Now that the clocks have gone back and Half Term is behind us, we at Hen Corner are focusing on Christmas and it is all systems go, both on the production front – note the chutneys and preserves pictured above – and in terms of running courses, including Christmas wreath-making.
With half term behind us, we are now on the big countdown and I love every minute of it! I’m planning seasonal activities for my family, my church and, of course, loads of events with Hen Corner. Very soon I’ll be bring the Christmas chapter of my book to life at Olympia London as I host The Christmas Corner as part of the Ideal Home Show Christmas.
This month we are harvesting the last of the figs and the first of the brassicas, we’re cutting back the grapevine and collecting fallen leave to make mulch for next year.
When we ‘grow our own’ we save money, reduce our carbon footprint and enjoy both the time outside and the fruits of our labour.
While the days are still long and mostly warm, nature is on the home run to finish the season well.
Our column in this issue of Out & About Magazine delights in our autumn harvest and shares a recipe for our Courgette & Cumin Chutney…
This month we celebrate the changing colours of autumn and recognise that early morning chills are a whisper to tell us that the seasons are changing whilst darker evenings find us searching for cosy light.
Different seasons bring different responsibilities, but all with worthwhile reward.
The shorter days, with the occasional need for a jumper, points to cosy evenings around the fire, cheese and wine with a movie and homemade bread and soup. Here at Hen Corner, with our winter squash curing and our sourdough starter well fed, we’ve got it all…
This month is all about gathering in cabbages and pumpkins, getting some repairs done at the allotment and installing a rainwater harvesting system on the top of the shed to make life easier next summer.
When we ‘grow our own’ we save money, reduce our carbon footprint and enjoy both the time outside and the fruits of our labour.
Chickens and chutney are Sara’s two overriding preoccupations this month. Chickens, because it is the time of year when she deep cleans their housing, keeping an eye on their annual moult, and chutneys, because they are one of the best ways to preserve fruit and vegetables, which currently she has in abundance.
Read how we enjoy early autumn at Hen Corner on The Chiswick Calendar website.
I enjoyed an hour or so at the allotment this afternoon and was reminded of my initial aims for the plot, ‘Fruit Trees and Honey Bees’. We grow salads and delicate crops in the kitchen garden at home, but things that don’t need daily care, like potatoes, climbing beans and squashes can grow slow and steady down by the riverside. This year we’ve got two hives with honey crops at the allotment and today I was picking apples and sloes for preserving and seeing what else will be ready soon…
This month is all about preserving our wonderful harvests, there’s even an extra three pages of recipes including our famous Apple & Chilli Jelly, Garden Piccalilli (both holding Great Taste Awards) and a wonderful Spiced Beetroot & Orange Chutney…
When we ‘grow our own’ we save money, reduce our carbon footprint and enjoy both the time outside and the fruits of our labour.