A colourful autumn

What a skewed year we have had, a very delayed spring and an elongated autumn. The trees are really starting to lose their leaves here in Yorkshire but they have been very colourful, though a year of yellows and russets it seems. Lots of rain this month though and some frosts but also some lovely sunny days when its a joy to be in the garden. The colours are now both above our heads.....

 .....and below our feet.

Annie's little plot, both the blog and the allotment, are getting neglected I've only made it up to the allotment a couple of times this month or so, but its starting to quieten down now anyway. I have managed to plant my over-wintering onions and some garlic but most of the work there is clearing the old vegetable plants and getting it ready for winter.

My sprouts are coming and should be ready soon, and parsnips are huge and sweetening up with the frosts. I've still got leeks and some beetroot though I've not protected them so I'm not sure how long they will last.

I've had a bumper harvest of Borlotti beans that have all been dried and will be used throughout winter, I'm slowly making my way through the squash. The huge rugby ball sized one took a bit of tackling the other night. The 'Hubbards Blue' needed a large meat knife and a mallet to get in half and then I managed to get one in half  again. But I had to put each half in the oven separately they were so big and roast for ~45 mins. I've got a freezer full of soup now!

I'm very excited as I've recently aquired a greenhouse, one of Martin's friend, Bob's friend's mum's! Its a little 6 by 6 greenhouse which is in good condition.

Martin and Bob dismantled it last weekend and its in our garage waiting to be cleaned by me and then we wer going to lay some foundations in the back garden and hopefully get it back up and fingers crossed ready for action in the spring.

The plant of the moment at York Gate has been the gorgeous Nerine bowdenii, here glistening after a rain shower.