Chitting potatoes

It has been so warm that the potatoes, quietly chitting in their shed, think that it's Spring already and have put on bumper amounts of growth. Though it's nice to know that they're champing at the bit, the length of the shoots would be impractical for planting and would probably get damaged, so it's best to trim these back to a manageable length. Mind you, if it continues this warm, we'll have to do this again before they finally make it into the ground!

Apple pruning

Finally it has stopped raining long enough for us to rush out and get done all those jobs that need doing. One of them, of course, is the winter pruning of the apple and pear trees, including our lovely apple arch. Trained over many years into a step-over espalier shape, the arch requires careful pruning to keep it in shape. The overall rule of winter pruning is never to do it in the wet or when frost is expected. However, in this mild wet winter, if we waited for a completely dry day, I think we might be waiting a long long time!

Dahlia imperialis 'Alba'

This is definitely a first for us-we were surprised when it stayed warm enough for the species to flower- but we never expected the white form to flower as well! Cornwall is always milder than the rest of England, but this is very unusual, as this type of Dahlia hardly ever has chance to flower even in the mild South West. And what an amazing flower!

Cabbage juggling!

You'd never know it was Christmas, as Ant demonstrates the rare Cornish art of Cabbage juggling! We are still working - honest - but we've definitely gone into holiday mode...! We hope that you've all enjoyed this year's blog, and as we pack up our tools for this year and head home for some well earned festive fun, it only remains to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a productive and joyful New Year!

After a year's worth of hard work, all the teams get together for a slap up cooked breakfast, courtesy of the Jungle team. Time to stretch out your boots and take the rare opportunity to chat to other team members (as this is such a big site, seeing other team members is a bit like ships that pass in the night usually!). As well as lovely bacon and egg rolls, pete the fish served us all with sweet cured mackerel which he'd caught and then smoked (which was divine!). Sometimes you just have to think how lucky we are! Roll on Christmas!

Waterlogged soil

The double digging has squelched to a halt! Visitors frequently comment on how lovely our soil looks, and it should be for the amount of attention that is lavished on it. But no gardener worth their salt attempts to dig saturated soil. Not only is it back breaking, it destroys the structure of the soil that we have worked so hard to develop, and that gives us such amazing crops.

Saving Seeds

The continuous rain (and hail and sleet and wind) has driven even us hardy souls indoors. Along with the cleaning and disinfecting that is a necessary winter chore, there is also the task of sorting and saving seeds. This is particularly important where the plants are of rare older varieties (as here with a wallflower called Giant Forcing Brown). Tedious it might be, but at least it's in the dry!

The return of the Heligan scarecrow!

Our regular visitors will be pleased to know that Diggory, our resident scarecrow, will be back on patrolling duties next week! A familiar figure to lots of local children (though he does tend to freak the dogs out!), he will be trying to keep the pigeons out of our brassica patch over the coming months. He is a useful member of the team, even if, when you are in the garden on your own, he can sometimes seem a little spooky!

Organic pest control

We have such a glamorous job! Marigolds donned and bucket to hand, Craig gives the peach trees a good scrubbing! Taking care not to damage the delicate buds for next year, this job does demand a fair degree of attention and care, as the sooty mould which has covered the poor peach trees is cleaned off. In the warm humid climate of the South West, mould and fungal diseases are a constant threat, and sometimes only a nail brush and a bucket of Savona (horticultural soap) will do!

Chrysanthemum cuttings

The potting shed being used for its original purpose! The chrysanthemums that provided a last splash of colour in the Vegetable Garden are now over, but we need to take cuttings for planting out next year. Evocative though the potting shed is, it can also make you long for a warm fire and a hot drink in the depths of winter (it is definitely not the warmest of buildings but we keep smiling through!)

"O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!" It's that time of year again, and though Cornwall can't always provide the snow, we can still do the festive cheer. We are still busy out in the garden double digging, tidying and harvesting, and all the preparations for next season, but its nice to take 5 minutes out to look forward to Christmas - only 3 weeks to go!