Wednesday 5th November 2025 - All About Our Garden

So far, the temperatures have been above average for November, at times wearing a jacket or coat have been quite unnecessary.   On Sunday, I was determined to get out in the garden, to clear the leaves and have a general tidy of the main border at the back.  It was a bit damp first thing but just as soon as the light rain, reduced to mizzle, I was outside, after which it soon stopped completely.  As I made my way along the border, I was joined by a frog who seemed quite content to be near me and not fazed by my gathering leaves and gently lifting the surface of the soil, around the plants, to allow rain to filter into the earth.  The ground was quite wet and by the end of the morning, the sleeves of my jacket, the knees on my jeans as well as my kneeler were quite muddy.  There was still more to do, in the front garden, under the grape vines, plus one of the honeysuckles had fallen off the wall, taking the trellis with it.  This morning, I tackled the honeysuckle, removing the intertwining stems from the trellis.  Unfortunately, I disturbed a small bee, hunkered down in the now bare stems.  Indignant, at being dislodged, it stung me on a finger.  I was less concerned for my finger, than I was for the bee, which was flying and buzzing nearby.  No sting left in my finger; I hope the bee will be okay and find another suitable place nearby in which to rest.

Peter has been working on the vegetable plot.  Now there are no cabbage white butterflies about, he’s removed the insect netting from the purple sprouting.  On Sunday he lifted the first of the parsnips and pulled some carrots, both to go with our dinner in the evening.  Yesterday, we had the first of the winter leeks and Peter harvested something totally new to us; yacon.   I say ‘something’, because it has multiple uses, as both vegetable and fruit.  Last night we enjoyed one of the tubers, diced and roasted.  It can also be used in a Waldorf salad, as a substitute for apple.  Over the coming weeks, I will be looking at some of the many other ways it can be eaten.  Until this morning we were not aware; like the Jerusalem artichokes Peter also grows, yacon contains inulin.  Although inulin is said to improve gut health it comes with the side effect of flatulence – enough said!

Today’s photo is of one of the small delicate yellow flowers produced in numbers this summer by the yacon plant.