I did no real work on the plot last weekend. The weather was miserable and I needed some time in the house to prep for the week.

Although I did visit the plot yesterday, when Ma and her friend, Sally, delivered paving stones for our patio area. Paving the area where the table and chairs are next to the rose garden has been a long term plan. Sally has just had her garden paved and had spare tiles, so Ma bought some from her. I have visions of the paved area with herbs growing in the cracks (thyme and camomile lawn – because they are my favourites!). However, laying them will be a completely different task and I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

While I was there, I did a quick plot walk and it’s all looking autumnal, windswept and weedy! The cavolo nero is not thriving and neither are the brussels sprouts next to them, in another bed the cauliflowers are really too tall and not heading up. You can see where this is going can’t you?

Yep, I had mixed up the sprouts and the cauliflowers! We have lots of lovely caulis where the sprouts should be and vice versa. I had a quick check and we do have actual brussels sprouts growing! Growing Christmas dinner is still a possibility. Every time I grow something new, I feel like a proper gardener!

With no actual work done last weekend, we have a heap of things to do. The last of the garlic needs to get in, as do the tulips. I also need to cut the raspberries that we’re going to move down, so that’s done and when we are done with the cabbages at the back, we can just pop them in.

I would to tidy up the rose and iris beds and add the plants in between them but I also need to turn the compost, so it’s all about whether I do what I really should do (compost) or what I really want to do (flower beds).

Ma is assigned the sitting down work of taking up the strawberry plants from the bath and putting them in planters and revamping the mint bath. I’ll be assisting her with the compost heavy lifting.

If there is any extra time after we’ve collected some produce (looking at caulis, carrots, cabbage and maybe parsnips and kale), there’s weeding and the shed needs a tidy up. So that’s basically the next three weekends work sorted, then we’ll ease off a bit in December and I’ll talk about plans for next year (I have lots of ideas!)