2020 – September

So September was a mixed month weather-wise, some glorious days in the first half, but then a very autumnal feel to the end of the month.

The work on the patio was finally booked in for the third week of September, so we spent some time clearing the area around the back of the house. The pond was moved out of the way last month. Next to tackle was the goat shelter behind the coldstore. Not having goats we didn’t have a use for it, and so away it went, leaving an area for the bins and another water container.

I wanted to get the patio in so that we had a starting point for changes to the back garden. It was originally planned for spring, but the first lockdown slowed everything up, then the the slabs were on a delayed delivery, so it was nearly six months later that we finally got going. We are very pleased with the result though, so it was worth waiting for.

In other news, we had a delivery of logs ready for the winter, some lovely sunsets, and Andy’s lockdown locks just before they were finally chopped

In the garden we’d seen a woodpecker around, even visiting the feeders, but I’d never managed to catch a photo, so when I saw that a tree looked to be a regular feeding place I set the trail camera and managed to get a very poor quality photo. But more interesting I also caught mr badger on camera. I suspected we’d been visited by one, but was now able to prove it. By moving the camera around I was able to spot him all around the veg garden, digging up the shreddings on the path seems to be a favoured pastime.

Many of the summer flowers are over, but a number are still going strong. The front garden was given a bit of a sort out. Following the removal of many, many damson saplings along the lane edge a raised bed (filled from the mountain of soil left from patio digging) was created, and some tough evergreens planted to bulk up the hedge and provide a bit more shelter and shade to ‘the woodland’

Harvesting continues, as does using up the excess produce, chutneys, pickles, damson gin and also raisins and dried apples.

There were some heavy winds again this month. Nothing major damaged, but enough to keep us busy clearing up after the storms.

It’s a hard life, now that the sun has gone in Chester has had to return to sleeping indoors.