Vivi's Kitchen Garden

Where is this year going?! It has certainly been a strange one….and a tough one…..but so many good things have happened too. Today I am hugely sensing a change of season, a change of focus, a change of pace…..and I’m embracing it with both arms in a massive hug.

I have ditched my previous seeds supplier (for various reasons) so have started looking at other companies who specialise in organic seeds. I think I have found some lovely ones so thought I’d share with you to take the leg work out of it if you’re looking too. I’ve shared their websites below. Happy browsing!

Our clocks have fallen back an hour…we are officially out of ‘British Summer Time’. The nights draw in more quickly……days of inclement weather are more frequent…..it’s time to start thinking about cosy time indoors and starting on some projects…

The big Autumn clean up begins……beds which will be fallow over the winter need to be tucked up, structures need to be taken down and stashed away, dying vegetation needs to be chopped up and added to compost/mulch…..it’s all change in the kitchen garden.

My thoughts are turning towards next year already and everything I do at the moment is geared towards making next year easier…. I reflect on what was difficult this year and what changes I can make to help myself….

Today I am continuing to sow my broad beans and experiment with how I do it in order to prevent the mice from stealing them…..this time in open ground which means clearing a previous crop and doing a little bed prep. I also pop over to see Mark in his garden and he shows me an interesting seedling he has spare for me to try…..

After weeks and weeks of long days and now having a cold I decide to have a slower day at home…..cooking, washing, more lavender…..all that domestic bliss stuff. I also think ahead to the winter and what I may get up to in the garden.

While the rain holds off it’s time to get on with some autumn sowings. Today I’m sowing my garlic and half of my broad beans. I’m experimenting with the broad beans to find ways to sow them and protect them from being stolen by the mice. The experiment will continue in the next video.

After nearly a week of rain there is finally a break in the weather so I grab the opportunity to harvest my main crop potatoes (v. Cara). The bed that they were in needs a little attention and preparation, including reinstating the edge, before it gets planted up with the next crop.

With a weather warning for some chilly nights to come I decide it’s time to do the squash harvest – hurrah for one of my favourite harvests of the year! I also decide to harvest the last of the peppers and tomatoes including myriad green ones.