It’s been pretty wet these last few weeks and the allotment has changed almost overnight. I absolutely love watching the changing seasons, all of them, but transitioning into Autumn is perhaps my Favorite. The very start of the new season sees a drop in temperature, and increase in wind and rain but at the same time, there has been some glorious rainbows and blue skies.
As the leaves turn, the hues never cease to amaze me and I occasionally find myself staring at the old apple tree on the allotment. There has been a great many windfall this year, which the wasps have been enjoying and I can’t help but wonder how many people that tree has seen cultivating the plot. The apples that have made it back to my kitchen have mainly been made into a warming, autumnal crumble and as the plot has been full of Squash this year I have started to think about making pumpkin pie.
It seems quite odd for me to be clearing out the Rhino Greenhouse so soon in the season but as I am heading back to the US for a few months, it is being emptied, cleaned and home to some pots of herbs needing protection over the colder months.
The brassica cage has been an absolute winner this year, abundantly full of Kale, Cabbage, Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Sprouts. As many of these will still be growing over the winter my lovely plot neighbor and friends will be able to pop over and pick their own. I can’t wait for the messages telling me that homegrown is way better than supermarket bought!
The herbs are starting to fade but the Dahlias are vibrant and full of flowers. They stand out in the autumn light and along with the never ending flowers of the Calendula, are making the allotment so cheerful.
I am now clearing out the old squash plants and mulching the beds. The new half plot will be covered over to keep the weeds down so I can get started on it next year. I am not sure there will be time to weed and tidy the fruit beds but that’s the way gardening goes sometimes.
I was hoping to sow some beans and plant out some onions to over winter but after many years of doing that, I think I can take one winter off. There is however, just enough time to grow some microgreens for garnishing my pumpkin soup.
So, as Autumn gets into full swing enjoy the stunning hues, make sure everything is secured before the weather gets winter-y and if you aren’t already, now is a good time to start harvesting rain water to use next year. My Rhino guttering on both sides is running into a nice big water butt ready to hydrate crops in the summer.
Happy Autumn!
To read more about Ellen Mary, you can find her on social media and on her website - https://www.ellenmarygardening.co.uk/
