Winter approaches - September

Our harvesting continues as winter approaches.

There is a profusion of plums, apples and raspberries whilst the carrots were disappointing (just 18 bags for the deep freeze) the beetroot are excellent (so far) this year. For some reason the field voles do not seem to have taken their usual (large) share! The sweet corn has been excellent this year and the parsnips appear HUGE – they will be a struggle to dig out.

Once crops are harvested it's an easy job to fork out any weeds (the crops keep most weeds down through the summer) and then rotavate to fluff up the soil which we then leave to grow a nice crop of annual weeds (mostly chickweed) before Christmas. There are still a few tomato plants in the greenhouse where we have now brought in the orange and lemon trees in their big pots.

All in all it has been a good year after the dry cold spring. The deep freeze is almost full again – with plums, beans, broccoli, black currants, gooseberries and carrots. We made lovely blackberry wine – just 3 bottles left now. There are just the parsnips, beetroot and apples to harvest now. This year's broccoli is looking magnificent in its netted enclosure.

Fortunately we've had some lovely late summer weather to take in the harvest and (as often) there are a good number of spectacular butterflies enjoying a re-fuelling stop on the rotting fruit which has fallen from the trees.