Gourd thing I picked them yesterday!

I believe we are to dust off our BBQ's, or so we were told in the papers. Oh yes! Well, this morning the rain is hammering down and it looks like there is plenty more to come. And here was I thinking I was going to spend a leisurely day soaking up the last of the Autumn sun. Still, it might improve later ......hopefully.

Down on the plot, yesterday, I started on the great autumn clear up, tidying away the netting I'd discarded near the compost bins and, at the front of my plot, taking down the wigwams that had supported the morning glories and ornamental gourds. I've saved quite a few morning glory seeds, but plenty more have fallen to the ground, so if they germinate I will have the same problem I have with the nasturtiums which keep popping up all over the place. It's not such a problem really, as I just pull up those I don't wish to keep, but it appears that I will be forever challenged in my efforts to plan a particular colour scheme. Still, as I mentioned in an earlier blog, it was never meant to be that I should go all 'good taste' this year, with my pale greens and whites. It would not have looked half as good without the rogue nasturtiums. So, back to the drawing board for next year. Although I've had a bumper crop of ornamental gourds, which did bring a little more colour to the flower bed, I intend to give them a miss next year. So, it was just as well I harvested them all in the dry yesterday. Half of them are still in my shed, as I'd never have managed to carry them all, due to the weight, but the other half are now on the conservatory floor, where I hope we'll get enough sun and warmth to dry them out. Once dried out and arranged in a large bowl or basket, they look good as a table decoration. Are they edible? Well, according to what I've read 'no' as they can be very hard and rather bitter. I've also learned that they can cross-pollinate with edible gourds (squash), making them bitter too. I'm hoping this hasn't happened to my Blue Hubbards!

Although I'm still bringing home the last of the courgettes, I greedily accepted an overgrown one from Grant, as he didn't want it. Last night we enjoyed a mini stuffed marrow - just big enough for two of us, and very tasty it was too. This was followed by apple and raspberry crumble. I think the raspberry production is gradually slowing down, but what a wonderful year we've had with them, and for all the other fruit too. It will be a scone making session this morning, the results to be enjoyed with lots of home made raspberry jam and plenty of cream. Delicious! Our youngest son is coming for lunch, so I'd better get cracking, otherwise he wont be sampling any.

Seems to be brightening up, so I'd better get on with the baking.

Highs and Lows

On Sunday we returned from six happy days away in our caravan, on a site near Bridgnorth. As Mike has been told that he can't drive for two years (and I don't) our eldest son, driving our car, towed the caravan to the site and back. We were ready for a relaxing break and after considering various options I decided, in the end, that 'there's no place like home' and the thought of spending a few days away in the comfort of our own mini home turned out to be the best thing we could have done. Bridgnorth is only an hour's drive away, and the caravan park at Stanmore Hall provided excellent facilities in attractive surroundings.

We travelled and arrived in some pretty windy conditions, and decided that we'd leave the erection of the awning until the following day, under the circumstances. Then, despite the rather gloomy weather forecasts, we actually enjoyed some bright and sunny days. Unlike our previous holiday in Cornwall, when we spent most of the time trying to keep warm, this time we were able to sit outside the caravan, and without jackets.

Mike is now fit enough to do some gentle walking so it wasn't much problem for us to catch the bus (10 mins walk away) into Bridgnorth (10 mins ride away). We went in twice - once to explore the town (which we've never done before), including a trip on the clifftop railway from High Town to Low Town, and on the second occasion to take a journey to Kidderminster on the Severn Valley Railway. What a great day that turned out to be. The weather couldn't have been better and the countryside looked stunning as the train clickety-clicked its way past fishermen sitting on the river banks, and families waving at us as they walked beside the river. Unfortunately there'd been a burst water main at Highley, so our plan to alight and visit the engine house there was scuppered. However, we stayed on the train to Kidderminster, where we enjoyed some good old-fashioned doorstep sandwiches in the restaurant on the station. We went out by steam and returned by diesel, this time sitting in an 1950's corridor carriage, where we had our own compartment. I felt quite inappropriately dressed for the occasion. A tweed suit, little hat and brogues would have been more the thing, and carrying a brown leather case perhaps. There was a beer festival taking place at Bridgnorth station, but as the tent was heaving with people, we opted for a pint in the garden of the White Lion, where we'd enjoyed our lunch a few days earlier.

The caravan is the Wendy house I never had as a child, so cooking meals 'onboard' is quite a pleasure. We took along plenty of our homegrown fruit and veg, including pre-cooked fruit and fruit crumble. It was so much better than having to get up at a set time for breakfast, and instead of having to dress up we could loll about in our PJ's or trackies for as long as we liked. For the first time for ages I actually felt quite relaxed. Perfect.

I called down at the plot yesterday and found that no one had taken up my offer to pick the raspberries over the past week. During our time away the courgettes were on the way to being mini-marrows too. I returned home with two heavily laden trugs of fruit and veg. The very ripe raspberries have gone into the freezer for the time being, until I get around to making yet more jam, and our meal of salmon steaks was accompanied by, as they would say in a posh eatery 'a trio of freshly picked beans' (shelled borlotti, French and runner). As daft as it sounds, this year I actually only grew the borlottis because I think the flowers and pods are so pretty. The first time I grew them, I waited until the beans had fully formed, dried them carefully (so I thought) and put them in sealed containers. However, when I came to use them, some had developed moulds, so they were all thrown away. This time, we are eating them as they come out of the pods, and really enjoying their floury texture and taste. Next year I will grow more of them, and plan to freeze some for the winter months, as the dried ones were not a success for me (any tips?).

