The last seeds of 2018 are finally in the ground. On a soggy autumn day I sowed broad beans and planted garlic……….and delighted at squelching in the mud. Despite the drizzle it was a wonderful day enjoying the bird song, the insect activity, the company of cats….and the satisfaction of getting another couple of crops underway. And then a long hot soak in the tub.
On what may have been our last beautiful day of this autumn I decided to go at a much slower pace than normal and take time out to visit with plot friends to see how their harvests are going and to hear about their plans for the winter. I did a little work in my garden and then decided to leave it for a couple of days to let the predicted rain do it’s magic by way of softening the beds a little for me to do the autumn dig…
The last seeds of the year need to go into the ground which means harvesting the main-crop potatoes to make some space. It is also time to start rejigging the beds into their new, permanent positions……..which means a bit of hard work digging out the old paths.
Between jobs in the garden and jobs in the kitchen I’m making sure I save as many of my own seeds as possible. It’s so easy to do, very satisfying and means a much smaller seed bill at the start of next year.
With the threat of night-time frosts just around the corner it was time for me to harvest my squash and other tender veggies……..I could not have imagined, earlier in the season, just what a great harvest this would be. I haven’t stopped giggling and grinning.
Autumn is suddenly upon us and the garden is going through it’s biggest change after the changes in Spring. Harvests are coming thick and fast and it’s time to start planning for winter as beds become empty. It will be a busy month……but oh, so rewarding.
Normally the transition from summer to autumn leaves me feeling a little sad. Not so this year. I am excited by all the harvests still to come and the prospect of rejigging the garden a little to make life easier in the future. All the building I want to do is done so it looks like this winter I will be able to relax some and simply tinker in my space……I can’t wait.
We may have only caught the tail end of Storm Ali last week in the South East……but we still had some damage. Other jobs in the kitchen garden are on hold for now while I make sure I rescue as much of the harvest as possible…..and hope that some things will continue to grow and come to fruition in a few weeks. It’s hard to imagine the bad weather now that we are basking in warmth and sunshine again……
Soup season is upon us again and this is a lovely one to kick off with…….the beetroot are at their best just now and take center stage in this simple but oh, so tasty soup.
On a blustery, warm day it feels like Autumn is just around the corner……and so I begin to ‘tidy’ the kitchen garden and harvest the first of the carrots plus other ingredients for Borscht – soup season has begun!
 | Vivi on Vivi’s Kitchen Garden 12… |
| Vivi on Vivi’s Kitchen Garden 12… |
 | Kathleen Baldoni on Vivi’s Kitchen Garden 12… |
 | JDee on Vivi’s Kitchen Garden 12… |
| Vivi on Vivi’s Kitchen Garden: O… |