The nights are drawing in ...

Hmm, well it's finally stopped raining and we are even enjoying a little sunshine - although welcome, it's probably too little, too late !

This is what happened to my best Turks Turban. I took home two more this afternoon which have survived the weather - they are not as big though. There are another couple of tiny ones on the vine - which looks like it is half dead.





This is a Winter Festival. There are 7 smallish fruits on the plant. Not sure how big they normally grow.



I have two huge butternut squashes and a teeney-tiny one. Very disappointing, but then again some of my fellow allotmenters have not even got one. They just need some sunshine now to ripen .. I may even start removing leaves from the vine (a top tip I read somewhere).



This looks like my Queensland blue. I say looks like because it is not where I thought I planted it ! Got two squashes so far - little bit bigger than footballs. Bit more sunshine please



so if the one above is a Queensland Blue, it means this one is a Crown Prince. It is doing quite well - there are four reasonably sized fruits ... fingers crossed !



Not quite sure what happened to my lovely leeks, I've only ended up with a handful growing. Noticed signs of rust today too !



Harvested another kilo of tomatoes today. Made them into a lovely batch of tomato soup - it's very tasty. Only got another 3kg in the frige ! Looks like tomato tart may be on the menu next week :)





Most of my potatoes are very small, which is to be expected considering how late it was before I planted them. My Pink Fir Apple however are huge - this one is the size of my hand ! There are not many tubers per plant, but the tubers are way bigger than what I normally harvest. Interestingly these were left over from my last harvest.



My blueberries are screaming 'autumn is here'. The colours of the plant and the berries are amazing.



A colleague at work has a plum tree. Seems they don't use their plums, so a carrier bag full came my way. I took him a jar of the jam to say thanks and it has gone home to be admired by the family ! Am looking forward to tasting it - plum jam is my favourite. I've not made as much jam this year - got strawberry, raspberry and now plum. Of course the blackberries are now in full swing ! Must resist must resist must res ... resistance is futile !! watch this space.



I'm also full of apple crumble, courtesy of the same colleague. I can't believe they don't use the fruit. There were also some cherries, bursting with fruit, but good grief were they sharp.

Had another go at the greenhouse walls today. God it's going to take me ages to get rid of it. I've knocked down the front wall pieces and the 'bed' in the middle. I've even started to stack those bricks that I can reuse ... although I have to confess that it didn't occur to me in time that I still have to knock down the wall behind my neatly stacked pile.



I've been on skip duty today at the lottie - got rid of my greenhouse roof :) Am wondering whether it's OK to put some of the half bricks & rubble in ...



The wildgarden is full of lovely seedheads







I've not seen as much wildlife on the lottie this year - is it a) because I haven't been there much, b) because it was so cold at the beginning of the season, c) because it has been so rainy and horrid for the last month+ or d) because I'm not looking hard enough ! Answers on a postcard ... don't forget to ask a friend. Got lots and lots of froggie friends around the lottie - there are still tiny babies in the pond.