Autumn is a-comin'

So:

• The carrot wine is bottled 
• Elder tree has been stripped of berries (not by me!)
• The log store framework is underway
• Hazelnuts have been collected
• The borders are almost tidy
• Compost pile no. 2 is breaking down nicely
• No sign of the rocket or spinach I planted
• Rabbits are trying to dig back into the wild area at the top of the garden
• Pumpkin fruit have been de-cluttered

Carrot wine
After a little taster and the addition of a tad more sugar the wine is bottled and sitting in the rack ready for Christmas.  It's a little sweet for my taste, but it would have been too sharp without the additional sugar. But wow, does it have a kick!  The difficulty now is keeping my hands off it until Christmas, although hiding it in the cupboard under the stairs does help.

       

Elderberries
Unfortunately for me, my elder tree produced most of its berries on the side that overhangs my neighbours garden. Fortunately for me, I have lovely neighbours and they were happy for me to pop round anytime and pick the berries.  Unfortunately for me, by the time I got round there early last week, the tree had been picked clean already............by the birds! Not to worry, a short trip this weekend to nearby Respryn with my neighbour Sue and her two girls brought in great rewards with 5 freezer bags full (just over 6lbs) of elderberries.  Just some large bags of sugar required and I'll be starting it later this week.

I've also been keeping an eye on the sloes in the hedgerow at work; they're in abundance this year.  I know you're supposed to wait until there's been a frost before you pick them but, to be honest, we don't tend to get frosts down here until later in winter so I'm just going to wait until they feel soft and I'll pick them; not for sloe gin, but to have a go at sloe wine.  There's also a recipe in my CJJ Berry book that says 2/3 elderberry and 1/3 sloe makes a good wine - possibly 6 bottles of elderberry and 6 of elderberry & sloe wine this year then?



Log store
I've had some much appreciated help from Sue's husband this past week, in getting the log store underway. A couple of weekends ago, I started by clearing, levelling (which also included removing enough soil to fill 7 wheelbarrows) and compacting the ground only to then remember that I'd lent my saw to a friend and couldn't proceed with installing the support posts.  In steps Carl with his trusty saw, hammer and nails and up go the posts and 2/3 of the roof.  There's only the side slats to put in - I'll be using the wood left over from when the fence was cut down earlier this year - and a cover for the front to be found (I'm thinking along the lines of heavy tarpaulin) and it'll be finished. Hurray!

Hazelnuts
Well I've managed to get enough to make what I call my 'winter cookies' this year; the filling is white chocolate, cranberry and hazelnuts.  It's popular amongst family and friends.  If I remember I'll post the recipe when I make them. Thankfully, the strong winds of the last week have helped by shedding loads of nuts into the garden; saving me the trouble of having to reach up into the trees in my hedge to try and get at those 'just out of reach' ones.  There's about 12oz (340gms) in the dish so far; I'd like to get a full 1lb (450gms) if I can.....just a few more windy days might help.

Border plants
I've been far too ashamed to show any images of my lawn borders recently; for fear of being accused of cruelty to plants or neglecting my gardening duties. So the last couple of weeks, I've been out after work on the odd pleasant evening and tidied them up.  The Forget-Me-Nots have gone mad this year and it's about time they were replaced with something less invasive, so I've been clearing them out (I know I won't get them all this year) to make space for something with an autumn/winter interest. I've also been dead-heading the Siddalcea, the Herb Marsh Mallows and the Glory-of-the-Snow but left the seed heads of the Alliums on for a little longer; I rather enjoy the silvery grey colour in the garden this time of year.

Weeding has been a big problem as the weather's been ideal for weeds and I've struggled to keep on top of it. But I'm finally managing to get around the borders one bit at a time. I'm using the last of the compost from Pile no. 1 as a layer of mulch on top of the border soil; I hope it will help to keep them down. Talking of compost........

Compost
Pile no. 2 is breaking down nicely; I bought an 'activator' to help speed up the process and it's worked a treat - just wish I could remember the name of it now!  Once I've used the rest of Pile no. 1 on the borders I'll be starting it over again.  There's still a couple of bags of horse manure that have been breaking down for 12 months and they'll go on the raised veg beds soon enough.  Should all help towards a good growing season next year.

Rocket and spinach
Of which there has not been a peep! Maybe I did leave it a little too late to plant the seeds, but I was hoping for at least some small leaves around now.  Never mind, keeping a record of things like this will help me to do better next time.

Those damn 'wabbits'
Ok so some of it's my fault, I haven't managed to get up the top of the garden and strim away the rest of the overgrown area.  As a result, on taking a walk up there the other evening I discovered a freshly dug hole in the ground. Now it was heading towards the hedge and my neighbour's garden on the other side (not Sue and Carl's garden) so I didn't feel too bad about digging it back in as there's probably other entrances on his side of the garden.  But it does mean that if we get a dry evening this week (not looking hopeful I have to say) then I'm going to have to get up there with the strimmer and clear it down to the ground and check for other potential 'digs'.  Oh, and I'll be having a serious word with Jasper as well - obviously not the great rabbit killer he made himself out to be last year!

