The sowing season has started and, to get me going with a bang, I got a couple of heated propagators for Christmas. They’re from Greenfingers .com and were on sale at £15 each. They came with ten pots and eight packets of seeds each. So, with the latest seeds from Vegetableseeds.net, what I’ve saved myself and all those free vouchers and the odd packet that come with the catalogues this time of year (got three free packets just from T&M’s voucher), I won’t need to spend a penny on seeds this year. All I’ll need is compost, and I’ve just bought a bulk load from CPL for £36 quid. So that’s probably all I’ll spend this year.

As for sowing I’ve done:

Basil – Ruben
Basil – Christmas
Chervil
Habeneros
Chives
Parsley
Tomatoes – Beefsteak
Tomatoes – Moneymaker
Tomatoes – Super Marmande
Tomatoes – Orkado
Tomatoes – Gardener’s Delight
Tomatoes – Hot and Spicy Capsicums (mixed chillies to you and me)

The chickens are all back in full lay now. They started on New Year’s Day and haven’t stopped since. In fact, today we somehow managed to get five eggs from four chickens.

We’ll, I’ve done my boxing day sowing. No onions this year though. I always find mine don’t do well from seed. Instead I’ve done some early chillies and some leeks. My leeks are never brilliant so I thought I might try and give some an early start.

I’ve done a small sprinkle each of Bleu de Solaise, Musselburgh and Oarsman. As for chillies, I’ve done a small pot each of mixed and Ring of Fire. The mixed did quite well last year, though I have no idea what they are. I got three different types by the looks of it, one medium, one more like a pepper and some little orange things that’ll take the roof of your mouth off. The Ring of Fire were freebies from the One Show the year before last.

Also being getting into the Christmas Spirit, in the hope that some if it will find its way back into me. I knocked some of this up a few weeks ago. It should be just about right to keep the chill out for a while and see in the new year.

Christmas Spirit

Sloe Vodka and Raspberry Vodka and one that’s a mix of both.

Well, those raised beds have gone, along with a load of fireworks and hotdogs. Oddest fire I’ve ever had, loads of damp wood and not a bit of smoke. Still, it’s given me a bit of ash to dig in.

Bonfire Night. (The smoke is from the fireworks)

It’s scorched the hedge a bit but it needs a trim anyway. I’ll cut it sometime in the next couple of weeks when I get a minute, then shred it and use it to mulch the paths.

Oddly enough, the apple trees either side of the fire were untouched, which is a good job as they are still in full leaf.

Anyway, Bonfire Night isn’t the only thing to remember this month. So I’ll finish off by reminding anyone who needs it…….

Wear Yours With Pride

Well, it’s finally cooled down a bit so I’ve started the autumn digging. I’ve knocked down a couple of raised beds too. They were rotten and I’ve already replaced one of them with a new, treated bed.  The contents have been scattered about as a top dressing and the wood itself is all piled up waiting for bonfire night.

How to get rid of your old raised beds

There’s not a great deal in the garden now but greens, mostly kale, but I’ve still got a few over wintering crops to sow.

I’ve cleaned the toms out of the greenhouse and will give that a good cleaning one weekend, then get something wintering in the borders.

Well the calendar says it’s October, but the greenhouse autovent is wide open, the flowers are, well flowering again and the garden doesn’t know what the heck it’s doing.

Anyway, I’ve just picked my first pumpkin, made a load of apple puree to freeze and knocked up a batch of wine from all the left over fruits from last autumn (been cleaning out the freezer).

Cabbages are still going strong, as are the toms and peppers. I actually have some sprouts this year too.

I just wish it wuld cool down a bit so I can get the autumn digging started. I just can’t do digging in this heat.

Despite the odd warm spell, it’s starting to feel quite autumnal, nights are drawing in and it’s beginning to seem like the season is coming to an end.

The chooks are moulting now, the beans are all but done, squashes are ripening and the blight has taken the last of the tomatoes.

Moulting chooks. Not many eggs but they still eat like locusts.

Squashes are still flowering.

 

Comfrey. Great for compost, plant food and even for eating.

Courgette, cucumbers, tomatoes (quick before the blight finishes them all).

I’ve just harvested the apples too, five dozen bramleys and a couple of hundred pippins, from just two trees. I’ve enough eaters to last for ages and a big bucket of misshapes and scabbies to have a go at making some cider.

I’ll be spending the weekend making pies and apple puree to freeze.

I’ve even being eating autumn raspberries.

The blight that appeared last month has got worse. I’ve had to pull up all the outdoor tomatoes. I won’t bother planting outside next year, I never seem to get any ripe toms anyway, just a lot of chutney.

On the other hand the toms in the greenhouse are doing fine, as are the peppers and chillies and, thankfully, it’s mushrooming time again.

Just harvested the first of this year’s tomatoes and peppers. I made a lovely pasta sauce with them.

Unfortunately I found the first signs of blight in the greenhouse too, even though the door has been left open for weeks, and spent a half hour chopping out manky bits and disposing of them. No sign of it outdoors thankfully.

Also picked a few flowers:

Not bad for an afternoon’s work. A huge turnip, runners, peas and baby carrots. And a great harvest from the beer tree.