Autumn Bits and Bobs.

[Westi]

Did anyone get to see the Neanderthal Comet last night? Kept popping out looking but despite it being clear the only unusual thing I saw was a wee blinking dot which did appear to have a wee tail as it moved across. They did say you could see it without any special equipment, but if that was it, it was sorely disappointing.

Weathers back up to 15C & going up to 17C so the Indian Summer may not have left us. A couple of rainy days in the mix but temp is holding for other week or so. With fingers crossed I may just get everything tucked up, but someone needs to send the Asparagus a memo as it's foliage is still green.

[Cider Boys]

I haven't done much on the vegetable plot lately, owing to it being so wet. I did however go for a long walk out to the river this morning and saw the usual deer, cormorants, swans, egrets, wild fowl etc., and then I saw a beautiful Barn Owl (they are all beautiful of course) hunting at midday along the hedgerows and rhynes. It just kept 100 yards in front of me quartering like a Spaniel most of the way back. I always love these birds and it reminds me of when I was a child watching them on summer evenings in the hay meadows where I grew up.

Hoping all are keeping dry

Barney

[Westi]

So much for all my diligence digging out the stones, relaying & sorting the channels around the beds, flooded again today; probably the worst it has been & I can't blame the railway this time, all the big machinery is gone & it is just their offices behind! I'm still perplexed about this, mainly due to it's limited range (2 beds),& leaning toward maybe it is a spring. The Mude River starts from a spring only about 1/2 mile up from the plot so wondering if there is some connection between this known spring & my mess, maybe exacerbated by the amount of rain?? (+/- the compaction from the big machinery.

Any idea's how I could get this investigated by any professionals without too much digging as that would not be tolerated? I shall nab the committee guy when I see him to have a look as well as might be interested, as if it this is Global Change then this part of the plot will have to be taken out of use....but I am considering a permanent watercress plot & putting wellies on my Xmas list!

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[retropants]

Oh Westi, that's heartbeaking, sorry. I don't have any ideas I'm afraid. Hoepfully it's a one off, fingers crossed.

[Westi]

I put an SOS out on the site's FB site for advice & someone came up & had a dig around. He had a similar problem in his home garden but this did not match. He burrowed down deeply in several places with a pointed stake; no clay & no fill up of the hole with water so probs, no spring. What it is remains unknown but it is contained in just these 2 beds. One of the beds is not as bad so I think I will just edge that & raise it a bit & I have a proper raised bed at home that needs to be taken down & it can be tried. It's not the full size of the bed it will be on but I will grow watercress on the rest of it.
When I can I will try digging out the stones in the channel again & laying a couple of layers of membrane in the bottom & putting the stones on top, mainly to stop them all disappearing in the mud, probs won't fix anything but will make it easier to weed.

[Geoff]

A somewhat dampish day yesterday with 64mm then another 3mm after midnight before it finally stopped. Now bright and clear with a fine full moon just disappeared below the horizon.

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[oldherbaceous]

Our allotments have standing water on them again, Westi, this only used to happen very occasionally but, it seems to be a regular occurrence now….must have happened at least a dozen times already this year!
So I wonder if your standing water is just down to the pure volume of rain we have been getting lately!

[Geoff]

Been doing annual "Room Service" on my nest boxes the last few days. We thought we had seen plenty of baby birds about but they hadn't all been used. Might be because I've got carried away adding new ones the last few years so there are over 30 now. One had a part built bee or wasp nest and I got a bit of shock when a mouse jumped out of another. The strangest one was one half full of leaves but nothing to suggest what had done it. A couple needed replacing and also two new fronts where the woodpeckers had attacked them but all cleaned out and a handful of hay added so they can use them for winter roosts if they want to.

[oldherbaceous]

Sounds like a good job done, Geoff!

