It’s the middle of October already! The plot and garden made it through the hot and dry summer. When the weather cooled and rain resumed in September, the plants took it as their cue to continue growing and flowering.

The dahlias at the plot have given me a bunch of blooms once a week, not armfuls as I’ve become used but enough to fill a vase. They have now been afflicted with powdery mildew, which I think sums up how they feel about their location and soil conditions. I’m converting one of the veg beds in full sun over to the dahlias. All I need do is coax the tubers through the winter…

I filled three tubs with imported bagged top soil and mixed with sand to persuade carrots to grow. They are in a partially shaded spot, some carrots have managed a decent length but the majority are still stumpy and fit only for the soup pot. Next to the carrots are Roma tomatoes. There are four plants in the poly tunnel and four spares planted at the plot. These have received much less attention than those in the poly tunnel and have produced masses of excellent fruit. Neglect pays!

I created two new raised beds this year with the intention of growing leafy crops. I loosely applied the principles of square foot gardening, which has worked well and I’m still picking spinach, lettuce and kale.

It’s not the first time I’ve successfully grown calabrese but the first time at this site, and I’m ridiculously pleased with myself.

I have a stash of onions drying in the greenhouse; these are Long Red Florence, a main crop variety and not a shallot. They loved the hot, dry conditions. Those that had full sun are twice the size of those in partial shade.

How was your year of growing and harvesting?