Of Plums and Haystacks

Some harvests have crept up on us unawares this year.

(not radishes, obviously)

We were bemoaning our bumper crop of green tomatoes. Then this late warm spell has done the job.

We don’t remember much fruit blossom but suddenly the plum trees are weighed down

Our job today is to get them before the wasps bore into every one

Looks like we will have to make even more wine

Part of maintaining our meadow is to mow and remove all the grass at this time of year

We are currently without pigs, who used up a lot of the cut grass to soak up their mud.

Now that the ducks have two feet of grass to root around in we need to find somewhere else to put it

We did, kind of accidently in the recent hot spell, make some hay which went to the rabbits. We should try harder next year.

Meanwhile we have decided to make a giant pile

and see who takes advantage of this new habitat

…

September Spinners

A warm sunny day at Gribin Isaf

that started with mist all around

until the sun seeped through

lighting up the over-night industry

that had left every hedge

crammed

with intricate webs

The cumulative amount of spider time, energy and miles travelled that had happened when we were asleep is incalcuable.

There are so many species of spiders to be seen here

outside

and in

It is sometime hard to know if they use

or just ornament

Winter supplies

In Monty Don’s piece in the current Gardener’s World Magazine

he talks about how it is unusual these days to grow crop quantities with the objective of supplying all one’s needs. A few speciality items being more usual.

Well, like him, our aim is to grow enough tomatoes to keep us supplied with cooking sauce through the winter. Last year’s crop was terrible – we blame the weather patterns.

This year we have had a lot more fruits on the plants

But the slow process of ripening keeps us on tenterhooks through September… October… November?

Slowly we are getting there, day by day, trug

by trug

by trug

Some for lunches

but most to be chopped

baked

and bagged

These are the varieties we grew this year

As novices at this game we have only recently learned that tomato varieties can be categorised by “days” – from flowering to ripening. As ardent followers of Beechgrove,

where they know about such things, we will be using that information to choose what we grow next year.

Honey Harvest

Although we are basking in a 28 degree Indian Summer

it is time to think about winter for the bees.

Queen excluders off

Wasp guards have been on for a while

Plus….

a small share of the honey for ourselves.