Six on Saturday – 16th October 2021

Mid October and nearly Halloween. Below my squash and pumpkin harvest this year.

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  Squash and Pumpkin

The continuing relatively mild weather means that late flowering cosmos are still providing some good colour.

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  Cosmos

Meanwhile the sweet chestnuts are getting ripe.

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  Sweet chestnut

Once again the choke berry leaves are putting on a wonderful autumn display.

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  Chokeberry leaves

Some lovely rosehips on the dog rose.

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  Rosehips

And will this be (sorry somewhat blurred) the final bumblebee this year?

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  Common carder bee

Thanks to The Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday.

Silent Sunday

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  Frosted squash leaves

Six on Saturday

We had a lovely bright October morning this morning and I got time to do a few gardening jobs, though I am well behind.

1. My asters are both flowering. One is in a pot and the other hidden by some other plants but they are lovely shades of purple and pink. I had bought them as a late pollinator plants but the few bees that are still about are ignoring them, and using the comfrey instead.

Aster

Aster

2. Aronia is at its best colour now, the only pity is that these beautiful red leaves fall quickly. We have no fruit on these this year – the first year they have failed to fruit. So the blackbirds are probably disappointed as they usually consume most of them!

Aronia

3. Despite my earlier pessimism the squash and pumpkin have got to a good size. The biggest pumpkin is huge, but there are four others which are the perfect size for carving. The squash of which there are three and about football size, so quite happy with that, though no where near my best squash year, it is better than last year.

Pumpkins

Squash

Pumpkin

4. Ragged Jack kale is one of those plants that seem to thrive in our climate. I allow them to self seed and we have plenty. The chicks are enjoying them too.

Ragged Jack kale

5. This lupin self seeded itself on the patio, and it is flowering now!!

Lupin

6. Oxalis – this hasn’t flowered for a couple of years, but the leaves still come up and are very pretty.

oxalis

Thank you to The Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday.

Squash harvesting

It has been a great year for squash in our garden and with the first frost the other night it was time to start harvesting. Last year, I discovered Little Gem squashes which have cropped very well for me again. But this year, I have also succeeded in growing Ushiki Kuri. This is another small variety – about size of small grapefruit. This variety didn’t do well last year – but I think our warm September has benefited them this time. I have harvested eight of them today.

Ushiki Kuri

Squashes

Also included in the photos are the little gem and a large yellow variety. These large ones have soft flesh much like a marrow and not as much flavour as the smaller varieties, but they will keep us in squash soup for the next few weeks. The flesh is a wonderful deep yellow. This one was over 5kg and there are another 5 outside – all bigger!

Large yellow squash

The little gems are my favourite. They have a wonderful dark green skin and deep orange flesh inside. The skin is really hard so they will easily keep for a couple of months. We love them just quartered and roasted in the oven

Little Gem squash growing a month ago

Little Gem