Vegetables  

More ground is gradually becoming visible again now that some of the summer crops have finished and have been cleared to the compost heap.

The salad vegetables are still cropping well in spite of the dry weather and onions and shallots can be harvested this month once the tops have died down. Pull them from the ground on a dry day and then leave them on the surface for a couple of days to dry out before hanging them in bunches in a dry, cool place.

Many of the summer crops, i.e. broad beans, peas, courgettes, sweetcorn etc. will be finished by the end of this month and cleared to the compost heap, but with our winter crops looking good, all is not lost. Leeks, swede, parsnips, brussels and sprouting broccoli will soon be offering themselves up as replacement crops at the table.

Make the last sowings this month for hardy spring onions and Chinese cabbages, and plant out Japanese onions and garlic to overwinter. Sow broccoli, cauliflower and onions for overwintering under glass. Complete the harvesting and storage of maincrop potatoes and dig the ground over when cleared to expose grubs and pests to the weather and to birds.

Fruit

Most strawberries will be finished now, but some perpetual varieties such as Rapella and Ostara will continue up to the first frosts. Continue to pick late raspberries, blackberries, loganberries etc.

When the late raspberries have finished they can be cut down level with the ground, as they will grow and fruit again next year within the season. Summer fruiting varieties should have this years fruiting canes cut to the ground and the new canes tied in which will fruit next summer.

Continue to pick and store (or preserve) tree fruit when ripe, and give any final pruning to gooseberry and currant bushes, to clear old wood and open up the centre of the bushes to the air and light.

Want to comment on this article or ask other laterlife visitors a question?

Then click on the link below to visit the comment section of the Later Lifestyle Network, click on the 'Discussion Tab' (you can't see this until you are logged in) and Create a new topic or add your views to an existing one  http://www.laterlifestyle.co.uk/retirement-network/group.php?group_id=101

Don't forget you need to login before you can make a comment.

Volunteering with the National Trust

Volunteers are active in all parts of the National Trust, from the new central office in Swindon to the summits of Snowdonia and Divis Mountain near Belfast.

View their latest opportunities, or find out more about the kind of roles and different places you can volunteer:

Still with the National Trust, some of the most visited National Trust properties are now holding regular farmers' and food markets.  Click here for details  and dates.

RHS gardens

Their four flagship gardens not only provide year-round interest and offer a wide range of courses, talks and demonstrations, they also demonstrate the best gardening practices, new techniques and exciting new plants to try in your garden.

• Visit Wisley in Surrey
• Visit Rosemoor in Devon
• Visit Hyde Hall in Essex
• Visit Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire

Or go to their website for a diary of all other events at:-    http://www.rhs.org.uk/WhatsOn/index.asp

Do you take advantage of the DEFRA website for information? I find it a valuable source of information, for up to date legislation, countryside matters and useful information such as plant pests and diseases, which saves me ploughing through all my gardening books, with the knowledge that their information is bang up to date...

Thompson & Morgan 

Visit  www.thompson-morgan.com where full information is available on their product varieties and orders can be taken on-line.  Have a look to see what is new, and special seasonal offers

Some places to visit...

www.edenproject.com 

The living theatre of plants and people
The Eden Project is a gateway into the world of plants and people. A meeting place for all to discover how we depend on plants and how we can help to manage and conserve them for our mutual survival.

Kew Gardens two locations:-

http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/

The National Botanic Gardens of Scotland comprise:

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Scotland's Premier Garden

Benmore Botanic Garden, Argyll
Argyll's Magnificent Mountainside Garden

Dawyck Botanic Garden, Borders
Wonderful Woodland Garden

Logan Botanic Garden, Galloway
Scotland's Most Exotic Garden

The National Botanic Garden of Wales

www.gardenofwales.org.uk

The star attraction here is the 91 metre long domed glasshouse, that houses landscapes normally found in the Mediterranean. This would be a super place to visit on a chilly day...

Some websites of interest to gardeners:-

www.carryongardening.co.uk

Gardening is an important part of many people's lives. You don't have to give up gardening because of accident or illness, the onset of disability or the problems associated with growing older. The information on their website is designed to provide you with the information to Carry on Gardening.

Carry on Gardening was initiated by the horticultural charity Thrive and is funded by the National Lottery Charities Board.  It brings together information on easy ways of gardening gathered over 23 years by Thrive and research carried out since the early 1970s by Mary Marlborough Centre, Oxford, on tools and equipment for disabled and older people. 

Useful reading:-

"The Yellow Book" contains information of all Gardens of England and Wales open for charity, and can be bought priced £5 from National Gardens Scheme  www.ngs.org.uk

National Trust Gardens Handbook is £6.99 and the new edition is out in May  Telephone 01394 389 950 or see their website www.nationaltrust.org.uk