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!