Signs that summer is over

Apart from the weather having turned much colder and rainy, my shady patch is also telling me that autumn is setting in. Very few tomatoes left, runner beans are on their last legs (though I did manage to pick a few this morning), broccoli is only shooting up very thin stems and despite having lots of new flowers on my pumpkin and marrow plants, there's no sign of the very little specimens left doing anything worthwhile.

Good news though is that my green cabbages are ready to be harvested. They are quite small (so just as well there's only two of us) and the outer leaves have been ravaged by caterpillars and snails, but the hearts are good and hard. No rush to harvest them as they should keep in the ground for ages.

Unfortunately, the red cabbages which I was really looking forward to, have not done well at all and I doubt I'll get any to eat but, being an eternal optimist, I'm leaving them in....just in case.

Well that didn't work

When I saw my first cabbage white butterfly a while back I decided to net my brassicas in the hope that it would deter future cabbage whites. It didn't. I've been finding their eggs on the underside of leaves for many days now....on and off...and have resorted to inspecting the plants every day and squishing any new batches found.

Although they are very small, because they are bright yellow, they stand out very well against the dark leaves so are easy to spot. A bit laborious but as the little blighters are quite capable of stripping a leaf completely, well worth the effort. In a weird sort of way, it makes me glad that I only have a small patch to contend with. Never thought I'd hear myself say that!

Brassicas Galore

I meant to do this post back on the 6th June but my pumpkin troubles took precedence.

Turned out quite well anyway, as I just compared the two photos of my transplanted brassicas - 1st taken on 6th June, 2nd taken yesterday - and I am really pleased with how much growth they've put on in just 12 days. Amazing what a little warmth and water will do.

If things go on this way, my concerns about the garden being too shady to grow decent crops will have been unwarranted and come the Autumn, I will be tucking into tenderstem broccoli, red and green cabbages.