Forever catching up with garden chores
Scrappy squash, one strawberry and maybe chickens...
November is here, the grass should be cut, shrubs and hedges trimmed back, beds cleared, and new crops sown. And, of course, not one single task is done. What a surprise!
I think it’s fair to say I’m not quite sure how November happened. I know this is something we talk about all the time but seriously, where does time go? Somehow, I’m always catching up, forever chasing down all the things that should’ve been done four weeks ago.
Where are we?
The less said about the potatoes, the better. They were essentially pointless.
The squash gave me four gnarly little fruits, which I managed to stretch to two meals worth. I had high hopes for these, a heritage breed with gorgeous dark green skin and orangey-yellow flesh, but I may have planted them too late and then an early frost cut them short.
As you may know, my aubergines, chilies, and peppers also went in quite late. I didn’t sow any seeds until May, a bit past the cut-off, so I spent the next few weeks shifting trays to every possible sunny spot around the house to keep them warm. The chilies did well, especially the sneaky plug plant I threw in, but the aubergines and peppers were a bit rubbish. Four small aubergines and few Padron peppers, although I didn’t realise they were Padrons until they stopped growing and started darkening. I then went back to the seed packets and saw I’d bought two varieties and must have only sown the Padrons. Very tasty when lightly roasted whole and definitely on the list for next year.
Tomatoes are my one success story - they’re still delivering, but I have brutally cut them back. My plan is to keep them going until December, just because I can, and then add them to the compost heap.
Some salad leaves are still coming through, and the kale plants have turned into miniature trees - they’ll stay for the winter, just think of all that organic, meat-free iron, not to mention the fibre.
Back in late September I filled an old fish tray with a mix of compost and regular earth, then sprinkled in a couple of handfuls of mixed flower seeds. So far, I’ve had three calendula pop up and cornflowers that look like they want to flower but haven’t braved it yet. Otherwise it’s just a lot of green but the nasturtiums are still going strong so there’s a wave of orange crawling up the side of Doug.
Finally, the surprise of the season: I discovered a lone red strawberry yesterday morning. Not the tastiest one I’ve ever had, but a strawberry in November feels like a win! Thank you, Doug.
Next up, the plan…
First on the to-do list is buying a scythe so I can cut the grass. For context, our “estate” is a whopping 3/4 of an acre - not quite a smallholding, but bigger than your average garden. Cutting grass purely for a neat lawn seems sacrilegious to me, especially when letting it grow longer creates a habitat for wildlife. We cut wide pathways with the mower, which makes it easier for us and the dog to navigate and provides prime feeding spots for certain birds, hedgehogs and the visiting rabbits.
A scythe is exactly how you imagine it, a big sharp curved knife at the end of a long stick that the Grim Reaper holds. Yes, that’s a scythe! But it’s generally used for cutting long grass, not reaping souls. Very handy when you have a small plot and hay-making machinery feels a bit extra.
Next up is seed-sowing. I’ve got mustard ready to go in as green manure, winter salad greens and winter peas, and I might try growing micro-greens indoors. Green manure are crops you can grow between rotations that will be cut back and incorporated back into the soil. They improve the soil health, suppress weeds, fix nitrogen - all the good stuff.
Then there’s the task of covering over the outside beds I rotovated in the spring, in particular the potato and squash beds. They’re not huge, but if we can manage to get rid of the grass and weeds maybe, just maybe, we’ll be in for a better crop of tatties and squash next year. Dare to dream, right?!
Lastly, there’s cutting back. After the scything, this is our next biggest job. We have more Rosa rugosa than I can shake some shears at, plus two trees that came down in Storm Jocelyn, not to mention other bits and bobs needing a good trim. Thankfully, if something grows here in Orkney’s winds, it’s hardy, so I can chop with gay abandon, knowing it’ll likely come back next year. Before that, though, I’d like Erik to finally make a decision on the all-in-one garden tool he wants.
Apparently, you can get a multi-tool that strims, trims hedges, and has a pole saw. I’ve got my eye on a 52cc petrol-powered model…all that power in my hands, just imagine! And I know, petrol, not very green, but technology hasn’t advanced enough to create decent battery tools, not for what we need it to do and so it seems futile to spend money on a rechargeable tool that will give up the ghost after a season.
We may also be getting chickens at last! My farmer friend mentioned he’s picking up some hens next week and said he’d let me know if there were four spares. VERY excited by this, we’ve had the coop and mini run ready for 18 months and the feed and bedding for about 6 months so it’s about time. I’ll keep you posted and will of course do a proper intro if and when it ever happens.
I was gifted a microgreens little sprouting kit - must get my kitchen sorted so I can start using it! Thanks for the reminder 💚
Maybe I should try growing some micro greens this winter. It’s so fun to hear about your adventures because our environments are so different. I hope you get your chickens!