Cornflower seedheads

I was gathering seeds from my deep red/black cornflowers, when taking this pic, I rather liked it.

Plot Views October

I've been very organised this year, and continued to clear weeds and plant in new ground freed up by old crops, such as planting leeks where my new potatoes were. This was tricky as the leeks could have really gone in sooner, but fortunately this year we have had a mild autumn so far, so they've had a good chance to get growing. You can see the gradual decline generally from last month though.

I have taken a risk and moved the ailing red sprout plants over to this side where the other ones are doing really well. I know you shouldn't move sprouts but they looked so feeble anyway, I thought I might have nothing to loose! (unfortunately the weaker plants are hiding behind the big vigorous ones to the left,so you can't see them)

My 29 leeks, the ones which have survived the slugs

October on the plot this year

...and October last year

The Big Freeze or Indian summer?

It's well an truly an Indian summer in the south this year, and according to Countryfile, it looks set to stay warm here for another week at least. On the plot today I noticed how rigorously the weeds had returned since my tidy up in September. Not only the weeds, but potatoes and broad beans were pushing up their heads, and some mysterious seedlings, that must be one of the wild flower varieties from nearby.

Broad beans

Wild Flower seedlings

I have capitalised on this warm spell by sowing some more spinach and rocket next to my leeks, and I even got my garlic planted in good time this year. I have put a closh on the salad just in case... fingers crossed the weather doesn't take a freak turn for the worse, as was suggested on the Express headline this week, -20 due apparently!

An apple day's pickings

Today was the fourth year we attended the Herstmonceux Allotment's Apple Day. Basically you pitch up at 10am, and help pick the apple harvest at the nearby orchard. After a couple of hours of hard graft (and much scrumping on the job) you stop for a well earned hearty bbq and rest. It was a fab day due to the unseasonably hot weather, there was no better place to be than in the heart of the weald enjoying it's bounty!

 

 Musquee de Provence Squash

 View down to the orchard

Tired pickers!

I almost forgot to mention (...thanks to Sue) that you get to take home a big bag of fresh apples for your efforts!

The last pickings of....

...flowers from my plot, they are all over now. I have been especially pleased with them this year. I've taken a bunch or two home each visit which has definitley been worth the effort to grow them alongside the veg, not to mention the benefit to insects!

Golden Beet

This year I've been really pleased to grow some Golden Beets, I actually really like the flavour-very sweet and the colour is just amazing! Next year I'll definitely be growing more and devising ingenious ways to cook with them.

Dreaming of my new garden - trees

We have finally secured a house to live in! hooray. It has a fantastic 'blank canvas' 130ft (about 40ft wide) rear garden. This may mean I will no longer be needing the allotment, I am due to hand it over in spring next year and I was planning to apply for another when we moved. Now this garden could provide a sizeable area for a vegetable patch. Not sure what this could be called? perhaps just Whitley Road instead of Furnace Lane?

Anyway I have been very excitedly planning what to create in this new space. There are so many elements I want to include, like a work shed/office; veggie patch; childrens area; orchard/wood; beach garden (as we are about 300m from the sea) and various seating areas.

For some time I have been dreaming of trees strangely enough. I'm not sure why, but I've become mildly obsessed with ornamental trees like eucalyptus, Betula albo-sinensis septentrioalis, various japanese maples and flowering cherries. The house already has a well established conference pear and I have recently bought an Egrement Russet apple to complement my morello cherry currently in a large pot. I'm planning on a nice fig tree near the decked area as I love the slightly tropical look of the broad leaves, Ficus 'Briogiotto Nero' being my favourite variety. Nothing can beat a ripe fig with parma ham and squidgy mozarella.

I have been hunting for some birch trees in anticipation of this new garden, to act as a screen at the bottom. I had two weeping birches in large pots on either side of the aisle at our wedding in a large  barn. I'm half Finnish, so the birch as well as the pine is very reminiscent of Finland, I absolutely love the sound of the leaves in the breeze. Today I bought a pretty standard birch as I saw it half price at one of my favourite garden centres, and next to it was this beautiful Prunus Chocolate Ice, the leaves long and flame red providing the perfect compiment to the dinky birch leave. I think these two relatively close by will look lovely in the autumn with the sun shining through. The Prunus should provide pretty pink spring blossom on bronze foliage which is an added bonus.