Another problem I've had concerns my bottled plums. The first batch is fermenting in the jars. As I'm sure they'd give us upset stomachs I will probably, reluctantly, throw the contents of the two large jars away. If I had the inclination, I suppose I could make some wine with them. But I don't! However, the second batch is fine. Due to my concern, we actually opened a jar and tested them last night, instead of keeping them for Christmas as planned. I'm wondering if the fact that the first batch still had their stones in, may have made a difference - the contents certainly smells of almonds. Still, there are plenty more that I've lightly stewed with sugar, then frozen.

Back to the plot - which is now looking a rather end of the year mess. There wasn't much time to do anything yesterday, but I took off quite a few downy-mildewed squash leaves, and tied up my chrysanths. Oh - and that's another thing. They have brown rust! Both those in my greenhouse at home, and those on the plot..... and the smaller cuttings which I took when pinching out. What a disappointment. All the plants were looking very healthy too - except when I turned over the leaves. I can only think that it came in on the plants when I received them, as I've never grown chrysanths before. The advice is, not to take any cuttings from these infected plants. Sorry Cath!

Back to work, doing all those things you have to do when you return from a holiday, and possibly some more jam making too.

As big as duck eggs!

In its second year, my mystery plum tree has produced 60 large (3"), heavy (3-4oz) and perfectly formed fruits, but I still don't know what variety it is. The colour is deep purple and the flesh is golden and very sweet. In my haste to contact Dobies about their mistake in sending me the wrong tree, I forgot to include any photos, but I will do so next. In the meantime, any ideas?

If no one can help, then I will just have to invent a name. It is far too distinguished just to be called 'the plum tree'.

Before leaving the plot, I just put down the trug of plums by my shed, and this one bloom of clematis 'Crystal Fountain' (another excellent plant) hung down over the fruit. Honestly, I didn't arrange it so, but what a perfect composition.

September days

The first sight that greets a visitor to our allotments (The Best in Brum!) is the front of Wendy and Carl's delightful and colourful plot, with its little fence, stile and post. It's still looking very lush and floriferous and is a real credit to them both.

Walking down to my own plot, I pass this beautiful vibrant blue bedding plant which I think, if I am correct, is Felicia. I've been thinking about the front of my own plot. I went for pale colours this year, rather than the usual brights, and I'm not sure it was entirely successful. The lime green nicotiana is unusual and OK, but it really needed a contrast instead of the white (and a few rogue red) gladioli, and little white chrysanths. Even though the ornamental gourds on their little wigwams are adding a little orange and yellow, most of them are green and white. Unfortunately the few stems of verbena bonariensis are swamped by all the other foliage and flowers. So, it will be away with the calm and cool and back to the brights for next year.

The sweetpea stems have all been cleared from their canes. Mine flowered early and very well, and the perfume was wonderful, but another change of plan is due. I am thinking of staggering the seed sowing next time, so that I can enjoy them for a longer period.

With the assistance of my little grandson, we cleared the stems from the remaining pea wigwam. Next year I intend to grow more of the climbing 'Alderman' peas, but again, perhaps stagger their sowing. I'm pleased that I only grew one wigwam of runner beans this year, as there are more than enough for us, and all our friends, and plenty more to come. Why anyone would want a wall of beans across their plot beats me. Are they supplying the local shops? One thing I do regret is that I didn't plant enough French beans, although there is a slow and steady supply at the moment. As for the borlotties (or is it 'borlottis'?) I am waiting for the beans to fatten up inside the pods before picking them. We enjoyed the first of the small squashes last week, roasted alongside a chicken. The Blue Hubbards continue to grow, but I must admit that I forget to feed them, so I'm not expecting monsters at the end of the season. My assistant soon discovered that picking raspberries was a rather prickly occupation, and left me to it, so he could concentrate on forking over my first empty patch. Well, he doesn't even like raspberries anyway. I'm afraid, apart from the apples, which he picked for me, he doesn't like anything I am growing Perhaps he'll develop a taste for some of my fruit and veg as he gets older. Mike sat and read the paper outside the shed, as I answered all the many and varied questions that a five year old could throw at me. In between, we inspected worms, ladybirds, beas and all manner of flying insects, not forgetting a robin on the fence.

Yesterday afternoon it was another raspberry jam making session, filling the kitchen with that delicious aroma. Then the self-satisfying results of a tray of filled pots, awaiting their labels, before they join the plum jam in the pantry. Bottles of sloe gin, colouring up nicely, will soon follow the jam pots, to be stored away until (dare I say it yet?) .....'Christmas'. So what's next? Well, perhaps some different jams, or maybe chutney, but definitely pickled onions (but unfortunately, this year, not my onions). I'm hoping the tomatoes will be enjoyed in their red and yellow ripe stage, otherwise they will become part of the chutney making session.

Our garden is filling up with the late summer/autumn colours - rudbekias, echinops, sedums, perennial asters, etc and even the foliage plants are beginning to change colour, as the seasons seem ahead of themselves this year. I was delighted to see that two of my decimated, and later chopped to the ground, home-grown bottle brushes, had sent out new shoots from ground level. Perhaps they will need a bit of winter protection until they become larger. Did I say 'winter'? Better sign off now!