Autumn planting

Last of the autumn planting done - garlic, shallots, autumn onons, broad beans, kale and spring cabbages. Now comes the season of pruning, coppicing, hedge-cutting, shed-building and firewood-cutting - all jobs to be enjoyed in cold, preferably frosty, weather. Let's hope it stays dry but, if not, I have an open shed for making rustic gates, hurdles etc. No day must be wasted - wet or dry!

I am pretty much up to date with the planting. I have still got one more pressing to do then thats the cider finished. I have to build a new duck house this week. Pruning comes next with a wild Griselena hedge to do a number on, then on to a bit of coppicing. I have to relocate a polytunnel in the early spring. I am doing away with one and cutting another down in size. With all this rain my land is in a bit of a mess, I best keep off it for a while. Still the poly`s are looking productive, tidy even. I have to plant Shallots next month along with another drill of early peas. Plenty to do If I have the inclination

And so the season turns. Garlic planted, but I'm not bothering with broad beans this year - I like growing them but never seem to get around to eating them!

Broad Beans are not a favourite of mine unless they are picked young and eaten straight away. I can remember those horrid leather buttons that I had to eat. Yuck. I am putting up a new polytunnel but the storm has changed me mind. The cover can go on another day. Sprouts are quite poor to medium. Stored Toms are not keeping. My early onions are sprouting and soft. Savoy cabbages are recovering well now there are no caterpillars munching on them. Butternut Squash are just about finished but they did ok. So planning for next year. Got a new chook coop up and just need to fence off the run. I want to get some day old broilers to go in it at some point. I want to get some early spuds planted in feb. I got some half decent timber in to make a few cold frames, and of course, there are hives to make to replace the crap ones I made a couple of years back. I also have a poly hive coming as a xmas prezzie. I am looking for a rape field to put a coloney onto next year. Ivy honey is in big demand for health food outlets so I need to plan for this. Loads to think about while sipping me beer by a raging log fire.