Our potatoes, carrots, turnips, parsnips and assorted other veg have run their course for this year. (Next year the aspiration is for year-round (blight resistant) potatoes). And we’ve learned more about what will and won’t grow in this part of western Ireland: in the tunnel and in the garden. Corn for example, has still not matured outside, and at this stage is unlikely to do so. Our pumpkins too are very slow. Aubergines, sown in February have had a very poor showing in the polytunnel.

Peppers too take excruciating long (still no sign of red on the below beauties, as per last year), and chillies take their time, but eventually come up trumps.

Thankfully, tomatoes thrive in the tunnel and the freezer is stocked with tomato sauces. Though we’ll probably need a lot more before next summer comes around.

The winter veg has been sown outside: Roscoff cauliflowers, spring greens and purple sprouting broccoli. While cabbage, kale and sprouts are all still happily growing away out there already, along with beetroot and celeriac.

And wild mushrooms are appearing all over the place.

The ‘big cutback’ will recommence soon. With hedges and Virginia creeper needing a good trim, as well as our project to make use of the area along the back wall, which constitutes about a sixth of the total garden space, that we’re slowly trying to make into an at least accessible space, and hopefully introduce some chickens into!