Winter Drawers On...!

 Well, here we are in the middle of November and it is beginning to get grey, damp and permanently overcast. Not very inspiring. We've got off lightly so far as far as frosty mornings are concerned, but most days are drizzly at the very least and it is getting harder and harder to get up these dark mornings.

We had some sunny spells last weekend so I did get around to digging over the raised beds at last and clearing the few weeds that had sprung up. In the process I unearthed a kilo of gorgeous potatoes which must have grown from a peeling in the compost and hidden itself among the bean plants! Funnily enough, I had had my suspicions midsummer, but didn't expect to find more than a few tiny worm-eaten spuds. On the contrary, these were perfect and of a decent size considering that they had been left to their own devices with no care or earthing up etc. It shows that our soil will support potatoes very nicely thank you, and I may put in a few rows next year if I can spare the space.

The jam yield this year was very disappointing. Next door's apple crop failed entirely thanks to the high winds of Spring,  and most of the brambles ended up so bloated with rain that they disintigrated before we could harvest them. The other wild fruits just seemed to have given up the will to live, so we ended up with no more than a few jars this year.
Never mind - it just makes each one a little more precious!

I wonder what next year will be like weather-wise. If it is as wet and dreary  as this year was I may have to consider turning the garden over to water-cress!

 

Still here...

I can't believe it has been over four months since my last visit!

We have been enjoying home grown 'Salad Bowl' and Mizuna leaves for some time, and certainly won't have to buy lettuce for the forseeable future.

However, it is hardly salad weather.

After 'enjoying' a warm spell which lasted long enough for all three of the water butts to run dry, we have entered a cool, damp period with high winds sufficient to drive the rain through one of the window vents downstairs (where it is not protected by the eaves) necessitating a laying out of plastic sheeting and keeping a bucket on the window sill.

As far as the garden is coming along, we are watching our crops with interest.

The broad beans 'Aquadulce' have survived the worst of the weather thanks to multi-staking and being held up by miles of garden twine! We have had a few of the young pods whole, and are now letting the remaining pods swell for beans.

The dwarf French Beans 'Stanley' really haven't done so well, and are looking quite pitiful. Ditto the runner (pole) beans.

The presence of mice in the garden (I've seen them!) probably accounts for at least part of the problem, and I will have to stick to starting them all off in pots rather than sowing direct in future years. 

I also need to look at ways of maximising the use of catch crops in order to make the best use of limited space.

The curly kale is doing well, as is the perpetual spinach, and these older types of veg seem to tolerate our changeable summer weather.

The same cannot be said for the courgettes, which are showing signs of powdery mildew in spite of the wet weather. Presumably the virus had got a foothold during the very hot weather is spite of frequent watering (no wonder the butts ran dry!) and has now decided to try its luck.

Now we are past mid-summer the nights will pull in, and nothing will have enough sun to fully ripen.


I really need to do some more research into older (non-GM) varieties that will tolerate our unpredictable conditions and which will produce reliable seeds for future years, so no F1 hybrids, thank you! 


It really does feel as though the seasons have shifted.

Spring comes early with high daytime temperatures occuring as early as February-March, balmy days being  followed by a drop in night-time temperature and frosts.
Summer starts in April, although the days are still short and the nights cool/cold/frosty, with a fortnight off for snow and ice, especially in Scotland and the South of England. High summer lasts from early May to mid-June so that we get about  six weeks of  dry warm weather and drought and doom-laden prophesies, but three days into Wimbledon fortnight we are into monsoon season, which will last throughout the Olympic Games and the school holidays except for the occasional deceptively warm spell! A mild, damp Autumn will be upon us by the end of August then Winter will crash in on us at the beginning of October and that will be that! Thermals and Sou'westers on. A wet Christmas, snow in Cornwall, flash floods in East Anglia, and back to the deckchairs and sunglasses for the end of February and the start of the whole dispiriting cycle once more!

You really do have to stop planning and just take each day as it comes, gardening as the weather allows and hoping for the best.
 

Making the Trip Worth the Petrol...

The Other Half had to drive over to Dovenby Hall (about 14 miles away) yesterday to drop off some paperwork, and this meant Taking The Car Out, and gave us a good opportunity to get some charge into the 'new' secondhand battery.

On the way, we dropped into the local Tesco petrol station (which we had to pass en route anyway) so that we could use up the £3.50 worth of  Clubcard vouchers we have had floating around for a few months. 
'Every Little Helps' as they are fond of saying! 
These vouchers were generated by our having our power through eon, rather than by shopping at Tesco. 
Our Tesco just doesn't have enough reductions for our liking!

We arrived at Dovenby Hall and handed over the paperwork.

  

Dovenby Hall seems to have been started around  1154, during the reign of Henry II (father of Richard The Lionheart and of Bad King John), and three major extensions were  added in the ensuing centuries. 
The original Norman pele tower (the oldest existing part of the building), round which the later portions of the Hall were constructed, is said to have been built using stone from the Roman road which once ran through the village of Dovenby.  
A North and South lodge were added to the estate during the 16th Century, whilst further extensions were made to the rear of the Hall in the Seventeenth Century, including the creation of a kitchen, staff quarters and additional living rooms for the owners. 

This once-grand private country house was converted into a mental sanatorium in 1930-31 and two patient 'villas' were built in the grounds of the estate. Two more villas were built during the 30s, along with other facilities including a school and a recreation hall, and an occupational therapy unit was added in the 1950s.  A  School of Nursing  operated on the site from 1974.  
The hospital was closed in 1997 and put up for sale by the health authority. It was purchased in 1998 by  Malcolm Wilson, the Cumbrian rally driver, who is the  managing director of M-Sport, which handles  Ford Motors' rallying activities.
 An extensive restoration and modernisation project was carried out which received a Civic Trust Award. 
Part of the hall's interior was converted into office space. A new 5500 sq metre car workshop was built, a new access road and a lake were made. It was completed in 2001 and officially opened by Prince Charles.

Whilst the original building is very impressive (and we saw what must have been some very grand rooms at some point, and caught a glimpse of some fine panelling, paintings, etc) some of the 1930s  buildings on the estate do suggest 'Institution' from the style of their design, somewhat reminiscent of  some Victorian Workhouses.

But the whole estate is surrounded by attractive wooded areas, and seems peaceful and uplifting. So not too haunted, I think...

After our brief visit to the Hall, we went across to the Dunelm Mill at Workington to treat ourselves to a brand new double duvet, as the one we have been using since it turned colder at night is rather elderly and as flat as a pancake! 

While we were there we decided that it would be worthwhile to pop into Morrisons, which is about 30 seconds walk from Dunelm Mill, since we needed some carrots and a loaf of bread. And a quick scout round for reductions and bargains of course.

Since this is not a branch we use very often it took us a little while to track down the reduced goods, but it was well worth our efforts. 

We spent a total of £10.60 and came away with the following:

A kilo of carrots,

A loaf of 'White and Wheat' bread,

A large piece of Cathedral City cheese,

2 very large pork spare rib steaks,

Some diced turkey breast, (sufficient  for a curry or stew with plenty of veg),

A couple of lamb cutlets and a portion of barbecue lamb ribs,

12 Cumberland sausages,

A pack of cooking bacon (pieces),

Chilli Flakes (to spice up my carrot and lentil soup),

and a pack of 8 sultana scones - a particular favourite of the Other Half.

Before heading for home we visited the Morrison petrol station, and added a few litres of their unleaded, which is the cheapest in the area.

When we got home and divided up the spoils for the freezer, we found that we had enough meat for at least 6 days' worth of main meals, plus all the extras. 

Not bad for a little under £11!