Beetroot Chutney

I had a good harvest of beetroot again this year and rather than just pickle any surplus I decided to try my hand at making beetroot chutney. I found a simple recipe and was really pleased with the results. Try this recipe (shown below) and enjoy a lovely homemade chutney which is especially tasty with cheese.

Ingredients
2 pounds of cooked beetroot, peeled and diced 
12 ounces of finely chopped onions
12 ounces of cooking apples, diced (weight when peeled)
12 ounces of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
3/4 of a pint of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of pickling spices
(alternatively you can just use ready spiced pickling vinegar which is widely available)

Method
Put beetroot, onions and apples into a pan with the vinegar. If using pickling spices, tie in a loose muslin bag and add to the pan. Simmer until the apples are soft and then add the sugar. Stir and boil steadily until the chutney reaches the desired consistency. Add the salt, remove the spices and spoon into jars.

Rowan Tree (Sorbus Acuparia)

The rowan tree, also known as the mountain ash, is a attractive tree for a medium sized garden. It grows to approximately 25ft and has decorative foliage which turns yellow and orange in autumn. White flowers with a delicate scent are produced in May and June. These are followed by large bunches of orange-red berries which ripen from August onward. The berries on my rowan tree are much loved by blackbirds and blue tits and do not last long once fully ripened.
This is an easy tree to grow except in shallow chalk soils where it is likely to be short lived. I grow mine as a specimen tree in the centre of the lawn as the leaves only give  a dappled shade and do not affect the grass growing below.

Last of the Summer Veg

The cherry tomatoes are just about finished. Had a great crop this year from the 'Gardener's Delight' plants grown under glass and 'Tumbling Toms' grown outside in hanging baskets. I prefer the cherry tomatoes as they taste so sweet.
In the veg patch there are still some runner beans left to harvest. I have tried a few varieties but always seem to come back to my old favourite 'Scarlet Emperor'. This variety has long straight pods and is a reliable heavy cropper.
There was a problem early on in the season when the young plants came under attack from blackfly. I tried planting some dahlias and marigolds close by to attract hoverflies which then feed on the blackfly. Luckily this was successful as I refuse to use any nasty chemicals in my veg patch. Although the plants went in a bit later than usual this year, they soon caught up and produced a good crop. I like to leave some pods on the plant to set seed at the end of the season. The beans from these can be saved to sow next year.
Runner beans are an excellent vegetable to grow. If space is limited, grow them up canes arranged in a wigwam shape. There are dwarf bean varieties which can be grown in pots. You don't need a dedicated vegetable garden to grow veg - grow them in the flower borders or in pots on the patio. Nothing can compare to eating your own veg fresh from the garden.

Favourite Autumn Flowers

Looks like summer is really over now. After some stormy weather the garden is looking a bit bedraggled. The temperature is dropping and the leaves are changing colour. There is still a lot of interest in the garden though and some of the late flowering plants continue to brighten things up. Three of my favourites are shown below.



Michaelmas Daisy (Aster novi-belgii) is a great perennial border plant which attracts butterflies. There are numerous varieties ranging in height from 9 inches to 4 feet. Colours range from white and pale pink through to deep rose reds, blues and amethyst-purple. I love the blues and purples. They are very easy to grow and will thrive in any fertile well drained soil which doesn't dry out in late summer and autumn when most of them flower. Plant between October and March. They do deteriorate after 2-3 years and should be divided regularly. Only replant the healthy pieces with young shoots from the outside of each clump. Asters originate in North America and were brought to Britain in the 1700's. Aster novi-belgii has the strongest genes and ahs been the one most  used in breeding present day Michaelmas Daisies.

Sedum Spectabile is another easily grown perennial which has beautiful pink flower heads 3-5 inches wide and also attracts butterflies. Originating in Siberia it was brought to Britain in 1780. It can be easily divided and replanted between October and March and grows to approximately 18 inches in height. The variety 'Autumn Joy' is a favourite with many gardeners and has darker bronze coloured foliage and red flowers. Unfortunately it doesn't have the same attraction for butterflies but is still a pretty addition to any garden.

Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm' is a bushy perennial which produces stunning yellow daisy like flowers from late summer into autumn. It grows to 2-3 ft in height and is happy in any well drained garden soil. Choose an open sunny site but be aware the plants will require staking in exposed positions. All Rudbeckia species originated in North America and were introduced to Britain in the 1600's. These perennials can be propagated by dividing the roots between October and March and replanting the stronger roots from the outside of the clump.