It's a good thing that I managed to get down to the plot on Saturday, followed by a shorter stint on Sunday, as today is grim. Across the road a tractor is slowly ploughing (well, actually 'planting') its way up and down the field, followed by a flock of white gulls, the only things that stand out in the dark, misty drizzle. At this time of the year there is plenty to keep me occupied on the allotment. I'm afraid the garden has to fend for itself at the moment. It has always been overplanted, and as a consequence there are few bare patches of earth where the weeds can take hold. Where they have found a space, they (particularly the dandelions) are growing larger by the day, so the next reasonable day will be a weed eradication offensive. Some of the grapes are already ripe enough to pick, and tasting reasonably sweet. I will probably collect these, before they drop to the ground, or the birds have them first.
But back to the plot. Walking slowly down the path, camera in hand, there were plenty of bright splashes of colour - blowsy dahlias, vibrant rudbekias, pumpkins and squashes. Black eyed Susan (thunbergia elata) was scrambling up the pole at the end of Carl and Wendy's prize-winning mini plot (soon to become a half plot), and the rudbeckias fronted another plot (can't remember whose). I usually arrive too late in the day to see, on my own plot, the morning glories in full flower, and scrambling amongst the small, golden squashes on the arch, but at least there is evidence that I have achieved what I intended. Must get up early on a decent morning, and catch them in all their glory! It won't be long before I will be collecting the ornamental gourds (see photo) for drying out. There is a monster marrow lurking under the leaves on Jane and Peter's plot, growing bigger by the day. We haven't seen them for a bit as Jane, like her marrow was, until recently, also growing bigger by the day. Congratulations to them both, as they have just produced a little (!) baby daughter. Hopefully, they'll be bringing her down to meet the friendly folk at the bottom of the hill.
Hazel was huffing and puffing as she turned over the green manure at the front of her plot and I can confirm (see her blog) that her face was a rather deep shade of red. I was most impressed with her crop of exceedingly large potatoes, and am looking forward to the culinary results. Growing potatoes has not, so far, been a priority of mine, although I did have a few rows of earlies, including Vales Emerald (very tasty) which, apart from earthing up, I just neglected. Perhaps I should make more effort next year. They just seem to take up so much room, and for quite a long period, and I can't say we eat that many anyway. I've been looking at the very healthy parsnip foliage and wondering what is going on below ground. We are still harvesting runner beans, squashes, those prolific courgettes, carrots etc, that I had decided to leave the parsnips until later and after the frosts when they should be sweeter. However, the thought of Sunday's meal of roast belly pork accompanied by roasted parsnips was too tempting. I must say they were my best yet - large, unblemished and very good to eat (Tender and True). Apart from the pig, all the other ingredients for the meal were home grown - the last of the sweetcorn as a starter, followed by potatoes (Rocket - the last of the 'earlies' which I'd only recently dug up), cabbage (Hispi), carrots (can't remember the variety, but the second batch grown in a large container), runner beans (seed from Brian - huge, long beans, also some Red Rum), then crumble made with apples (from Margaret) and Autumn Bliss raspberries. The kitchen is garlanded with plaits of garlic, shallots and chillies. There's a jug of freshly picked sage and parsley on the window ledge, and a bag of cooking apples from E's garden, a bowl of small squashes, plus quite a collection of courgettes in the garage, and plenty of fruit and veg in the freezer. Reluctantly I'm having to buy cabbage but that is my fault for not growing enough, and neglecting to look after the few I did grow. Also onions, as mine were a flop this year. Still, some you win and some you lose - and the successes far outnumbered the failures.
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