It's autumn

When I came back from my travelling the allotment looked decidedly autumnal: the most tender plants such as nasturtiun, the vine, my precious chillies and the beans had suffered from frost-bite and looked miserable and rotting. And I could not find my stunted green pumpkins in the grass.

Time to clean up, that's what I did, making sure there was enough weeds and general mess to accomodate overwintering insects. I covered the artichokes - as they are just half hardy and barely made it through the freezing spell - the herbs and the salad seedlings.

Planted garlic, shallots and some onions - but I had to break the four year rotation. I hope we get some more land this winter: we put ourselves at the bottom of the waiting list on suggestion from the previous allotment manager in May. The hype for allotments seem to have passed already, and there is more turnover as a consequence.

Who knows, the allotment management processes are rather opaque... for example turns out that allotment managers are elected annually by the tenants... 3 have changed in the last three years and I never had any opportunity - request or notice - to vote anyone. And when I put myself forward as a deputy - as I got the impression there was noone - the manager never got back to me with a final answer, then I found out by chance someone else had been appointed. Not exactly how I had expected the UK system would work when I came over: in my naivete I thought it was all about fairness! In this case at least, not much difference from Italy instead.

Anyway - jerusalem artichokes are in season on my plot and I am on my way home to cook some for dinner. May post a pic - by the way, you may have noticed I am not writing much, and you are right: cannot bear any longer to look at a computer screen out of office hours...

-- Post From My iPhone