Kitchen Garden Forum

We've already had more rain in the past two days than we had in June and July. I'm planting some lettuce seedlings in the greenhouse border and probably having a baking day to use up the pre slug pellet eggs so I know they are all uncontaminated.

I picked some lovely ripe peppers from my outdoor potted plants yesterday but decided the night time temperatures have now dropped as low as they would l feel comfortable with so now have five tall plants in pots on my lounge window sill blocking out much of the light until all the remaining peppers on them have grown to their maximum size and have ripened.

We do need some rain. We have reseeded our front grass verge which was totally dead and need the seed to germinate before the nights get too cold.

A shame you can't give the eggs, that might be contaminated, to the low life that visited....

It has certainly damp here in Berko but it is time we had some after another dry spell.

Rained here all day as well - very welcome!

I've just been reviewing my phone weather for when it might stop (9pm), but strolling thorough the days I was very surprised. It goes to the 18th Oct and the lowest temp during this time frame is 16 degrees. Indian Summer - I'm pleased as I did a lot of late re-sowing due to lost crops in the heatwave (my salad & beans saga), so if it is correct I could be lucky! I've flowers on the beans & at least my lettuces have germinated.

Picked a load of my Autumn cropping Broad beans, (Luz de Otono) this morning, hope they taste as good as they look....First time I have ever tried them and considering the hot dry weather we have had, they are carrying a decent crop.

I pulled up the climbing bean sticks today and packed them away. Managed to collect a "last gasp" handful of beans which were very tender and which we had for lunch.

Meanwhile I realise i,m too late for our digital autumn horticultural show but here's a late entry to the Wonky Veg section

Hard frost this morning - all the dahlias, asters and nasturtiums have succumbed. It soon thawed, however, and we then spent all morning in the sunshine removing our last bits and pieces from the allotment, leaving the new tenants with our shed, quite a few tools, watering cans, buckets, wheelbarrow, first aid kit and also lots of leeks, flower sprouts, chard and a few Florence fennels. Good buy, allotment .......

The new tenants are very lucky Monika. Most allotments I've taken on have been a sea of weeds and rubbish. Good luck with your downsizing. Perhaps you'll enjoy it more if it's not as tiring and you'll have energy left for doing other things.

I've made two Christmas cakes today, taken the nets off the brassica cages, potted up some basil and a few other things and brought the Chilean guavas into the greenhouse. The fruits smell lovely and taste very nice. The flower end is a bit coarse though.
The kiwi fruits are still like bullets so I'll just have to keep an eye on them.

A sad day for you both, Monika, after all the time and hard work you have put into it, as well as all the pleasure and crops it has given you. I hope the new new tenants will enjoy the plot as much as you did.

Dear Monika, I can imagine that must have been very emotional for you both. As Plumpudding has already said, the new tenant is a very lucky person indeed, I do hope they appreciate everything.
Have you met the new tenants yet? You could have made it part of the deal, you would leave them the stuff but, they have to join the forum, in exchange.....
Anyway, I wish you both well with your garden and all the other things in your lives.

Spent a lovely day on the plot enjoying the sunshine whilst putting up new gate posts and getting stung by red ants.

Yes OH, we gave the new tenants a 'guided tour' a fortnight ago and particularly pointed out what had been grown in which beds recently, for easier crop rotation. It's a young couple who have had a tiny little plot on the same site for two years, so they are really looking forward to spreading out and being able to keep all the tools in the shed. I am sure they will look after it very well.

Monika, glad your allotment has gone to some tenants who will really appreciate it and who will be keen to have more growing space. At least it doesn,t sound as if they will be "fly by night's" who will give up after a few weeks, not realising what they have taken on. I must confess though that I would have been tempted to carefully dig up some of those leeks and try to replant them If you had room in your gqtdwn . They must just be coming into their own now.

At least you can out your feet up for a while now and start again on a more modest scale on the spring.