The Allotment Shed

As if in readiness for autumn, when September hails a completely different season, we started the evening by putting on the central heating. And, sadly, I put away my shorts and thin summer dresses too. It seems far too early to be unearthing jeans and cardigans but I don’t relish getting cold. What happened to those long warm evenings and sultry, sunny days? Every year I forget those lazy times don’t last forever.

Looking on the bright side there will be fewer flies around our cat’s food. I won’t have to get the lawn mower out and even the bindweed will retract its claws. Now I’ve run out of room in the freezer I probably have as many beans as one small family can manage. But I’ll pick more and give to friends.

The autumn flowering broad beans ( luz de otono)  are gearing up. It’s an experimental sowing on my part. There’s a battle for space in the veggie plot. I can’t wrench up my wigwams while the climbing beans are still proudly producing their long, long pods. But the new broad beans have already poked their heads through the compost and will need to be transplanted.

However we did have spare downpipes left over from the construction of a water butt system. Never one to fill the car with rubbish for the corporation tip I got  the unwanted pipes cut in two - length ways - and drilled to make drainage holes. They will now form temporary, narrow broad bean beds. The new plants can grow a few centimetres before I place them in the beds vacated by the climbing beans. At least that’s the plan. And I aim to pick the pods in December… As I say it’s an experiment.

Temperatures for the next few weeks will make 50 deg F. The greenhouse temperatures will reach higher than that for a little while but at some point I will cut down my sturdy tomato plants and decide what to do with the green fruits. Until then they are sill blushing in the sunshine. I can rate my first year as a greenhouse owner a success. What I could have done with a bigger one! But contributors to The Allotment Shed have plenty of ideas for green tomatoes. I assume not all will ripen.

My lemon tree produced small lemons back in the spring and they are growing fatter. But they are still green. My instinct is to bring the citrus tree into the greenhouse where there is plenty of light and warmth. But I am open to suggestions. 

I have a pathetic display of spinach but the leeks are getting stronger. Perhaps I should feed them as their compost hasn’t been replenished. My lettuces haven’t been chewed, yet, largely because we’ve had a dry spell. But I want to start my sweet peas soon, along with garlic plantings. I’m hoping this is where my small but perfectly formed greenhouse will come into its own. 

As well as sweet peas my pansy plugs are gaining in strength and a few primulas are daring to show their magenta faces. When I discard my petunias and put my geraniums in the greenhouse the pansies should be large enough for tubs in the front garden.

If I’ve actually managed to time things properly I may even have space to plant snowdrops-in-the-green. To top it all miniature daffs and irises will add to the autumn plantings.

But it does seem awfully early to be waving the summer goodbye.