The container garden in October

My garden is rapidly winding-down for the Winter now. I've got rid of all the pots of French Bean plants, discarded a number of very tired-looking lettuces which have been growing is old plastic bowls and (most importantly) have finally emptied out the big pots in which I grew my tomatoes - a job which has needed doing for nearly a month. I tell you, disposing of the spent compost from 12 large pots is no easy matter. I have distributed it around the garden, topping-up the levels in the borders. The clearance of the tomato pots has given me space to re-organize my remaining containers of veg:

The Endives in the wooden wine-boxes are mature now, so I have tied-up a couple of them, using soft string, in order to blanch them. Blanching means making them go pale (and thus sweeter), by excluding light from the inner leaves. Blanching an endive like this takes about ten to fourteen days. In a few days' time I'll tie-up another couple, so that their blanching is staggered and they're not all ready at the same time.

Here's one I prepared earlier...

One of the black plastic boxes is planted with turnips. Despite the voluminous foliage, I think there are only about eight or a ten plants in there (which is probably still too many, I know).

The roots are noticeably beginning to swell...

The other plastic container is planted with Spring Onions. They are looking a bit floppy. I don't know why. Maybe they have not been getting enough light. Hopefully they'll pick up when they get bigger.

In the group there are two "Matsuri" miniature Broccoli plants.

They are not looking so special, having been somewhat ravaged by caterpillars while we were away in Turkey last month. They are picking up a bit now, and there are tiny flower-heads forming, so perhaps they'll come good in the end.

Lastly, there are two little Purple Sprouting Broccoli plants, in their green-and-white recycled chicken manure containers.

These are actually "reserves" left over after planting-out my main PSB bed. They are never likely to get big, being constrained by the size of those pots, but I love PSB so much that even a little extra crop will be welcome. Many of my friends and family like it too, so if I have too much I know I will be always be able to give it away.

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P.S. Just a mention of another startup blog that I have a good feeling about - The Suburban Kitchen Garden. You never know for sure about these things. Some blogs start with a burst of enthusiasm which soon fades, but others turn into real winners. I think this one might be a "Stayer" rather than a "Fader", if you see what I mean. Please visit this blog and give it a good start!