Kitchen Garden Forum

Well anything sprouting in our garden will no longer have much of a chance, the temperature this morning in 1.3 deg.C.

Nature's Babe - Welcome from me too. See you live in one of my regularly visited parts of the country.

Thank you Old Herbacious, I will think of you as mature and wise and experienced - not old, grins..

Dear Simonthescribe, a warm welcome to the forum to you too.

Dear Nature's Babe, you might just be better thinking of me as rather silly.

This week might have been wet, warm and occasionally windy, but I think from Sunday onwards we could feel winter approaching!

Dear Nature's Babe,
Welcome to the forum. As for Old Herbaceous he is not rather silly. he is the village idiot, a nice old man really.

Dear simonthescribe,A warm welcome to the forum

Dear Codger, don't forget i might be taking you out in a wheelchair when you first get your hip done, and i've heard Reddings hill is nice at this time of the year.

Sorry O.H. I don't think you have a licence to go on the road, so i will keep to my sticks

Thank you Simon (and welcome) for reminding me about the raspberries. I picked over 5lb last week and will be facing the same tomorrow I guess. I never thought I'd be fed up of them, but my freezer is full, I have more jam than I'll ever eat and will struggle to give this much away, I've made Summer pudding a dozen times and I don't think I want any more

Seedling and I are going to cut them all down in a couple of weeks, even if they are still fruiting, the poor things need a rest.

Welcome Simon. Isn't it nice that we're getting some new faces here on the forum. The more the merrier I say. Lot of interesting experiences to be shared which always helps to liven things up, especially when it's the quiet season and it's nice to indulge in some 'virtual gardening' when there's not much to be done outdoors.

Hi Simon

I live in Hillmorton which is around 15 minutes away from Garden Organic at Ryton. I have to admit I've not been there since the spring, although I've been past a lot recently as Coventry Demolition (reclamation yard) is right next door and I've been collecting bricks.

I picked another load of raspberries yesterday and gave them away. That's the lot now until next year as the cold got to them over the weekend. I've started cutting them down.

As for the wine, I'm never going to brew the stuff again. Many years ago I made around 10 different sorts of wine one autumn, nearly died from trying just an egg cup full of each sort when racking off the stuff (I fell face first into the dog's water bowl and just lay there I was so plastered) and the headache the following day was the stuff of legends. As I mentioned elsewhere the rosehip wine was like rocket fuel and undrinkable, but fantastic as a toilet cleaner. The carrot and barley could make grown men cry and fall down after just a glassful and I could have run our car on the elderberry.

Going back to unseasonal seedlings ( ) I have roses coming out and the clematis which blossoms in the spring has already started flowering.

I was looking out of the kitchen window earlier, and saw something that looked for all the world like a delphinium flower. Dismissing the idea, I went to see what it really was, and it was a delphinum, in full flower, looking absolutely beautiful!

I've finally picked the last of my tomatoes this afternoon. The plants were half-dead but with swome brand-new growth, and still quite a lot of flowers and small green fruit. But with the temperatures that are forcast, I decided it was time to call it a day. I should add that they are more or less outdoors, with only the limited shelter offered by my torn, holey pvc-covered planthouse, so I've been really lucky to keep harvesting for so long.

Thank you Oldherbacious

that may explain why the broad beans I sowed only a few weeks ago in rootrainers have come up so strongly - but never mind, they'll come in useful. I've cleard a little bit of ground on the slightly overgrown allotment I've just come into possession of and planted the beans in it, with a tunnel cloche over the top; doubt it will be much protection against a SERIOUS frost but better than nothing and I can always drape a sheet of fleece over the top if necessary after all - btw good luck Old Codger when the op comes round......