One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. Shakespeare
While this shield bug was happy to pose for a photo, most visitors to Dutch Barn are a little too shy. But thanks to our motion activated camera, we've been able to take a peek at what happens when we're not around.
Thanks to
We're hoping that come the spring we might catch sight of baby hedgehogs and fox cubs.
Meanwhile back at Halloween, we had a play with carving pumpkins...
...and were treated to some homegrown, homemade pumpkin soup - so busy slurping it were we, we forgot to photograph it! There's nothing ncer than eating veg you've grown yourself and it's one of the most rewarding aspcts of being a Dutch Barn volunteer.
And because it's so mild we've still got veg on the go. The courgettes surprised us with a come back and we've still got lemon cucumbers ripening. Some of them are more yellow than this one and more lemon shaped, and while they don't taste of lemon it's a bit different to the kind we're used to and much tastier than shop bought.
We're also being treated to a very flowery autumn and have loads of seeds collected for next year. The middle plant below is a primrose and isn't usually in flower at this time of year. The two either side are cosmos and are very easy to grow from seed.
Not everything the volunteers grow turns out to be a favourite to eat. This rainbow chard is one of those they probably won't grow again but we left it in for now just to enjoy the colour.
Although the clocks have changed and the nights are drawing in, we've got plans for some planting in the polytunnel over autumn and winter to give us a head start next spring. And all the learning from this year is going into the planning for next year. The sweet corn, for example, will definitely be grow outside.
More of that and more in next month's post.