The weather over the last few months has been very temperamental. Yesterday there was fog and frost, whereas today we have lashings of wind and rain. It’s not only confusing for us when trying to decide what to wear on a morning, but the plants seem to be perplexed too. Yesterday, when I was tidying up the strawberry bed in the Soft Fruit garden, I noticed that some of the plants were flowering, either six months early or six months late! There are also fruit on summer-fruiting raspberries, and cowslips, a spring flower, are in bloom.
In the Pest and Disease Control garden, vegetable production is starting to wane, although there are a few plants still going strong. I was really pleased with the Florence fennel that I harvested few weeks ago. I’ve tried, and failed, to grow this before on my allotment, but it seems to have thrived in the warm Mediterranean-like summer we’ve had this year. Whitefly have been a problem in the Brassica bed this year. As well as making the kale look unappetising, they’ve led to sooty mould on some plants, as this fungus grows on the honeydew they secrete. However, the Brussels sprouts are still doing well, and there should be enough of them to last until Christmas. I’m also growing Tatsoi in this bed. Apparently this hardy pak choi can survive temperatures down to –10°C, so it has a chance of surviving whatever weather there is to come over the months ahead.
Over the coming weeks, my attention in the gardens will be turning to winter pruning. I also need to order seeds and start planning the gardens for next year – ideal indoor jobs for the further inclement weather that is no doubt on its way.
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