Do you feel it? That cold that sneaks in during September that warns of the coming winter. I walked around my garden this morning to take some photos for you all and I could feel that cold right through to my bones. I’ll admit I didn’t have breakfast and I was in sore need of a coffee but it’s there, that warning to harvest on a dry day and enjoy what strength is left in the sun.
For this week I though I could share what I’m harvesting and what is in it’s final goodbye here at the cottage. I feel like I’m the only gardener who has been jipped by the weather gods. I know that can’t be the case but everything seems to be either late or going over quicker than in normal years making it almost impossible to enjoy the blooms and planting. There seems to be an urgency to flower and set seed that I haven’t seen since I was a teen. Are you noticing it too? Something to ponder as you enjoy this week’s six:
The Lady Gardener – David Austin
This is the beautiful David Austin rose The Lady Gardener and it was a birthday present from a friend. Every time it blooms I think of here pottering away in her greenhouse or knitting and distracted by puppies. The rose is currently enjoying a final bloom before the frost appears and its original bloom was cut short by the hot dry spell which stressed it. This rose needs a prune this year but it has the most magnificent blooms and leaves with a delicate scent and lives by the patio. I do
Borlotti Bean
Moving to the greenhouse because it’s chilly, the Borlotti’s are enjoying quite a bumper crop this year. I grew them undercover because their outdoor crop didn’t do so well last year and they have rewarded me handsomely. I can’t wait to show you their bright red and green beans that are just perfect for an autumn stew…ummmmm
Courgette – Atena
Is there anything as prolific as courgettes? This is an F1 variety called Atena and although it is a bush variety it sprawls like crazy. I planted this as an early but have really only been enjoying harvests for about a month. The green courgettes have failed miserably but Atena has more than made up for it. There have been many a rosti, burgers and muffins made with these so I will always find room for them.
Chilli
These little guys are just so happy in the greenhouse making a happy sparkling border in the beetroot bed. I always have great chilli harvests since we moved here so I was happy to try the Purple Tiger (sold out) and the Explosive Ember from Seedaholic. Not only are both of these gorgeous plants but the just provide months of interest without you having to do much at all. I will probably save a few for the conservatory this winter.
Pepper – Marconi
Marconi is a sweet red horn pepper which unfortunately for Irish growers is a late variety. I should have kept them in a container so I could bring them inside because I fear that there is no time now for the fruits to ripen. I lost all of my Californian sweet peppers this year to some mystery muncher in the greenhouse so this is the first year we have not had peppers. I will try to grow some over winter on a window still but I fear that it might be a waste of time but I have the pots soil and seeds so I’ll try 2 plants for now.
Tomatoes
My last addition this week is our tomatoes. They are struggling now and aren’t really producing. I will probably clear this bed within 2 weeks as our determinate variety is finished and can go, our basil is having a final push (pesto days ahead) and the cherries are becoming smaller and smaller almost toy sized.
When you look around the garden here at the cottage you can see it’s had a tough summer that followed a tough winter. Everything seems to be struggling and happy to rest finally. It makes me wonder how this winter will fair, like a warning to stock up on logs now and prepare those knitting projects for the long nights ahead. Next week I may show you my baby brassicas because it gives me hope for a slow growing winter.
Thank you for joining me, it really means so much to me to be able to share the cottage garden with all of you. Do make sure that you pop over to The Propagator ‘s page to check out more wonderful gardening posts and why not search the #sixonsaturday tag on twitter too to fill your feed with beautiful blooms. There is also a participant guide here if you would like to join in too. Looking forward to catching up with all of your garden posts this week too!
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The extremes of weather took its toll on my garden too, but mostly the flowers. The veg have done well for me this year. I look forward to seeing your beans when they ripen. How hot are your chilis? They look great.
The chillis are amazing, though the purple tigers are a little hot. Your garden looks amazing! I can’t imagine what it would look like if you didn’t have the weather to deal with. I’m an amateur gardener at best but we are learning 🙂
your rose is just beautiful 🙂 We’re pondering one for David Austin in our small garden in Manchester. Our garden struggled this year as it was so ridiculously hot for june/july/aug – we had no rain in Manchester for six weeks – unheard of…
btw I nipped over from the propagator – v pleased to find a crafty/gardener.
Waves hello and welcome to the notebook. I love their (DA) roses but the two I have are huge. I was keeping 1 in a pot but really it needs to go into the ground. I need a patio rose I think. Mine did stress this year because of the heat but we watered it carefully plus roses are a tough plant.
My time is split between craft and gardening and sometimes on the season it tips more into one than the other. Any craft questions just shout x
Seedaholic? That sounds like it was created just for me. Definitely checking that out. It has turned nippy and we had heavy persistent rain over the weekend. Very autumnal. My disappointing tomatoes are more or less done, I’ll clear them away next weekend. I do enjoy a bit of a clear out at the end of the season….
I love Seedaholic and their varieties. They don’t really do social media so you know they aren’t paying me to say so lol. I’ve just had lots of really good experiences with them and also they are a smaller independent business and I like supporting those. I’m sorry about your tomatoes you said you were having a bad time of it this year with them. Time to clear the way for a winter crop and we won’t be that far behind you. I was watching Gardener’s World this week and they had these fabulous peppers all in post so I think I’m going to steal that idea for next year.
Good to see another blogger focusing on tomatoes and peppers still. “Under cover” seems the common key to our continued bounty. I’m enjoying the turn toward cooler temps — reaching for the sweater right now.
I’m in a hat and jumper right now! My greenhouse is the only reason we had a good crop of anything this year including the beetroot 😂 the tomatoes will finish soon and the peppers well I doubt I’ll see a harvest but I’ll let you know.
My cabbages turnips and winter lettuce have all been sown but the beds aren’t turned over yet lol
I read your comment about Marconi Pepper which I had put on my list to grow this year, perhaps I should go for an earlier variety. Then I clicked the link and landed on Seedaholic. Now that’s going to take a bit of looking through. You rate them highly?
I think I was late in germinating them. I would sow these end of Feb early March indoors and they would have been much further along and I would have had fruit this year. I also should have kept them in a pot but I can always move indoors :/ as for seedaholic I have to say they have been lovely to me. My package got lost and Sue sent a second one without me even asking. I then returned the first when it turned up a month later
I’ve had a look at their list, which is excellent. I think I might give them a try.
I do really love them and they come with a little printout booklet on how best to grow the seeds you buy