Monday, October 01, 2012

It's been a while (again)....

....what with being in Crete for two weeks.  I love Crete.  Sun, heat, souvlaki, raki.  Bring it on.  And you just have to close your mind to the allotment fending for itself.  In truth, it's been such a poor season that it didn't make much difference.  Even Operation Deluge didn't make that much difference, although it did add another week's absence.  I was expecting it to have come over all jungloid but it's not too bad.

Needs a concerted effort of course but then, isn't that the case everywhere in autumn.  Priorities (and, as ever, these are just the priorities) include:

  • more wires and more tieing in for the grape vines
  • moving the mega hedge clippings pile out of the manure bin and burning them (Problem - need to clear some space before I've actually got room to burn them)
  • order manure (Problem - need to move the mega hedge clippings pile out of the manure bin....)
  • cut the hedge (again.  Yet a-chuffing-gain).  To add to the mega hedge clippings pile
  • clear the shed out and tidy it up some
  • put new roof on shed (Problem - new roofing material is at the bottom of the manure bin - don't ask - under the mega hedge clippings pile.....).  

Beginning to see a theme here? And once the mega hedge clippings pile is moved into a burning space we're going to add my son's mega hedge clipping pile to it, thus clearing two huge piles (so to speak) at a stroke.  We'll have to be slightly careful in setting fire to this lot because when my neighbour Ivan burnt his mega etc it was so huge the police helicopter came to have a look.  Hmm.

Anyway, problems aside, I'm still cutting the hedge!  Just in case I run short of hedge clippings to burn.
 

The raspberries, feeling very sorry for themselves and distinctly mildewed "apres le deluge", have recovered rather well and are still giving a decent picking.  This today, and there'll be more.  And one day I'll learn to get them in focus.  That's what comes of not wearing your glasses while using the camera.


And you just have to cheer this brave effort from my one remaining courgette plant doing it's utmost to defy autumn. 
 

Better get a move on, matey.  I need the space to burn a mega.... !!

6 comments:

Tanya. said...

You better be careful that burning all those hedge clippings in one stroke doesn't end up giving you a 'stroke'!!

Sounds like a lot of hard work you have in that list...but next year is going to be THE year for growing your own...well that's what I'm hoping for anyway so I think all your hard work over the autumn will be well worth it.

I still have a few flowers coming on my squash plants but I'm not hopeful they'll turn into fruit any more.

I really should go and get my raspberries picked too if I want to make some jelly!!

Gad you found some sun on your hols!

Unknown said...

oh my - sounds like you need a hand ? I can bring my clippers one weekend and OH is a dab hand at bonfires :) I can give you Sat or Sun this w/e or Sun next w/e

mc :)

Sue Garrett said...

The raspberries have been heroes this year!

Lee said...

Really enjoying autumn rasps too. Better flavour than the summer ones we inherited.

Nutty Gnome said...

Do you think two smaller bonfires might work? Just a thought?!

I got one weird squashette from all my plants, but at least the autumn raspbo's have been good. Not impressed with the rest of summer though!

Hoping to book for Crete this week!

Gordon Mason said...

Hi Michelle. Many thanks for your very kind offer but son and I have got it under control now after heroic efforts today.

Thanks Tanya, I'm determined that next year WILL be the year!

Hi Liz. Bonfire issue sorted now, and it will be smaller and over time rather than a Mother Of All Bonfires. In my heart I'd prefer a MOAB but Prudence, she counsels otherwise! Hope you get your Crete booking without any probs.