Harvesting the Garden

 Now's a good time to turn my attention to the garden to organise things ready for next year! Plenty of money can be saved if you tidy and check the shed/greenhouse/tool store now to preserve the cash for next year. So with thinking ahead in mind here goes...

Month 9 - Bite 8

A big shed sort out is on the cards. I need to double check that all the tools are clean and hung up or stored where they can be accessed quickly and safely. The left-over compost, etc. needs stacking and the bags securing so that the contents don't spill everywhere and ger wasted (some nice large stones to sit on them usually works well). Then I must double check the dates on any seed packets that haven't been entirely used up.

I'll record the seeds I've got in the back of my diary, I can then add this list to next year's diary so I know and don't go buying more next spring!

Month 9 - Bite 9

We've got a few flowering plants around the garden that are setting seed so I'm off out with some brown, paper envelopes to gather what I can - antirrhinums, poppies, that sort of thing. The envelopes need labelling and careful storage for next year - oh yes, and adding to my list for the diary.

Our neighbours do the same and we can have a seed swap in the spring to make the most of the free seeds we've gathered.

Month 9 - Bite 10

The other way of getting free plants is by taking cuttings. Our main 'crop' is geraniums. It's actually the one big memory that lots of people have of my dad! He used to dig up and bring in the geraniums over the winter. They lived on the tallboy on the landing and oh, how we used to avoid brushing past them so that they didn't release their pungent smell into the air!!

Anyway, we luckily have a shed so that's where they are going. Last year we saved the actual plants, but they have grown into giants so cutting it will have to be. Totting up what we've saved by keeping the plants going was eye-watering when we looked at the local garden centre prices earlier in the year. I know the cuttings might not get to quite the same size, but the savings will be just as good.

 

I've also just read in the last week that basil can be propagated from cuttings, so no prizes for guessing the next job...

Month 9 - Bite 11

Last year we visited a local farm for their pumpkin festival. While walking through the crops there were plenty of pumpkins and squashes that had split open so I was able to gather some seeds from them as I was curious as to how they might 'take'. 

This year, with very little care just lots of water this happened...

Will I be repeating the process this year? Definitely!

One of my neighbours has tried using the pips from a tomato that she bought and enjoyed so I think that needs trying too..