Autumn

To me it is always a sad time of year. Autumn means that my garden is slowly getting ready for the long winter months.
 The weather forecast told of frosts, I went to pick the runner beans that were not quite ready but unfortunately for me, we have had no frosts so far. It was the same with my marrows. Well courgettes really. I let them grow into marrows. However this late in the year, I have had a few small courgettes. To be honest they would never have grown into marrows anyway so I have picked them.
 My beetroot, what I managed to grow was lifted yesterday. Frosts tend to make them grow woody. They were small and I gave a few to the next door as a thank you for knocking some stakes into my ground to support some fencing. He has a big lump hammer.
 I did managed, with difficulty I might add, to cut a point to 3X 6ft stakes. On Saturday we had heavy rain so the wood was wet through and to be candid, I have no suitable tools. Well no tools of quality. We'll leave it at that.
 I cut down most of my asparagus ferns today and dug the ground over.
 In the greenhouse I have pulled up some tomato plants but I still have a few plants with tomatoes on, some are ripening slowly.
 I have looked closely at my grapevine. Almost certainly I will reduce the vine still further so that I have no more than 20 bunches next year. Well, that is my lpan at this moment of time. Hope I don't change my mind.
 I do have a few cabbages in my polytunnel, also some cauliflowers but they don't seem to be progressing as well as I had hoped. I will keep my fingers crossed. Still I have plenty of carrots so at least I will have one fresh vegetable for most of the winter months. More soon.