Pumpkins
These have developed around 6 small fruit and there are still some flowers developing.  So, I've taken all but two fruits off so far and raised them above the ground to prevent them from rotting.  The plant will need to be helped along with some tomato feed now.  The mildew (see previous post 'Future fruits' dated 28th August)  that appeared on some leaves doesn't seem to have spread since I sprayed with the mixture of Bicarbonate of Soda and water, so fingers crossed...........!

Future fruits

I've begun another bout of digging. This time it's the area next to the shed which I'm prepping for the installation of a fruit cage and a couple more raised beds. The jury's still out on what fruit to grow yet but I'm toying with the idea of having a Boysenberry. I only came across this fruit recently; we bought some for the care home garden because it doesn't have any thorns. A little different from the usual berries, it's a cross between a blackberry, raspberry and loganberry. Well I'll give it a go once the cage is up and see what happens. Perhaps I'll plant a blackcurrent and a couple of blueberries with it. I'll have to check the size of the fruit cage before I go shopping!

I'm making the most of this productive mood and have also started clearing the ground on the other side of the shed to make room for the log store. Maybe it's because I'm beginning to feel like summer is coming to an end and occasionally my thoughts are turning to autumn and winter.  It's time to look into getting some logs delivered. Two more pallets have been retrieved from work to provide the base and there are some large posts and planks of wood left over from when the fence was reduced which I'll use to make the slatted sides. It's a good job it's a Bank Holiday weekend; I'm grateful for the extra day.

As far as the vegetable garden goes, all the peas are now bagged and in the freezer, the last of the beetroot have been cooked and sliced and I've cleared the spaces and planted a small row of rocket and another of spinach.  The spinach will only produce small leaves at this time of year but I do love them in a salad.

The pumpkin I planted back in July is doing well but has developed mildew on the leaves.  A quick search on the internet has revealed a couple of non-chemical solutions. One is to mix 1/4 ounce of baking soda in a gallon of water and the other is a 50:50 mixture of milk and water.  I'll try the baking soda solution first and see if that helps.  I'm informed that the mildew doesn't affect the fruit but if it kills the leaves off then the fruit could get sun-scorched without the protection.

What else has been happening? Well, I've added a few more plants to the borders around the lawn; a couple of Gypsophyla, a Lantana and a Dahlia.  The Forget-Me-Nots are being removed as well as most of the Aquilegia.  They were very helpful in filling in the borders in the early days but are taking over now so it's time to replace them with more variety.

Oh and the carrot wine is finally away from the starting blocks. It's almost ready to have it's first syphoning.  But I must admit, it's an odd colour!  I expect only time will tell with this one.

Hopefully it'll be ready for Christmas and
will taste better than it looks

I've also been given a bag full of windfall apples by a friend and I'm wondering if I should get some apple wine on the go as well.  It's all down to the amount of equipment I have - which isn't much - and the fact that the elderberries are ready to be picked, both from my tree in the garden and from one at work so there's an opportunity to make several gallons of elderberry wine this year.   Decisions, decisions.

A little note to end on........I've accidentally stepped on several green hazelnuts lying on the ground in the garden recently.   I wasn't sure if you could eat them 'green' but have found a few tasty-looking recipes so I'll be out foraging along the hedge tomorrow and trying these recipes out.  It won't be long before the race against the squirrels begins to see who gets to the ripened one first; I think I can predict the outcome of that in advance!

Pallets and plums II

Two compost bins for the price of 7 tree stakes and a pack of wood screws - not bad.

Yes, I got out before the rain came today and built my second compost bin.  It's not pretty, or level but it'll do the job nicely and it's not like I'm going to be entering any 'Glamorous Garden' competitions in the near, or distant future!

Let's see if it stays up in a storm!

Each time I complete a task in the garden I feel just that bit closer to my goal of making a garden out of The Field.  Some weekends I don't get much done at all and I don't often ask for help from others if I think I can do it myself, so the going is slower than most garden makeovers.  But, I enjoy it when I'm outside, whether it's digging, cutting, planting, weeding or anything else that needs doing. Plus I get a huge sense of satisfaction when I can stand back and say "I did that".
                                                                            

February 2008 after brush-cutting

February 2011 and it's slowly taking shape

 These two photos show the garden as it was in February 2008 (about 7 months after I moved in) and as it is now, in February 2011.  Hmmm, looks like the fence needs another coat of weather-proofing; that's another job added to the list of many!    
                                                                                                                                               For the time being though the next task on my list is the fencing around the raised beds; those cauliflower seeds are growing quickly and the leeks are just beginning to pop their heads up.  Fingers crossed for good weather next weekend.



On the wine-making front, the plum wine is now in the fermentation jar.  Although I can clearly see the sediment on the bottom, the rest of it still looks a bit cloudy, and it's very pink!  Is it supposed to look like that? I have no idea. It's got a few weeks to clear up and I've added the Bentonite which helps speed up the process so I guess I'll just have to wait and see.  Hasn't anyone invented an 'Instant Wine' recipe yet?

