Hailstones

Ok it was hailstoning yesterday - fine all of you that live in Scotland but here in the South of England thats all most un heard of! My son went running out into the garden to collect them and currently they are residing in my freezer!

The water butt is now full - one nights worth of rain and the downpipe did its job collecting the rain from me and my neighbours roof (we are semi-detached!) so am really pleased.

I finished off all the odds and ends from the veggie patch - courgettes (in an omlette) and the carrots and runner beans for Sundays dinner, so now the patch looks a bit bare - some cabbage and sprouts have gone in, and a few bits and pieces left (lettuces, and peppers mostly) but to be honest it was quite cold last night and I dont think they will last much longer. The worms have moved into the shed for the winter (as long as they dont actually get frost on them they will be fine) and the bananas have got covered up (when it goes below 5 degrees I start to worry) and also the brugmansia which has been really slow this year - I've got flower spikes but not much to look at and if it keeps getting colder I wont get any flowers this year (normally you would have them by now) Still I'll take some cuttings just in case.

New Plantings

I've been sorting out the veggie patch - using up the beetroot, runners, dwarf beans and generally having a good clearout! The beetroot was lovely - really red fingers afterwards and even no. 1 son enjoyed it (although the girlfriend looked horrified that he was going to eat it and couldnt even be persuaded to try some!!)
If started planting up the cabbages and brussels for over winter (just in time for Christmas day hopefully) the idea is just to keep topping up the squares with fresh compost (mixed with a bit of the worm compost) - hopefully it should give them a bit of a boost. The cue's are getting bigger in fact its hard to keep up with the courgettes - one did manage to hide itself and become a marrow! but a neighbour said it was delicious!! You know I love courgettes but when they become marrows I'm at a lost (my neighbour said she stuffs hers with sausage meat and then bakes it - will have to give it a go).
Its been a funny few days here - sun and cloud but no rain (the water butt is finally empty) still I'm not really complaining I seem to prefer the cooler weather than a really hot heatwave (you dont want to do anything except sleep!!)