon was so dramatic that it deserves a post of its own.  There seems to be a fire breathing dragon looking down on the pizzeria - or maybe  I just have an overactive imagination.  

It was enough to distract some from their shopping imperative!

Autumn Watch

 

November is not far off and it is time to gather in produce that is susceptible to the cold nights ahead.

Surprisingly the runner bean stand is still green and still producing some edible beans (in addition to the few swollen pods left to mature and produce seed for next year)

Next door the blueberries have definitely got the message that autumn is here and are putting on a fiery display.  Still one or two berries have persisted or rather have been overlooked.  These have been left for the birds, particularly as we had a bumper crop over the summer.

Jack frost has not appeared yet this year, as proven by the beans. But it won.'t be long now.

A Result

 

A year ago we grew winter squashes Crown Prince, Golden Hubbard and Uchiki Kuri in the school garden.  When October arrived the clamour went up.  Why don't you have any Halloween Pumpkins???  So this year I am happy to report that I have taken the criticism on board🙂

A First

 Since 2003 I have never gone a whole month without posting, yet here I am on the last day of the month without my first September post.  I guess gardening is a repetitive process but there is always some novelty to report on. This month it is harvesting my first celery.  As you can see from the brick it is not massive.  More suitable for soup than salad.  That's alright with me, as I don't like celery raw.   

There are a few of them planted closely together to aid the supposed self blanching.  The variety is Victoria.  

There I've saved myself from a September duck!