I'm taking stock of the garden today as the weather is beautiful; sunny but cold. This weekend will be the last chance I get to tidy up outside and plant before I superglue my bottom to a chair for the NaNo challenge.
The broccoli is still being attacked by the caterpillars but I'm managing to reap a good few servings each week and it is delicious, long stemmed, purple sprouting. The sproglets love it with butter and grana padano. Next year I must fleece, although I understand that a good sturdy pair of Xlarge tights/pantyhose also does the trick!
The courgettes are suffering from cold nights but I'm still taking off one or two small fruits a week.
I've planted 150 onions in the raised beds and the two strawberry beds are looking very healthy, we are really looking forward to that crop next year. The celery is still happy and I'm using great swathes of stems and leaves when I make my pot suppers like hams or beef stews, fishing out the wilted, spent sprigs before I serve.
In the walled garden plants such as Lupin, loosestrife, the pinks and some little nasturtiums have been raised in pots. They need to be planted out into the main garden now, bedded in before winter. Remaining inside the walled, protected garden, Whitey the white hen is in residence , sat on top of 6 eggs in her borrowed coop: We should see chicks by the 7th November if she's successful. She certainly seems dedicated at the moment.
Next month our cider apple orchard arrives as bare rooted stock, plus a few more eating apple trees and a couple of plum trees. Lastly we've ordered a mulberry bush - possibly the most delicious fruit I've ever tasted.
Today I've got to apply for a Defra licence and if successful, maybe we'll also get some cade lambs this winter.
So life's good,.............. just 50,000 words to write by 30th November and life will be perfect.
That post was tiring to read, never mind living out! oh boy you've got your hands full... but... isn't farm life just the BEST? :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your plantings!