What with the weather and various other commitments last week, we only managed one visit to the allotment.
Things are winding down but we have plenty of tidying up to do. There's no big rush though. It's going to be a case of doing bits and pieces when we can.
One big job that Martyn tackled was to cut back our apple hedge. I'm afraid with this hedge we don't go in for any 'scientific' pruning methods. It's just a case of out with the ladders and hedge cutter. The hedge still manages to produce lots of fruit.
Whilst, Martyn was busy wielding the hedge trimmer, I cleared the beds where there were remaining, dead courgette plants.
The outdoor tomatoes had come to the end of their useful life and so were also cleared. After strong winds had blown across the plot many of the remaining tomatoes littered the soil, however I managed to collect a few tomatoes to bring home.
I think this is probably the latest outdoor tomato harvest that we have achieved, at least as far back as I can remember.
We harvested a few more things too before heading home.
I think the small picking of cranberries will probably be the last of the year. All this year's fruit came from just one of our two plants. I wonder whether the other plant will make an effort next year?
After a slight frost earlier in the week, I hadn't expected the dahlias to survive. Some leaves had been blackened but there were still fresh flowers to pick. I also gathered some more statice to add to the bunches drying in a spare bedroom.
We needed to replenish our carrot stock and so we dug another forkful. This years carrots have been great so far. As we have still only used carrots from one of the varieties sown, we don't yet have any idea of how the other varieties have fared.
Before heading home I picked a few leaves from the giant spinach..
This was used in a coconut and squash curry.
To end, for those of you who enjoy watching videos, I've added a video of last week's activities on the plot.
To end, for those of you who enjoy watching videos, I've added a video of last week's activities on the plot.
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Oh, Sue this harvest is in October, can't believe. Lovely and tasty tomatoes, I also liked your flowers, hopefully they aren't the last ones.
ReplyDeleteI hope so too, Nadezda
DeleteEnjoy the lingering bounty; we already have snow.
ReplyDeleteThanks tpals. I can easily manage without seeing any snow this winter,
DeleteIt is amazing you are still finding tomatoes. The flowers are gorgeous too. Cleanup is my least favorite gardening chore but I need to do some too, before it gets too cold to work.
ReplyDeleteThey’ll be the last tomatoes, Dave as the plants are now on the compost heap. I quite like having some time to sort the plot and garden out during the slow season,
DeleteOctober tomatoes, what a nice treat. Those are some fine looking carrots and your flowers as usual are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI hope that the carrots will keep us going through winter, Michelle.
DeleteSo enjoyable to see garden harvests in England. Your carrots look very sturdy. Isn't it nice they keep so well. Don't we all love dahlias--made nicer because they are late in the season stars.
ReplyDeleteIt is useful that some vegetables store well in the ground over winter, edibleg52
DeleteBy the way I visited your blog but it wouldn’t allow me to comment without creating an account which I didn’t want to do.
DeleteNo frost yet down here! We have had a bit of rain over the last few days, but our temperatures are still like what you would expect in early September. The leaves are falling now, and the garden will soon be a wet soggy mass of them. Which reminds me, I must go and see if I can get some chestnuts...
ReplyDeleteWe’ve only had a touch of frost, Mark. It’s mainly still quite mild but wetter than it has been for some time.
DeleteI envy your "no big rush" situation when it comes to clean-up in the garden. With the temperatures plunging into the single digits, I'm feeling the pressure to get things done ASAP before I have to done a winter jacket.
ReplyDeleteWe have some jobs earmarked to do over winter, Margaret so we just have to hope that winter isn’t too fierce.
DeleteAnother wonderful harvest, loving the cranberries and that curry recipe! My dahlias have been dreadful this year, lots of foliage but few flowers. I still have a few outdoor tomatoes along with lots of courgettes still flowering away!xxx
ReplyDeleteFor the last year or so we have been eating more veggie meals, Dina. I have found lots of really tasty veggie curries.
DeleteAh, the last taste of summer. I wonder whether you've noticed your tomatoes tasting different since you had a hotter than usual summer. Your flowers and carrots are lovely. I'm hoping the carrots I planted in August start swelling too, otherwise I fear it'll be too late for them.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t really notice a difference in the taster of the tomatoes, Phuong. Good luck with your carrots.
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