Garden update 4/10/13

I haven't posted a garden update in a while, mainly because there hasn't been too many interesting goings on. How is everyone's garden doing? Definitely the air has turned autumn-y and everythong seems to be winding down for the impeeding cold of winter. The leaves have turned their rich-red-orangy colours too.

My brassicas got decimated by caterpillars (apparently it has been a great year for them and their numbers have been dramatically higher this year), so I have replaced them and covered the with milk bottles.

I saved all the bottoms I cut off too, these are to use as drip trays.

I have also transplanted about 100 strawberry seedlings which are all over the conservatory. Going to be a bumper crop next year. My white strawberry plant is still flowering and still producing fruit!

I have also planted some peas in the other raised bed for over wintering and they gave just started to sprout too.

Planting mad.

Today, I received 64 brassica plants. 16 each of kale, cabbage, white sprouting broccoli and spring greens. Planted them as soon as possible, in the midday sun. Phew, I was sweating buckets by the time I had finished. Little bit squashed in my raised beds now, I shall probably pick some for baby leaves to thin them out and see how we go.

Also harvested some cayenne chillies, I will make some fermented hot sauce - like Tabasco. I am also planning on drying some out and adding them to some olive oil for dipping bread. 

These chillies are off of the bigger of the two plans. My other one isn't doing too well, does anyone know the cause of the chillies doing this?

Back onto the hot sauce. Easiest method I found was to toss the peppers into a clean jar, add some garlic cloves, salt and water.

 

And saving some seeds of course. :)