Tuesday 16 October 2007

Week 41 - Mint to rule the Lottie!

Saturday, 13th October 2007

The weather was grey and dreary with occasional drizzle throughout the day and very humid so by the time I got home I was absolutely drenched! Maureen and I got to the lottie at about 10:00 after quite an eventful morning. Woody had done a runner earlier on and what with heating soup for the thermos to take to the lottie, getting batter ready for vetkoek, it was mad, mad, mad. Anyway quite a good day as we got 2.5 rows of garlic in. Also planted out the Japanese onions that I had startedoff in August. They were not really looking very happy but there you go – they are in – they have got two chances, live or die! It looks like all the Florence Fennel has bolted before making bulbs so I will leave the flowers for the butterflies – at least someone gets some joy out of them.

Also managed to mulch the asparagus bed and cut off the fern heads. So that bed is all nice and comfy for the winter. Planted about 20 Super Aquadulce broad beans in double rows in the old hot box which should be well manured and have good shelter for the winter to come. Maureen also potted up some sweet peas (saved from this year) and sowed some Feltham First peas for an early spring crop into root trainers– that’s if the mice don’t get to them first. Once the Douce Provence and Metoer arrive I will also plant those out into pots. Staked the purple sprouting broccoli and netted it against the pigeons and managed to clear the last of the brassica’s. Netted and staked the Red Rubin Brussel sprouts which have developed into lovely strong plants with a wonderful red/purple hue to their leaves.

When I went to move the mint from the old brassica bed to put it into the new brassica bed for next year, I found that the mint had tried to take over the world – well OK – the Lottie! Thank goodness I had the foresight to plant them in pots. This year I will plant them out into bigger pots which might halt them from making a bid for freedom. Put one of the huge spare mint plants on the Lottie community table for anyone brave enough to want mint on their Lottie. Now only have the celeriac and a few purple sprouting brocolli left in the bed – have started mulching the bed for legumes next year and will complete the task when all produce has been harvested.

Managed to get the greenhouse cleared out and the beds manured for the winter. The table is now back in situ for all the baby plants who will brave out the long winter. We enjoyed some lovely home made soup from the thermos made from a lot of the vegetables off the Lottie.

Then went off home for a nice hot shower and watch the rugby - well done England and South Africa! Now for the big one next Saturday. Go South Africa!!

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