Squash and pumpkin harvest

I spent much of the weekend tidying up the garden ready for winter.
Plenty of plants are still cropping and on Sunday I picked the sweet dumpling squashes.
One was soon put too good use in a vegetable curry, also starring other home-grown ingredients such as dwarf French beans, courgettes, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, peppers and chillis.
All this was accompanied with a side serving of Bombay alloo, made with my meagre crop of King Edwards (I'll definitely water them more next year).
Nonetheless, it was a good reward for a hard day's graft.

Common blue suffers after cold summer

The numbers of common blue butterflies has fallen by two-thirds because of the cool summer, according to experts.
The insects, which are frequent visitors to my garden, were among the butterfly species to suffer most as a result of the weather, with numbers falling by 61%.
The figures are a result of the Big Butterfly Count survey involving 34,000 people who recorded 322,000 sightings of butterflies.
Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation said it had expected a bumper year for butterflies because of the hot, dry spring but the prolonged spells of rain meant many of the insects were unable to fly, feed or breed.
I have plans to rejuvinate the wild flower corner in my garden next year to encourage more butterflies and other insects - perhaps I should supply a few umbrellas too!
PHOTO: alber1ch

Getting to grips with technology

It has been far too long since I posted on this blog, mainly because I've been working so much and rarely have time to sit in front of my computer at home.
All of that, however, is about to change as I have finally caught up with technology and got myself an internet-enabled phone.
All those hours spent bored between shifts will no longer be wasted.
My only immediate problem is the dozens of lovely photos stored on my PC waiting to be uploaded... They, I guess, will have to wait for the time being.

Sparrowhawk pays us a visit

I just looked out of my window to see what birds were on the feeder - expecting to see a woodpecker or a couple of great tits.
Instead, the feeder was looking rather deserted and, rather than the usual array of garden birds, I saw a sparrowhawk perched on the edge of my compost heap, surveying the area - no doubt looking for some lunch.
It's not the first time we have seen birds of prey in the garden - sparrowhawks and kestrels are regular visitors here in the winter - but this is the first time we have seen one at this time of year.
It was a browny colour, so presumably a female, and had white feathers on its wings and back.
It sat there for ages, looking about. I managed to get a couple of shots but decided to watch it through my binoculars.
What a treat...

Garden visit: Sussex Prairies

I have just returned from a private view at a garden I didn't even know existed until a couple of weeks ago.
Sussex Prairies at Morland Farm, near Henfield, is a well kept secret - partly because it was only planted in 2008.
One of the nicest things, if you're thinking of going, is that you can enjoy a drink on the cafe terrace overlooking the entire garden - something a lot of visitor gardens are unable to offer.
Here are a few photos I took of my visit.

Garden visit: Standen House and Gardens

I paid a visit to Standen at the weekend - a house filled with decoration and furnishings from the Arts and Crafts movement.
The garden is beautiful - I especially enjoyed the vegetable gardens - and the house is equally stunning with beautifully crafted fireplaces, hand printed wallpaper by William Morris and a conservatory that lures you into sitting down and enjoying the views across the countryside towards Weirwood Reservoir.
Make sure you read the introduction blurb in the barns near the entrance gate before going into the house - you will get more from your visit if you understand its background.

Pumpkin problems: powdery mildew

I've just got home from a week away to find my only Jack-o-lantern pumpkin plant riddled with leaf mould.
I've read that it happens when the atmosphere is moist but the ground is dry.
I had noticed it getting bad before I left and had been reluctant to remove any leaves in case I hindered its growth... I now very much regret not doing that.
The mould has spread to all the leaves and stems and the only fruit on the plant appears to have stopped growing.
My trusty Hessayon book told me to spray the plant with sulphur but all I could imagine was scraping the ends off endless boxes of matches and I wasn't really sure I liked that idea.
Another website suggested concocting a baking soda solution with liquid soap and spraying it on the plants.
Without any baking soda to hand, I decided instead to give the leaves a wash with a very weak soap and water solution as an interim measure.
I waited until the sun had moved around so as not to scald the plants and gently rubbed each leaf with the soapy water until all the white had gone. Unfortunately, it was only the moisture from the water which turned the leaves green again - as soon as they were dry, the white came back.
My efforts were wasted.
I've just added baking soda to the shopping list...