[Westi]

Hi OH! Definitely the overabundance of rain is a contributor but just the limited number of beds affected is the confusing bit. Another guy on the site recommended a French Drain but looking at the effort involved & having no where to run it off it doesn't seem worth the effort. Raised beds & water cress it is!

Spent yesterday morning down the plot & slowly getting most of the beds prepped for winter or fed & covered. I've been working the back to the front as the flowers are still looking fine but will be starting that area when the weather allows! On that note, any one up North or West stay safe from 'Ashley'!

[Clive.]

Certainly rained yesterday morning...I had a day away from the usual location and splashed my way SouthWest to the other side of the county for a visit to Easton Walled Garden....It faired up just as I got there.
I have been visiting there since not long after it was first 'found' when it was then evening tours only..and indeed, once received an invite to and attended a lovely anniversary lunch there...

Quietly the years have ticked by and haven't been for quite a while...but it was great to get back over there and to catch up..
In the afternoon the sunshine was really warm on the back, just what was needed as not totally up to speed after the other weeks lurgy.
The sun was showing off the Autumn colours across the valley lovely..

Back to rain and winds today though...

C.

[Myrkk]

Been out looking for the comet but not seen it yet. We were even in a dark sky environment but perhaps too mountainous to get a good look at the horizon. Seemingly it is going to be around the next few days and give us a final chance to spot it before… well we get to see it in a future lifetime!

Got the compost bins dug out yesterday and spread over some of the raised beds. Boy was it windy. Took a wee dram out to warm me up as I worked (it was late afternoon and the last day of my holidays). There was something lovely about drinking whisky from a mug, which was not filled honest!

[Westi]

Where is everyone gone? Have you all packed up the plot/garden ready for winter?

I am kinda going 3 steps forward & 2 back at the moment thanks to nature interfering, despite my best attempts! Monday was sort the tunnel day following Mr Fox & friends having trashed the tunnel.(I am blaming him due to evidence left)! He, but judging by the mess might have been others; had dug beds, broke down the little plastic fence I use to keep the dog out of the beds & even snapped the canes holding it & my out of the rain chair even moved down two beds. He had a taste test of my ripening chilli's, obvs didn't like the first but didn't learn his lesson & tasted all of them! Pulled down the last 3 tomato vines, but I did save quite a few toms & then had to pick up loads of tiny pieces of foil & paper as well! His main goal was obviously the ziplock dog treat bag hanging from the central tunnel support & I can barely reach them. 10 out 10 for tenacity.

Then found baby birds trapped in the big net tunnel...very time consuming trying to encourage them out but achieved my goal & could not find an entry point, only to chat to my neighbour on the way out to say he did the same on Sunday & also couldn't find an entry point. (He thought they were Gold Crest). I did put bricks around the edges so hopefully taunt enough to stop access as not down until Saturday as tomorrow & Friday is Covid & Flu jabs & Mr & I have very different times, despite me booking both online one after the other, but must have been loads online at the same time!

Fingers crossed for a quiet time Saturday!

[Clive.]

My not up to speed from lurgy seemed to become another go at the lurgy or another one...sore throat, burnt out chest, and stuffed up nose...! back on Lemsip at bedtime... plan to give the medication a miss tonight as noted improvement this evening. I only seemed to have a couple of days back up to speed and then another go.!
Busy time of year with loads of jobs to pull in so want energy back asap.!

C.

[retropants]

I've been busy making for the Christmas season craft markets. I've not touched anything in the garden for weeks I'm sorry to say. Mainly due to the rain, couldn't get out there at all. I've noticed some last chance green beans need pciking, I may have missed some and they've gone over. Oh well. There are still a few tomatoes in the plastic house and chillies in the greenhouse, other than the one butternut squash, which is barely bigger than an apple, it's all done and needs clearing.
Westi, I sympathise about the fox destruction, it's just so horrible, and then they poop on everything too, just to add insult to (plant) injury.
We seem to have 2 hedgehogs now, but only see the second one occasionally. The big one is eating SO much food every night!