My gardening DIARY

MONDAY Sadly we’ve finished harvesting our sweetcorn – and it’s been delicious. Not only were the cobs full and heavy but each individual kernel has been sweet and juicy. The stems have been left since they form part of the structure over which our ‘Blauhilde’ beans are still growing.

TUESDAY If it’s dry I can collect some seed from our lovely crimson amaranth. Initially the seed for the plants (that are now yielding seed for next year) came from a packet on the front of Garden News. Some of the plants went up to London to our daughter Alice’s garden and our grandson Bill finds their long tails fascinating!

WEDNESDAY Pelargonium cuttings taken only a few weeks ago have rooted and are being potted on into individual clay pots.

THURSDAY The shop-bought basil that was split up and potted individually then placed at the base of our tomato plants on the theory that ‘what goes together grows together’, has done brilliantly. We’re chopping up the leaves of some of the plants and those of our parsley, putting them in ice-cube trays and fast-freezing them so we’ll have fresh herbs in midwinter.

FRIDAY Our Jerusalem artichokes are at least 12ft high. Neil and I have propped them all up with strong twine between two stout poles. They were in danger of snapping at ground level but it’s important that the foliage dies down gradually and returns all its goodness to the underground tubers.

SATURDAY There are many perennials and grasses that join in the autumn show. Astilbes, rodgersia, filipendula and gillenia are four of the best, their leaves changing to russet and orange. Our molinia are turning to gold.

SUNDAY Taking cuttings from penstemon, perennial wallflowers and salvias before growth starts to go backwards. It’s interesting to see one form of propagation take over from another through the year.