the Autumn garden....

[captainbovine]

....is now upon us. I had to go out today and tidy up a bit for the winter.

Has anyone noticed how the cosmos plants have gone beserk? one of mine grew so big it's snapped itself in half....

I've discovered weird fungus at the back of the garden, and just realised how big this garden is....there's so much to tidy up!!!!

anyone want a bag of apples?

[stan3502]

Turns the offer of apples down , sorry CB but I also have a glut to work through.

Have just used the last of the cherries to make a crumble and brandy soaked ones in a jar as a special t for someone .

So much cutting back to do its unbelevable but a good couple of dyts with a coule of us at it should see the land ready to face the winter and be ready to blossom again nxt spring

[ilove2patch]

Also has a glut of apples....and tomatoes!

[merc1_clocks]

Me plums have ripened...

jam, crumbles & tarts have been making an appearance !

I've hunners of Victoria plums

[Anonymous]

oooooooooooooh merc - I'm so jealous! Victoria plums straight from the tree is one of my favourite summer pleasures!

My plums got hit by a hard frost just as the blossom got going then what fruit survived got blasted halfway to the North Pole by gale force winds & horizontal rain. I think I only got about 5lbs from 3 trees *sob*

Good year for apples here too.............and Autumn rasps, brambles & runner beans. I usually take any surplus up to the local old folks sheltered housing but I think even they are getting fed up of beans by now. Freezer's full to busting with fruit for jams etc through the year, tubs of cooked down, very concentrated toms for soups & sauces throughout the winter, beans, peppers & courgettes.

Not looking forward to the cutting back - hate doing it anyway because it means winter's knocking at the door but it's getting harder as I get more creaky 😞

Don't forget to leave some untidy bits for the ladybirds and lacewings to shelter in during the cold weather & seedheads for the birds 🙂 That's my excuse for the scruffy bits & I'm sticking to it!

Think positive ........................it'll soon be spring 🙂

[bitsnknots]

If it's nice later, I might do some tidying up at the back.  There's no point me doing anything at the front as the gas board are putting a new gas main in on our estate and we've been told that they may need to dig up the front garden.    I hope not because they won't spend all the time and effort we have in planting everything.  Also, all our hard work in the front garden would be for nothing.  If they dig a hole at the end of the drive, fair enough so long as they let me get the car off the drive first.

[ed_blackadder_1]

Have you seen the rain today its coming down like stair rods.

Thanks for the apple offer CB, but received 3 carrier bags full of bramleys yesterday courtesy of Mother, also half a carrier bag of Chillis!

(Good job I have a fab recipe for sweet chilli jam), 1 carrier bag of Peppers and half a bag of Victoria plums.  Lots to keep me busy this weekend, oh and the damsons and blackberries that I have picked. My garden has summer fruit Blackcurrants, gooseberries, and redcurrants and my parents have autumn fruit so it works out very well.

Happy preserving people

[lost.parrot]

Leaves, leaves, and now wet leaves

[rose2008-2008]

The weather seems to be Autumnal everywhere today, been lashing down in my town today aswell although its eased a bit now. I got heating on im staying cozy  

[ed_blackadder_1]

Forecast for this weekend in the Westcountry appears to be good, I have sorted the bags, emptied the car, sharpened my secateurs and I am ready to go, huge budleiah x 3 to chop down, Widjealia, Forsythia, Burberous, Roses, (which are in full bloom again) and of course the wild garden needs tidying, nettles, etc.

Not looking forward to it but it does need to be done as it didn't get done last year due to the weather so it made the garden hard work this year.

Have fun everybody.

I do appologise if the spellings are wrong the spell checker doesn't recognise any of the plants.

[ilove2patch]

Well the rain has gone & the sun is out so it bodes well for the weekend. It's very warm too. My little people will be in a caravan at Teignmouth this weekend so I hope it's as nice as they say.

[petitecalicocat]

Would love the apples CB if only i was near enough to collect em LOL   , i do love an apple crumble , pie , apple sauce ..ohh me mouths watering  

[ed_blackadder_1]

So do I thats now far from me, I hope they enjoy lovely Devon (of which I am very proud being a Devonshire maid)

[captainbovine]

these are eating apples..I've only got one baking apple tree and they're ready to pick now.

oooh Ed, I envy you all that fruit...I just love blackcurrants, oh and Merc, I'm getting me bike out of the garage...I'm coming up to yours for those Victoria plums...cor I loves them.

It's chucking it down now so I've no chance of getting those apples in.

[**towery**]

my dad freezes  plums then makes jam through the winter

also cooking apples get peeled, halved

[captainbovine]

so you just peel them and cut them in half...do you core them?

how do you pack them, and does it matter if they go brown while you peel some more?