Diary of a suburban edible garden, October 2017.

There's been some really very lovely sunshiney days this month, but it's definitely feeling more autumnal.

Look at these lovely berries, 

I'm really pleased with the growth of the hedge in the front garden - look it nearly covers that annoying van, and the silver car that keep parking outside my house (even though they have their own drives, grumble grumble).  At least they're not as bad as the blue car that frequently parks over our driveway. Sigh.  These are grown up problems indeed.  I know we don't have a car but we would actually like access to our own drive to, you know, actually walk up to our house!

'Scuse the state of the front garden, we're going to re-gravel it and move things about, but until then I've let it get a bit feral.  Look at all those strawberry runners rooting themselves in the gravel.

I've planted loads of new things in the back garden.  I'm not sure if you can quite make them out, but there's a new tall yellow plant, smoke plant, almond tree and my bin of blackberries in this bit of garden.

  

I thought the bin would match the metal raised beds, and it was also a cheap option to contain the thornless blackberries.  I do not want a repeat of the raspberry situation I've currently got going on - they're sending out runners everywhere!

I put an olla in the bin - I'm not sure if the metal of the bin will mean the soil will get hot and dry out in the summer or if it'll be ok here in the shade of the wall.  I've mulched it with leaves too and added a stepping stone so I can get to it without stomping all over the soil.  On the right of the bin I've planted an angelica and transplanted a self seeded hypericum. 

I'm really happy the late sowing of borlotto beans I did have fruited - I'm just leaving them a little longer to fatten up.

I don't know if I planted this sweetcorn too late for it to do sweetcorns before it gets frosty - fingers crossed!

For some reason I still have strawberries coming.  This is climate change everybody.

I'm in the process of digging up the huge fuchsia down the side of the house.  Every year I cut it back and it comes back bigger and bigger and it's blocking the path.  The roots are proving tricky, but there's lots of space now it's nearly gone and I'm going to plant an apple tree in it's place.

I've planted my new blackcurrant bush at the back of the garden and my hazel trees are lurking at the back there, I'm still trying to decide the perfect position for them.

 

I made a 'water feature' with the bin lid (from my blackberry bin), it's just upturned and buried, filled with stones and water.  I've yet to see any birds use it for a bath like they do my washing up bowl pond, but maybe a toad will visit in spring!  It's not the prettiest thing, but it was free and it brings in another habitat to the garden too.

Here's my little robin friend, he's getting stupidly tame, as soon as I take my root off the spade he's hopping about on the blade!

I just love the colours and the leaves and the berries and the flowers this time of year! 

How's your garden this month? 

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