The winters preparations.

We’ve had a busy but satisfying day in the garden. The poly tunnel is being cleared in stages. Most of the tomatoes went a fortnight or so ago when the first of the lettuce went in. The melons went today.

We’ve had 5 altogether. The first was by far the best but I’m afraid we ate that a while  back and I forgot the photo. These 4 are smaller and probably should have been picked before now. They were hanging in tights for support and I didn’t realise they had gone a bit mouldy at the stem end. Still they ate ok.

Leeks and some rather slug chewed cauliflower went in between the lettuce already there. Last week’s peas that were there died it seems.

Cabbages and more lettuce went into the space the melons vacated.

The marigolds still flower but get cut into the soil as the space is needed. I read somewhere that they keep away wire worm both while growing and rotting so that will be useful, as the ground was grass previously.

In the main beds I lifted a parsnip. It had looked promising through the soil but ….

Clearly I didn’t dig the beds deep enough. It will go well with the world’s smallest carrot

The onions and garlic went in.

Next to a bed of leek seedlings brought for a pound at my local garden centre, there were so many I’ve even put some in the tunnel.

They are a bit feeble still but fingers crossed!

Fuchsia, Choisya and Antirrhinum look good.

The Cosmos is nearly over. This little Fuchsia is hardy and beautiful but needs moving as it is swamped by others.

My only pumpkin waits for Halloween. Miss C has grand ideas for it should it keep long enough.

The Christmas potatoes are worryingly poor. The stems keep going brown and soggy so I’ve cut them all down.

Comfrey seedlings look healthy. Homemade tomato feed next year I hope.

During a visit to Poundland this week I found the perfect solution to our gardening dilemma. As the garden is so long we have to lock the back door if we work on the bottom end of it. We wanted to let friends who call know we are home so I brought this rather apt sign and the cute little lizard. £2 problem solved.