The last bit of summer

We're still eating our apple a day here, with no signs of slowing just yet.  Actually it's the figs I'm trying to keep up with, as they really don't store at all:  almost all are going in the dehydrator.  I kept a bowlful overnight when the dehydrator was full of shredded zucchini, and there was a little cloud of fruit flies around it the next morning--I won't let that happen again.

I definitely feel a touch of autumn in the air;  cooler temps, getting darker earlier, even a few leaves on the ground--I think because it's been so dry some trees are dropping leaves early (all of my small trees have green leaves but my mature horse chestnut has gone a bit brown).  We had a little rain recently, but not enough to green up the grass just yet;  at least it perked up my new plantings at the allotment (fennel, kohlrabi, cauliflower) and the cooler temps have meant less watering needed.

My tomatoes and zucs have slowed down a bit, and I may have had all the pickling cucumbers though the salad cucumbers are still going.  I picked my five measly sweetcorn ears--not well pollinated, but that's only to be expected I guess;  we ate them fresh and uncooked, the best way in my opinion.  We're still eating a salad a day with lettuce, tomato and cucumber;  and I'm pulling an early leek every other day to use as an onion substitute (although buying onions is allowed per the Vegetable Challenge rules, I'm trying to avoid it if I can)--many are a fairly good size by now, and I want to carry on with my succession planting and follow them on with some winter/spring brassica transplants as soon as possible.

Although I've been mainly harvesting (and watering), I'm still not quite finished with the seed sowing, despite it being the end of August!  I've got some new trays of lettuce, pak choi, spring cabbage (I ordered some new seed for this) and spring onions.  I'll probably have time for maybe one more sowing of pak choi and spring onions if needed, but that will be it for the year--finally.  My patio table has been full of seed trays since spring;  as soon as I've emptied one, I've filled it again with something else.