It’s early but I needed some garlic so I dug some that I’d planted in May. It wasn’t really ready but it was fresh and pungent. And I’d grown it myself which is the whole point. I also dug some rather tiny potatoes for Christmas day. A small crop but delicious and sweet (I hope), if rather dirty. And that’s the whole point – it’s your garden so you can do as you please in it. Too big, too small, you decide.
I’ve made several portions of delicious broad bean hummus and broad bean and feta dip this week. Plus a stash of pesto for the freezer with basil and fresh garlic.
Keep pinching out the side shoots on your tomatoes or you’ll get in a terrible mess later in the season. Feed them and your cucumbers, zucchinis and pumpkins weekly with seaweed tea or worm tea. You can string them up vertically and pinch out side shoots too. I’ve pruned my espaliered apples and pears and triple cordoned goosegogs this week. Used the prunings as a mulch for my zuchs and cucs.
Continue making compost with kitchen waste, weeds, prunings, tissues, vacuum cleaner contents, lawn clippings, shredded paper from your office or add it to your wormery to make worm tea. I’ve made a monster pile including chook house bedding and plenty of EM to stop things smelling.
Sow a few seeds but otherwise just enjoy every sunny day you can and relax with a good book and a drink in the shade of a tree. If you haven’t got a shady tree, plant one to feed the bees and birds. Don’t forget to give them a drink too. We seem to have three kereru resident here and feasting on tree lucerne. The honey bees are flying when they can but still pretty hungry as there are as many days at home as there are out collecting pollen and nectar.
There’ll be two ‘fresh food garden‘ courses in the autumn – Saturday 30 January and Saturday 13 February 2010. We’ll have lots of ideas for your winter garden. You can book on-line and pay by credit card or direct credit. I’ll send a voucher if it’s a gift.