All about the veg

My gardening week has been heavily focused on the veg.

I have planted out Kale at my own allotment and snuffled out the last of my Cukes and Courgettes. I have spent time in three of my gardens, clearing away old crops and planting out some late sowings of Salad and Spinach.

At Heale, although I only work two days, I get an input into the veg garden, glorious potager style plots and have been discussing next years veg plans with HG. Our veg plots combine cut flowers with veg and herbs alongside ornamental Gourds and Climbing Ipomoea. On the whole, Heale remains traditional in its veg choices with the odd Cucamelon thrown in. We are hoping to persuade the owners to head for some different varieties next year, based on our successes and failures from this year.

We struggled to produce Brasscias this year mainly due to a huge influx of Bank Voles who consumed everything with gusto. Our Beans were amazing but we weren't too impressed by our Broad Beans so would like to try some new varieties such as Karmazyn - a heritage Bean, pink in colour.

We have been given some seeds, sent in by some lovely visitors whom we chatted to this Summer. They have forwarded seed collected from their own veg garden, a real treat; Pea Beans and Black Runners ('Churchfield').

I love this planning stage, so much to choose from, always difficult to stop marking the little veg catalogues with an asterisk and not buy too much!

Working in the plots this week, we cleared all of our Beans away for the compost and found the most bright pink Beans, think Firestorm or Stardust. Amazing colour.

We are still cropping Carrot, Beet, Salad, Pak Choi, Rocket and of course fruit, mainly Apples and Pears.

The light and warmth this week have been gorgeous and have allowed for a late sowing or two and some planting out. The soil is perfectly warm.

 Lots to see in the gardens before we close. Autumnal colours everywhere, we spotted these amazing black tree peony seeds bursting from their pod and a Euonymus which looks just delightful in late afternoon dappled light.

 I also love the brash Gunnera manicata, in your face, no hiding from it, it towers above everything else and gives such structure. I caught these leaves looking mottled with yellow, hanging out in the Japanese garden.