Kitchen Garden Forum

no new posts for a few days has left me wondering

Busy! Busy! Busy! So many functions & nights out this month - I'm not sure I'm popular or making up numbers, but as they are all on school nights as well I know I need more sleep for a start (or less work)!

Westi

Am popping in on & off though reading the posts!

Dear Retropants, it was just a cunning plan from us all, to get you to start a post on the forum.

Yes, retropants, a good idea to give us all a jolt! Been very busy, too, mainly harvesting.

We lifted the last potatoes today (Sarpo Mira - a lot of slug damage, I am afraid) and again picked lots of beans. The runner bans 'Moonlight' are sooo prolific, I am not sure whether it is this year's weather or it is the variety.

Lots of swallows gathering overhead today, probably the young ones practising before leaving us!

Do gardeners hibernate?
Busy completing autumn sowing; winter and spring crops make me feel it's all started again already

Yes! Usually I love Autumn - it really gives me a sense of the wheel of the year turning, but this year I'm a bit Meh about it all, don't know why. So I really feel like hiding away and not coming out till May next year!

But I have got a new allotment plot so I've lots and lots of digging to do before the really bad weather gets here - need all that turf broken up so the Winter can do the hard work for me.

Work hits me hard at the start of September and the harvesting continues. The wild blackberries were fabulous yesterday.

i am busy prepping for double craft fairs this weekend (I make and sell handmade soap and candles and associated things) so no allotment for me on Sunday, but my mum will be picking the tommies and beans and probably digging up some more desiree potatoes, which are looking quite good this year! I am hoping there might be a corn cob ready for me (they are late this year, but looking good)

Deluge in progress....the weather men got it right for once. I've been busy clearing away old plants and trimming back here and there - all ready to plant the daffodil bulbs. I've bought too many, as usual, and trying to cram them all in. Should look good next spring.

Has anyone heard the long range weather forecast for winter yet?

Gosh Retropants, you're not just a pretty face, you are pretty crafty as well.

Diane wrote:Has anyone heard the long range weather forecast for winter yet?

Cold!

thankyou OH! I need to learn how to sit down and relax, I find it very hard to do!

Diane, I expect it to be cold, wet, freezing, damp, snowy, foggy, icy and many more variations of the above, but not necessarily in that order.

Are you coming out of hibernation for the Tour of Britain Alan?
You can pick your vantage point with this advice http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ ... tage-point here's what they suggest for the Welsh stage:
Stages four goes into Wales, where the riders will face a series of sharp second and third category climbs before a fast descent to the finish at Llanberis. Kenyon has ridden these roads regularly and says the climbs between Denbigh and Betws-y-coed will provide the best opportunities to "see the riders' hurt up close and goad or encourage them in your Welsh flag mankinis".
So if you let us know the exact design of your mankini we can look out for you.
Ooops, forgot you don't like sport!

Just got my first 2014 catalogue today! Seems too early as choosing seeds is what I like to do during hibernation & I'm still cropping & things are growing. As tempting as it is to have a peek through it I will be leaving it for a while yet!

Westi

We have had two 2014 catalogues (DT Brown and Mr Fothergill) and I am already sorely tempted by lots of goodies. In the end I usually stick to the well proven ones which, I know, do well in this area. Can't do anything fancy here like sweetcorn or squash!!!!

Spent all afternoon and evening yesterday making apple chutney and freezing runner beans and the last dwarf beans. Our large chest freezer is almost full. Just hope we don't get any big power cuts in winter.