Sunday 17 November 2013

The race is on......On a cold and frosty morning!!

So as we have reached the middle of November the days are getting incredibly short and very cold and damp. The beautiful colour of autumn are quickly disappearing as the trees go to sleep ready for the upcoming winter and the race is on to get the plot looking something like ready for winter!!!

Some cucumbers found whilst clearing up.
Cucumbers

Looking a little less like a field.
Looking a little less like a field.


The cuttings from the autumn raspberries.
The cuttings from the autumn raspberries.

This one resembled a paddock.
This one resembled a paddock.

Will the cauli's ever get a flower??
Will the cauli's ever get a flower??

Sprouting purple and white broccoli.
Sprouting purple and white broccoli.


Carrots, beetroot, turnips, swede
Carrots, beetroot, turnips, swede.

A sunny but frosty morning!!
A sunny but frosty morning!!

White Grapes?? What to do with the??
Grapes?? What to do with them??

A few red grapes.
A few red grapes.
Red cabbage with some good heads.
Red cabbage with some good heads.




























































So as you can see from the photos above there is still quite a bit to be done. I have yet to start winter digging and will hopefully be getting stuck into that over the next week or so. I have wayward raspberry canes to dig up and transfer to the bee plot and still quite a lot of root veg to come out which I will be doing something with again over the next few weeks.

I have no idea what to do with the grapes so please feel free to give suggestions but at the same time bare in mind that the family don't like wine....so why did I plant grapes?? Well the vines do look pretty!!

I am leaving the cauliflower in for now...there is always hope...and if nothing happens I will just eat the greens off them!! I still have curly Klae in which I will pick over the winter.

I never did get my garlic and broad beans in...Do you think it's too late to put them now or will they be OK?? Grateful for advice and worldly knowledge!!

Oh and sorry about the toatl randomness of the page set up, blogger didn't want to play nice this morning and I just can't be bothered to argue with it today!!!

Have a good weekend!!!!!
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14 comments:

  1. It looks like you've still got plenty to harvest, not so on my plot, there's only parsnips left in now. I haven't even started the winter digging yet, I'm sure it will get done at some point, it usually does. I watched the RSPCA programme and saw Trojan, some people just shouldn't be allowed to keep animals.

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    1. Still a bit I just hope the predicted cold snap doesn't destroy it before I get chance to harvest. Thanks for watching Trojan's programme, those two won't be keeping animals again Jo so something good came out of it.

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  2. I'd go for plating garlic but maybe not the beans. Are the grapes nor sweet enough to eat otherwise what about grape juice or grape cordial. We have some immature grapes that we are considering using this way.

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    1. Thanks Sue...will get the garlic in this weekend and leave the beans for next spring. The grapes are really sour...I like the idea of cordial though...will look into it.

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  3. Grape jelly/jam! I don't know why you couldn't still plant as long as the ground hasn't frozen.

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    1. Unfortunately not enough grapes to make jelly/jam tpals.

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  4. Dear Tanya, The days are very short here too. One has to hurry to get things done before dark. I keep thinking in a few weeks the days will start to get longer again. I don't like the days being so short, though I do love the autumn time of year and the Thanksgiving season.
    You certainly keep busy with so much to do in the garden and with the bees.
    Please take good care of yourself and don't try to get everything done in a day. There is always tomorrow.

    Blessings dear and hugs, Catherine xo

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    1. Don't worry Catherine, I learnt a while ago that I need to take time for myself and now always mange to find at least half an hour each day to just sit and relax.....it has become part of a routine for me and I find it helps me focus and order what tasks I still have to accomplish without getting to overwhelmed!!

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  5. Good luck with your winter preparations. I used to tell myself that I was going to get my flower beds cleaned up and ready for winter before the snow fell and every year I would let them go until spring. I finally gave up on that....lol

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    1. I tell myself every year I am going to get it done....doesn't always happen though so I certainly need plenty of that luck !!

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  6. I know what to do with the grapes. Eat them all, and don't share them with anyone else. I like grapes. :)

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    1. I too love grapes Ratty, but they are a little small and a lot sour...hence the dilemma!!

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  7. Squash your grapes and make fermented grape juice. You can see the ongoing process on one of my recent posts. The white and the red should make at least a bottle if you put them together. We didn't gather the bunches of 'strawberry' flavoured grapes growing in our daughter's garden and we've tried them. They've lost their flavour in the wet weather and are still rather sour. (We grow the vines as we like to see them whether they produce any fruit or not). Otherwise leave them for the birds! Your allotment looks very well cared for and tidy. Enjoy your produce!

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    1. Thanks Linda...i will check it out...this seems like the least work involved solution so far and I am all for that!! :-)

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keep it clean...keep it relevant...I look forward to reading your comments!!