Late Summer bits and bobs.

[oldherbaceous]

Well since i'm predicting this lovely weather to last until at least November, we should have plenty of time to fill the pages.

But just beware of some chilly nights ahead.

[Westi]

I like your optimism OH! I was just chatting today about there being no doom & gloom predictions in the papers about expecting the coldest / wettest / driest winter with a neighbour.
It is getting chillier at night & darker mornings have me putting the lights on to avoid tripping over the critters & I've washed all the clotches in preparation, but Hey Ho I'm sure our little forum will keep me up to date with tricks & advise & I'll be ready to start next season with better habits than previous!

I said that last year didn't I? ....Oops! Definitely need to keep my garden diary up to date & take some pictures to record & compare progress. I made it to the 5th of May though!

Westi

[Elaine]

Every year at this time, I start thinking gloomily..."The nights are really pulling in now". and every year I don't like it.
This year has flown by...it's not only me who feels that is it? This time last year, I was looking forward to my son's wedding in October, and had just bought my posh Mother of the Groom frock. Here we are, a few weeks away from their first wedding anniversary!

[Motherwoman]

I seem to be a bit ahead of where I was last year but as I've just taken on another part time job it probably will start slipping! I have cleaned the ground ready for the Broad Beans to go in at the start of November so that's something.

When do you all start to do autumn digging? And not expect to get a crop of weeds on it!

Got up at 3.30am as himself was doing his impression of an elephant seal 'beachmaster' again, tidied the kitchen, peeled the cooked beetroot (love that job...pop!), put the parsley in the dehydrator and I'm now waiting for it to get light enough to hang the holiday cottage washing on the line... Have been admiring the beautiful moon out there.

MW

[Monika]

Yes, what a lovely moon it was the last few night,s especially last night when it rose in the east over the moors like a huge fire ball! Other than Saturday, the weather has been absolutely brilliant up here - wall to wall sunshine with barely a breeze.

Our village show went fine and was well attended as well as having an increased number of entries. I managed to win four trophies: second most points in the show, most points in the flower section, most points in the preserves section and best preserve in the show. There are no money prizes at all, but the first two trophies come with a voucher for a local nursery and the RHS, so I am now planning what to buy!

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Monka, congratulations on your great success, you must be very pleased indeed.

All the veg that are growing at the moment, old or new, really are growing at a rate with all this sun. I'm still doing a bit of watering though, as the water table is pretty low.

[Ricard with an H]

Almost 3am in the morning, dog wanted a pee so I made a cup of herb tea and caught up with you lot, here are my 'bits-bobs'.

A neighbouring artist couple who maintain their health with herbs, flowers and roots came to collect seedling borage that are spread all over my winter salad bed, I've been pulling them out daily because they are not welcome in that spot. The lady swears that tea made with borage leaves super charges her husband so I recommended she grows them in the same way I grow comfrey. By regularly cropping the plant so it doesn't flower.

Will that work ?

I may grow a complete bed of borage next year, I'll crop some and let some flower just for the bees and seeds, gilardia (spelling) is still producing masses of flower and is crawling with bees. Such a shame I had to uproot and move some plants though two plants in pots are doing very well regardless of my view on growing in pots.

My climbing French bean planting has produced the first eating sized bean, but just the one bean with plenty of white flowers. It's gone over the top of the 7 foot frame I built, I don't know if I should nip the tops off or just let it go over and down again.

[alan refail]

A neighbouring artist couple who maintain their health with herbs, flowers and roots came to collect seedling borage that are spread all over my winter salad bed, I've been pulling them out daily because they are not welcome in that spot. The lady swears that tea made with borage leaves super charges her husband so I recommended she grows them in the same way I grow comfrey. By regularly cropping the plant so it doesn't flower.

Will that work ?

If they wanted a crop each year they would have to let it self-seed since unlike comfrey, borage is an annual.

[alan refail]

I'm looking to the future now the season is winding down. Salads and bunching onions and herbs sown for the winter, cabbages and kale, oriental mustard and pak choi sown for the spring.
We bought five new hens yesterday with a view to having a few more eggs over the winter than our aging stock will provide. And we've revived our old habit of naming them (softies that we are!).
Two Marans - Mair and Marged
Two Welsummer - Haf and Heulwen
One crested Cream Legbar - Gwenllian
That should give us some dark brown and some blue eggs to add some colour to our light brown and white ones.

[Ricard with an H]

Thanks Alan, I was aware of that and have taken the responsibility for the for the first year (At least) to provide them with seed from my plot which will be some cut down and some left to seed.

[oldherbaceous]

It is nice to be able to run the hoe through the soil at this time of the year, and it will make a huge difference to any weeding that has to be done later in the year. It really is most enjoyable over the allotment today.

[PLUMPUDDING]

It is a good time for getting some new hens, I usually get a couple of point of lay in late September/October when the older ones are having a rest and moulting. The Cream Leg Bar is the only one of my five that is laying her blue eggs regularly at the moment. My others are two Vorwerk - white eggs and two Gingernut Rangers - light brown ones. I am thinking of getting some Black Rock for their brown eggs. They are lovely sturdy bodied smallish hens, have very waterproof feathers and lay well.

[PLUMPUDDING]

Suppose it should be Autumn Bits and Bobs now.

It is the first day we have seen the sun for nearly two weeks. We seem to have been in a very soggy dark cloud very depressing but wonderful to wake to a fine sunny day today.

Will be picking some more apples and plums before the birds and wasps get them.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Plumpudding, i think we can delay the Autumn bits and bobs for a little longer, as i'm sure things will brighten for you over the next week.

[Primrose]

I have just trimmed back (foe the second time!) my parsnip leaves which are threatening to swamp one of my rows of leeks and realised after the event I should have worm something long sleeved because one arm is now stinging with irritation .

Incidentally. My leeks are starting to show signs of rust. Anything I can do apart from stripping off the outer affected leaves?