Fruits of our labour.

I've really noticed these past few weeks how the evenings are drawing in. To think, this time last month, I would have still been pottering in the garden at this time. No chance of that now unless we get some floodlights.

At least it's gloriously warm at the moment, though we did have a few chilly nights towards the end of last week.
 I have now taken to zipping up the grow houses at night, one zip for a mild night and both zips when there's a chill in the air.

I've invested in a cheap thermometer (99p from Tescos) and popped that in the grow house so I have one eye on that and the other eye on the weather.

In this growhouse I am growing pea shoots for salads, a salad mix, a stir fry salad mix and some radishes. I am also playing nursemaid to 72 plug perennial plants for friends who I am trying to help with their garden. And finally, I'm trying to grow some bay from cuttings from our tree.

It is nice that even though things are winding down I've got a nice full growhouse.

Some of the tomato plants have been looking a tad shabby and showing signs of blight really taking hold. The blight has been slow to develop, mainly black patches on stems. Now the odd tomato are showing signs of blight.

I've stripped a few plants of tomatoes, whether ripe or not, and cut back a fair bit. There are still 4 plants that are showing warning signs and somehow the two plants in one of the beds by the back wall have no sign of blight whatsoever. I count myself lucky.

So tonight, there is a large pot of green tomato chutney bubbling away down stairs and we are well stocked for chutney for the foreseeable future.

I must also mention that I haven't needed to buy any tomatoes for about a month now and if the blight doesn't take hold I could have another 2-3 weeks of tomaotes from what I think of as my outdoor larder.

Yesterday Leah picked one of her corn.

Her face says it all really.

I let her pick it and strip it. She loved it!

Okay, so it could have probably done with a few days more but we cooked it and it was the sweetest, tastiest corn I've ever had (and we all had a taste). Sweetcorn is a must for growing next year!

I'm learning that a sense of humour is essential for gardening.

This morning, Squirrel had been back. With avengence.

When I saw this I just laughed, thankfully it was the sweetcorn that was mini. It made me laugh because it looked like he really went ballistic over it. 

We have now netted up Leah's corn. We are taking no risks there.

My chutney is almost done and I need to sterilise my jam jar lids so I'll finish up here.

Good night.

x