Huge congratulations to Vanessa, Paul and Josh on the safe arrival of baby Rosie. She looks just like her brother and therefore her father! I have high hopes that she will prove more enthusiastic for veg growing than all the boys in our team! Of course no digging for Nes for a while after a C section, so more badgering of the Dads for winter labour this year. Any spare time Dad has though is used for childcare whilst I potter on the plot.
Nes can of course plant seeds, which I believe we should be getting on with now in readiness for spring. I planted Sweetpeas a couple of weeks ago in my little coldframe and they already look like they could be potted on. Does this mild autumn suggest another very snowy winter? I bought some heavy duty moonboots for me and the kids in case. Wellies are not the answer in the snow as my blue toes last year proved.
After feeling so smugly indulgent during the summer simply picking the fruits of our labours, I am now feeling begrudgingly pious doing nothing but weeding every visit to the plot. The Couch Grass is particularly aggressive. The ground is still warm enough to pull it easily but there always seems to be more of it!
We must have had a night frost already as the Squash plants left by our brief partners were burned and rotten and the Sweetcorn very dead. I cut them down rather than pulling up the plants as advised so as to seal the remaining Nitrogen in the soil.
Lovely Autumn colours