A very pink plum wine fermenting in the kitchen corner

The rack of wine bottles was recently given to me by a friend and it's sitting in the kitchen waiting for me to find somewhere to put it.  It's not there in an attempt to make the picture look interesting - honest!

Pallets and plums

I've been bringing home pallets from work again. They're incredibly useful if you're trying to redevelop a garden and can be used for all sorts of projects such as raised beds (although I did buy mine in kit form), hen houses and even garden table and chairs.  Check out this great inspirational book called 'Build It.....with Pallets' if you're looking for ideas for your own garden or have some spare pallets you want to use for something other than firewood. Another great place to find ideas for projects in the garden is the Gardeners World website. I built my first compost bin using instructions from there; now it's time to build a second. The idea is to create one heap whilst having another that is ready for use.  In theory I should always have plenty of good compost ready for the garden. So, if you ever spot any pallets lying around in building sites, factory yards or garden centres it's worth asking if they're going spare.

On a serious note, I stress the importance of asking very strongly!  Some pallets belong to delivery companies who'll want them back so don't just take pallets if you see them lying around - always ask first!


Once the compost bin is done then I'll turn my attention to constructing a log store behind the shed. I've never done that before either but it can't be much harder than constructing the compost bin.  I bought logs from a local supplier this winter - good logs too, a mixture of soft and hard wood fully seasoned.  But with the winter we've had he was in short supply so I'm thinking about starting to collect wood earlier this year and storing it so that it can finish seasoning through the year ready for this winter.  Plus any additional pallets I get can be broken down and used as kindling instead of buying it in bags.  Hopefully I'll save money on heating next winter that way and if I can find a local gardener or tree surgeon whose looking to get rid of excess wood, then even better!

In the midst of all this pallet procurement, I've planted my first leek and cauliflower seeds in trays and they're growing on the windowsill in the spare bedroom at the moment.  I went to check on them the other day and the cauliflowers are just beginning to show tiny shoots above the compost.  Ok, so this probably isn't the most exciting news for people who've been growing veg for years but as it's my first attempt I'm full of anticipation to see if I can grow them successfully.  

fingers crossed! 

First things first though - the rabbit proof fence.  Not the brilliantly made Australian movie but the one that's got to secure the raised beds from rabbits and other such pests in the garden.  I need to crack on with this sooner rather than later and planting the seeds has given me the incentive I needed.  So this weekend I've put the posts in to mark the area, using the back edge of the raised beds as one boundary and leaving enough space so that once the wire is up I can still get in with a wheelbarrow.  Having measured it all out it looks like I'm going to need around 18.5m of wire mesh around the beds!  Think I'll do some research on costs on the internet this week!

I'll be putting a seed cloche/mini greenhouse  in this area too.  I bought one last year and it's been sitting in my shed ever since.  It's about time it came out of its box and was made use of!

posts marking position for wire mesh fencing

I'm going to use a thick wire mesh fence rather than chicken wire; I learnt a valuable lesson when I used wire mesh around my young apple trees to protect them against the rabbits.  I used normal sized wire mesh and something (maybe not a rabbit?) still had a go at biting through the wire, so I added a second layer which seems to have kept pests at bay so far.  This time I'll be buying thicker wire mesh.

Clearing back the hedgerow has also begun with the cutting back of an overgrown Box shrub. I'll cut it right back to just a few inches above the ground and hopefully it will come back without any problem so that I can re-shape it and maintain its growth. I won't do much more to the hedges in the garden at the moment, not with Spring just around the corner but I have future plans to add some flowering shrubs where there are large gaps in the hedge on the right side of the garden and lay the ash and hazel hedge on the left side. I've asked my neighbours if they mind me managing their boundary hedge and (funnily enough) there's no objection.

A new wine is on the go as well.  Last year I made my very first home made wine - elderberry. I don't usually blow my own trumpet but it was a lovely wine to drink - very light and fruity. I was very proud of it and it was lovely to give to family and friends as a Christmas present. I was given the recipe by a friend of mine who makes wine in gallons.  Then my 'Secret Santa' present  this Christmas was a wine book with 130 wine-making recipes which should keep me busy for years. So I decided to have a go at making plum wine; just a gallon in case it turns out to be undrinkable and more useful as a drain cleaner!  The instructions are quite different from my friend's so I'll see if the one in the book produces as good a wine.  I should have a verdict in about 3 months.

Oops! this post has been up for about 3 days before I realised that a whole paragraph had gone missing at the end.  Otherwise these final photos don't make any sense!  They're images taken of the garden redevelopment which is part of the dementia project I'm involved with at work.  I mentioned a short while ago that the contractor was starting the garden and after 3 weeks we're beginning to see the new layout take shape. It's really caught the attention of the staff and residents at the home.  With the transference of top soil from the front garden to this courtyard garden it's beginning to catch the eye of the public as they pass too.......the first time in almost 2 years that I've seen anyone look at the building!  So here are just a few images to show what's been going on so far.

First the conservatory came down to make room for a canopy

Then the overcrowding shrubs came out to open up the views

Next, the slabbed pavement was removed

In goes hardcore and top soil for new paths, lawn and borders

Phew..it's been a busy time both at work and at home. That's all folks!(for now)