September sky.

A warm, sunny, calm and dry month. 

September has been the driest month here since Angus started recording in 1999,  it was also the calmest. The month started off cooler than average but the latter half of the month was mild.

Today my thoughts are with my sister Lesley, she is having a big operation right now. 

Share a vision with me for a successful surgery and her complete recovery.

 

September vegetable garden.

The poached egg plant cover crop that followed the early potatoes is growing thickly.

Purple sprouting broccoli has survived the caterpillars.

 The potatoes are lifted and poached egg plant Limnanthes douglasii is in for a winter cover crop.

Oca and beetroot.

Leeks.

Oca and beetroot growing amongst the parsnips.

The bed of Kale is starting to fill out.

Pumpkin growing up the sweetcorn.

Sunflower in the veg. patch.

One of the caterpillars of the small white butterfly has been parasitized, the little eggs have hatched from the caterpillar who has been their host. This is a good thing for the brassica plant that was been eaten by the caterpillar and a bad thing for the caterpillar!

The sweetcorn harvest begins...

All hands on deck.

Zoe, de-tasseling the sweetcorn.

 Courgettes continue.

Irish green pea seed saved for next year.

 This is a cooking plum, we made jam with the first ones a few weeks ago but these were ripe enough that we ate them all just as they are.

Did I say in May that Raspberries were my favourite fruit? or in June how much I love Apricots? In July no doubt I thought peaches were wonderful and I am sure Plums were the best fruit ever in August. 

Well I was mistaken. 

Pears ARE the best!

More Apple and pear photos to follow.

 

September polytunnels.

In the small tunnel we (Alfie and I) have been busy propagating, the bench and the tables outside are packed.

Above the bench, the fig tree is having a second crop after a gap of a few weeks.

Alfiie took a photo of me pruning the peach tree.

Grapes are ripe in the small tunnel.

In the big tunnel Alfie helps, using the secateurs to cut the old leaves from the tomatoe plants.

Winter lettuce, spinach and Winterkiefe peas have been planted.

 The sweet potatoe would like to take over the polytunnel...

.... so all the trailing stems need to be folded back over the plant ...

 ..to prevent the plant making new roots along these stems, as seen in this photo.

The plants energy needs to go into making sweet potatoes instead.

Meanwhile Angus made a new plug for the water butt in the big tunnel which had been leaking for a while...

...and I sealed around it on the inside with clay...

....while Alfie replaced the soil around the base with his dumper...

 

... and the Robin surveys.

Summer photos of the little Kerry herd.

Treacle and Sooty in May.
 Treacle went to the butcher in early August, I couldn't bring myself to take a last photo, he was my favourite bullock so far.

Amber and Clover August 31st. Clover was born in early July, wonderful to have a heifer calf.

Alfie helping to bring Amber in for milking.

 
Milk churn cooling in the water butt before it goes in the fridge.

Tivon's photos.

Tivon took lots of photos on September 16th, Tivon will be 9 years old soon.

 

 Wattle.

 Daub.

 Alfie lopping branches.

 Alfie digging.

I am also digging a hole to plant a couple of home-propagated Bay trees.

The ground is hard and dry!

 The Kerries, Sooty greets Heather.

Heather and Amber with the calf Clover.

 Sweet pea in the field with the sheep.

 Sweet pea helping us mow the meadow. Tivon took this photo the following day.

 This turkey has gone broody and has been sitting on a clutch of eggs beside the barn.

 She has just popped out for a bite to eat.

Nettle, thistle and Lee.

Honeybees on Chilean Myrtle, Eucryphia, Aster and sedum.

 Luma apiculata (Chilean myrtle)

Delighted to see the bees on the Chilean myrtle this week.
There is a lovely delicate fragrance from the flowers.

 The Asters, that I divided this spring, are in full prollific bloom and covered in honeybees, hoverflies, bumblebees and butterflies.

The Sedum Spectabile is such a reliable bee magnet.


 The Eucryphia × nymansensis has flowered on and on and on .... and is finally down to the last few blooms.

 The mints, oregano, borage, echium and phacelia all continue to provide forage too.