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We draw towards the end of the year as December arrives and with it comes the Winter. The Autumn has been mild so far with bright sunny days, good nighttime temperatures and a couple of frosts. The longer term forecast is saying colder weather and the internet is blathering about sub-arctic conditions with food and fuel shortages. Looks as if we will all be scavenging for berries praying for an early Spring. It's all a Russian plot to keep us preoccupied while they invade Ukraine on Boxing Day. I really don’t think they have forgotten the Battle of Sebastopol when we gave them a good stuffing…. I wonder if that happened at Christmas as well?
To my surprise, I have carried on working in the garden while the Junkyard Mutt has nabbed my place by the fire. There has been too much finishing up to do this year so all the time we get mild days I am carrying on.
The lawn is looking so much better now and the Canada Green has been a success. I will carry on working it into the thin patches next year and maintain a high cut. Scarifying the lawn after each cut is hard work but it removes all the dead thatch and leaves it looking fresh and healthy. A good lawn isn’t easy but when it is in good condition it’s a pleasure and so typically English.
I am experiencing a strong feeling of Nationalism and feel that we are facing a lot of threats from Johnny Foreigner. Those Russians keep testing our borders to see if we can defend ourselves. Europeans are subverting us with covert economic maliciousness and our American cousins wouldn’t even give us as much as a “kiss my backside”. It’s a time to stand up and face the world and see who our friends are.
Meanwhile, the Turnips have done well and along with the frosted Parsnips, are proving a great addition to casseroles. The Leeks are looking better and putting on a bit more size. The Climbing Bean trenches have been dug and filled with compost, while the rest of the vegetable patch has been well turned over and ready for Spring.
The flower borders are still producing colour and we have yet to have a frost hard enough to finish them up. Even the Dahlias are still blooming when normally they are black stumps by now. The Winter containers still need to be sorted ready to provide early Spring colour.
It’s also time to sort out the seed order for next year and get the Leeks and Onions up and running (my soil is too thin for Onions). They can be sown at any time now and raised under glass. Broad Beans can be planted in Autumn but I was pleased with planting in March, harvesting at the end of July and then sowing Turnip seed into the cleared patch and lifting at the end of October. That gave two crops from the same ground, although I need to plant further apart to allow ventilation as the Broad Beans picked up a fungus infection. I am going to change my Marrow seed next year and go for a larger variety as the crop has consistently failed and I am sadly missing my stuffed Marrow. A fresh juicy Marrow stuffed with a mince, chorizo, bacon and tomato filling (with other special ingredients) is a classic old English favourite…although the chorizo is a welcome Spanish addition that compliments it… and the Spanish did help us to defeat Napoleon. So did the Portuguese, which is probably why I like Port.
A classic old English dish… with a touch of Spanish.
I must admit I am looking forward to Christmas this year as there wasn’t one last year, and a good Tawny Port is a favourite with a cheese board, although it will be English cheeses only. Cheddar, Red Leicester (does sound a bit commie), Somerset Brie and a Stinking Bishop (nothing against the Church).
There was a character in the Old Testament whose name was Booz in the old translations and Boaz in the new ones. Booz was a good guy, very honourable and respectful of women. After his daily toil, he would settle down by the wine press and enjoy a few drinks to make his heart happy. There was also a character called Adam… he was a gardener, but sadly he sinned and became a farmer. I have decided that it is best to remain as a happy hearted gardener.
On that note, I would like to wish you all a happy hearted Christmas and hope to be back in March.
UHS is always looking for new members and tries to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables, and flowers or even enter any of the shows we hold each year, please get in touch. We would be happy to hear from you.
If you are interested in becoming a new member, (all ages are welcome), please contact Rosey on: 01634 377812 (evenings) or Email: rosemary@ringwoodaccounting.co.uk
Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society
