Autumn time, abundance, independence and saving seeds.

 

 

As Autumn makes it’s presence felt we await the ripening of Mother Nature’s offerings. A little more sunshine is needed to sweeten and ripen these Blackberries in the hedgerow. The shorter mornings and darker evenings seem to have descended quickly from the long days of the Summer that was barely evident. Maybe an Indian Summer is around the corner!!

In the garden there is an abundance of produce right now. The freezers are filled with fruits and vegetables which will be used to feed us and make preserves through the Winter. Onions and Garlic are drying in the polytunnel. I feel priviliged to have land that we use to produce so much of our food. Last week I read that Ireland imported 324million euros worth of fruit and veg from Britain last year. Sad that a country which proclaims independence is so dependent on imports from other countries to feed it’s people.  True independence, in my opinion, is only plausible when a country can sustain it’s own food supply. With rising fuel prices affecting the price of groceries worldwide it would seem wise for us to grow, grow, grow.

 

Regardless of weather there is so much that grows well in Ireland. We had fantastic crops this year from berried fruits, alliums did great and beans were incredibly productive. These beans above are being left to produce seed for next year. So easy, just leave some large pods at the end of the season, don’t be too quick to tidy up, and in a few weeks they will have dried out and be ready for harvesting. Remove from pods and store in a dry place and you have next years crop ready to be germinated . With 10 companies now controlling up to 70% of the world’s seed supply I think seed saving is a sensible step to take.

“To see things in the seed, that is genius.–Lao Tzu

Tomatoes are another crop from which seeds can be easily saved. Just soak the seeds to wash off the jelly like coating then dry them out on a piece of kitchen paper and viola! you have next years seeds. Do save from plants of organic origin.

“Abundance is not something we acquire, it is something we tune into.–Wayne Dyer

I shall be away from here for awhile as I am having a break from blogging and visiting and commenting on other people’s blogs. Happy Autumn days to you all. I will be back in the not too distant future. Bridget xx.

 

 

 

 

 

 

October @ Prospect Cottage.

Asters or Michaelmas Daisy as they are known are the real stars of the flower garden right now. Don’t know the individual varieties…the labels are long gone but that does’nt take from the enjoyment of these gorgeous Autumn flowers.

Asters can be propogated easily by division of clumps in Autumn or Spring. Usually the centre of clumps deteriorate so only the healthy outer sections are replanted. They thrive best in a well drained situation. I love the colour of this purple one.

Tomatoes are still ripening in the polytunnel. The small ones are Mexican Midget, the larger ones are Moneymaker and the yellow ones are Amber which self seeded from our own compost. A welcome bonus. Tomato soup from this lot I think.

Parsley is a plant we grow lots of, it is a nutrient powerhouse containing beta carotene, vitamin B12, chlorophyll, calcium and more vitamin C than citrus fruits. In addition to providing essential nutrients Parsley stimulates and balances the energy of our internal organs and improves their ability to assimilate and utilise nutrients. Because of its high enzyme content Parsley benifits digestive activity. We use Parsley raw in salads, add it to mashed potato and put it in at the end of cooking soups and stews. A tea made from Parsley is said to be useful against cystitis and urinary tract infections. A true superfood.

To the north of the house the Birch trees have already lost their leaves. I suspect Winter is coming early this year. The Met Office is forecasting snow at the end of October! We have lots of supplies in the larder so are fairly well prepared. Hay is also stored for the animals plus lots of fuel to keep the house toasty. The nights are quickly becoming much longer so more time will be spent indoors. It is the time when I use the fruits and veg stored throughout the Summer to make jams and chutneys. Today we can see blue sky through the trees so there is still Autumn days to be enjoyed.

Saturday Ponderings from the Arigna Valley.

Catmint and Lady’s Mantle looking good together,   Foxgloves looking on. It is said that blue and green should not be seen together. This gives the lie to that.

The Tomatoes are doing well in the small polytunnel. I do find lettuce  is going to seed very quickly this year, probably due to the unsummery weather. The only outside crops doing well are Onions and Potatoes, the rest are just sitting there looking miserable. Thank goodness for polytunnels!

In the back field the Sycamore stands strong and proud, oblivious to all weathers. Sycamore is not native to Ireland but it has naturalised and self seeds itself profusely.

Facing West just outside the back door is Ganesh, a present from our friends Paul and Debra who visited last weekend from Co. Clare. Is’nt he fab? Ganesh is said to be the remover of obstacles. I think he has his work cut out for him here. The biggest obstacle, as regular visitors will know, facing us here in the north west is the threat of the destruction of the land in search of gas. The process called fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, is the only one that can be used to extract the gas from the shale rock we have here. If this happens it will leave a trail of destruction. Water sources destroyed, land and air polluted, an industrialised landscape instead of the amazing untamed wildness we now have. I am still stunned that our government would even contemplate letting this happen. But it seems they have. Maybe Ganesh will be successful!!