Here in the Tyne Valley the autumn colours in the garden are glowing in the morning sunlight whilst in the distance, on the opposite side of the valley, the trees form a patchwork of yellows, oranges, browns and greens.
View from house looking south-west with River Tyne running in the middle of the photo
View from house looking south east, River Tyne is hidden in centre of photo
At the beginning of October, I made a start on growing some winter vegetables. I sowed pak choi, red kale, wild rocket, spinach, winter peas, corn salad and cos lettuce. I also put in pots some small plants of curly kale, cabbage and spring onions. Surplus kale plants went into the beds underneath the Japanese wineberry.
A month later and I decided to check on the progress of all the above. Firstly, you can see the difference in growth between the two kale plants (the right hand plant is growing in the soil).
The pak choi, wild rocket, spring onions and cos lettuce are nowhere to be seen whereas the remaining vegetables including the winter peas and corn salad had successfully germinated and were thriving. As the kale had flourished in their containers, I planted any healthy young seedlings in pots filled with fresh compost.
I also earthed up the potato plant then put another sprouting potato in a second pot.
The lawn is
finally slowly greening up after a few intermittent sunny days and awful lot of
rain.
Despite it being late in the year to be deadheading, I have made a start on cutting back the lavender plants which grow around the house. Despite the lavender still blooming I have not seen many pollinators feeding on the flowers so have decided to neaten them up.
I have also been busy in the kitchen making preserves out of surplus apples from the garden and from vegetables reduced in the supermarkets.
Apple and pepper relish
Runner bean chutney
Beetroot relish
I do hope for everyone’s sake that the coming winter will be a mild one therefore making the energy bills smaller.
Do take time
out to enjoy the season’s colours and happy gardening.
