September in the Garden

 Well here we are yet again, approaching the end of another growing season, and yet right now, we're still harvesting. I'll probably use next month's post to review how things have gone for the year, and to note some things that we've already discussed that we'll do differently next year, as for now it seems right to focus on the current season.

The weather this month has been a mixed bag - between some gloriously sunny days and still quite a lack of rain a lot of the time, we've also seen winds strong enough to demolish the tall runner bean wigwam built around our lovely metal obelisk, and rain sufficient to pretty much refill the completely empty water butt. That's been helped by the new log store roof and guttering completely filling the large blue trug that it feels into a couple of times at the start of the month as well. We're also seen the first couple of frosts towards the end of the month - so far not reaching the ground, but very much evident on the shed and office roof. 

We're still drowning in beans - and in spite of the collapse of the wigwam the ones we planted elsewhere have not only continued producing, but are even still flowering! They look very pretty clambering over the  arches, too. 

Before the wigwam collapsed we did spot some small insects crawling about on the beans - it appeared that we'd had several batches hatch, and a bit of research suggested that they were probably shield bugs of a non-native variety, and that they might well be interested in noshing their way through our crop, so those were dealt with in the best way we could muster - by cutting off the affected areas from the plants and dumping the lot into the garden waste bin! 

The Nasturtiums finally started growing properly - although sadly so late that we suspect they will be frosted and die before we get the benefit of many flowers and the resulting seeds (which are a great ingredient for piccalilli!). If you look in the very top of that photo you can also see that next door have entirely put us to shame with their sunflowers as well - they've had some giants this year, and the battle lines are very much drawn now, for next year we WILL be upping our game! 

The last of the tatties have now been dug and again we've been impressed with the size of some of them - of they weren't quite badly affected by scab they'd be great for jacket potatoes! Allowing that they were grown in a narrow strip of freshly dug soil they've done amazingly though - and of course in the usual way they've also done a huge amount to improve and break up that soil as well - we're intending to re-use that area for cabbages before the year is out. 

All in all, not a bad month. Now if we could just get a last couple of weeks of warmer temperatures and just a little more sunshine, we might even persuade the final courgettes to give us a last-minute glut! 

Robyn