Kitchen Garden Forum

You ought to have entered your pumpkin in a show Westi in the most beautiful pumpkin class. I hope it tastes as good as it looks. I've found some pattypan squashes the size of dinner plates this weekend so I'll have to try cooking one to see whether they are worth bothering with. They might be tough and tasteless by now. I think I'll try slicing it across the middle horizontally and roasting it.

Your thug pumpkin has proved to be rather expensive Westi and I doubt you'll want to let that happen again. I'm not sure greenhouse broken glass is covered by insurance - I can see the look of incredibility at the insurance company when the claim form reads "glass broken by pumpkin intruder"

We did have Sweet Dumpling plant which once climbed up some very fragile lightweight trellis on a fence and snapped it before romping off over the top of the fence and into next door's garden - and they are very small fruits compared to pumpkins.

It does look very pretty but it's last time I let a rouge grow off on it's own. Mind at this rate I'll have most of the glass replaced with perspex so will be better insulation for the winter - at a cost obviously! Not long until a frost & then the harvest. Will start with the baby just to check it's the sweet orange flesh I want, the size of the other 2 say they may store quite well if cured.

In hindsight it does tell me the soil is quite fertile - or the pumpkin has been on steroids!

Three Oak trees on garden perimeter,picking a bucket of acorns every day.Now the leaves are beginning to fall!

Snooky. - what on earth do yiu do with all those acorns, make acorn coffee or ersatz bread or something or just save them as a winter snack for the squirrels?

Hi Primrose,
The acorns go into the bin for garden waste which the council compost,nothing as clever as turning into coffee or bread.The squirrels have had their fair share too judging by the marks in the lawns where they have been burying them.Those which survive and form saplings will,on Johnboys suggestion when I had this problem a few years ago,be lifted and planted inthe local woods.

Had a day off yesterday with youngest grandsons, we went "conkering", 6 year old had never heard of a game of conkers, me an' him are having our first battle next week, though my daughter insists I am not to teach them to climb trees to get them.........spoilsport.

I may attempt some conquering as well next week,


going to Hastings & East Sussex for a few days

I did not know the mods and rockers were having a bash there pa snip I always thought it was Brighton

And Margate, Southend, Clacton, many places they had a Battle

Well fortunately weather stayed dry for a few hours so managed to get to lottie. Bagged up the blighted toms and cleared that bed which is protected and took a chance on sowing a few tom thumb lettuces, pea sprouts and just threw in some spring onions and mini beetroots that were in the bottom of the packet, but not enough to make anywhere near a row.

The pumpkins are all but finished so will be taking them when next down but a wee bit of green in the vine still, except for the courgettes which have just rotted and disappeared. The autumn berries are just holding out but I may have got my last harvest as they are beginning to get mould on some of the fruit so that will soon spread.

Over wintering onions and shallot beds are ready as is the garlic bed but the drizzle came in so couldn't plant. Feeling a bit sad it's the end of the season but still got crops & spring brassicas look healthy and we haven't had a frost so dahlias and flowers still looking cheerful.

Planted out a long row each of shallots Jermor and Golden Gourmet and garlic Solent Wight, Provence Wight and Mersley Wight yesterday and then spent a long time covering the whole area with tough wire hoops and then copious wire netting to protect them against the pheasants. It looks like Fort Knox ...... but if I just used the wire netting the birds would simply walk all over it and push it down.

Frustrating that you should have to go to all these lengths Monika, to protect your crops. It must make weeding an awful nuisance.
I planted my elephant garlic bulbs about a fortnight ago and noticed today that the first three green shoots are already peeping through the soil.
I have done no gardening today but indulged in a little retail therapy at our local nursery where I couldn't resist buying some clematis plants. I have mixed fortunes with these with clematis wilt, but never give up. I wish there was a magic solution to overcoming some of these trials of nature.

Pheasants taste nice with a couple of shallots casseroled or roasted lol.

Last night's greenhouse haul.