Keep on running...

The nights are shortening and you can begin to detect that cool stillness of autumn in the air now. Having said that we have had some beautifully warm days this September too.

We dug out our maincrop potatoes yesterday and harvested chard and a swelling yellow courgette which was a couple of days off marrow proportions. The plot needs some attention but a couple of our friends have volunteered (been strong-armed in) to help us next weekend which will make a difference.

This is the first time I have grown beans and am really impressed by how quickly they have climbed the bamboo canes and started producing. These are ‘Enorma’ runner beans.

Shall we dance?

The back yard is busy with spiders. Fat female garden spiders have been squatting in the centre of their webs billowed by the wind while their male counterparts are spinning their yarns.

As The Guardian noted yesterday favourable weather conditions have meant that numbers of arachnids are up nationally. It’s enough to give you the heebee-jeebees.

September is spider mating season and these two were caught on camera as they shook their legs and webs in what looked like a rather complicated courtship dance.

Jack-be-Little

Today’s weather seemed to give the lie to the onset of autumn but the deepening orange coats of these pumpkins signal otherwise. The skins have changed from a shiny lemon to a dull orange which means, I think, that they are ready for the pot. These are destined for a risotto. As you can see the courgette plants have finally gone into full production mode – a little late in the season but I’m not complaining…

Solitary

My two passion flower plants have only managed to produce one flower between them this year. The petals on this unfurled themselves this morning. Not sure what the issue is - perhaps I should have pruned the plants back after flowering last year or potted them on to a larger pot? Anyway, here's a piccie of the flower today.

Day Tripper

Took at trip to Ryton Organic Gardens in Coventry today. Lack of time meant we only managed to walk around half of the 30 gardens they have on the grounds. The range of flowers, fruits and vegetables has given us lots of inspiration for next year though I think it will be quite some time before our plot looks quite so organised.





Pictured here are the paper husks of chinese lanterns and the autumnal orange of the Uchiki Kuri.



As you can see the bees loved these garlic chives growing in the allotment garden. There were lots of weird and wonderful vegetable varieties growing including Red Elephant carrots and Red Russian kale which is sorely tempting me to join the Heritage Seed Library. Came away with yet more seed packets and lots of plans.