
The Hatfield Peverel Allotment Association has been around for over a hundred years, below is an article written by David Goodey and makes good reading!
Read moreThe Hatfield Peverel Allotment Association has been around for over a hundred years, below is an article written by David Goodey and makes good reading!
Read moreRhubarb & custard cocktail
An elegant vodka-based drink that'll wow your guests - it's made with creamy advocaat iqueur and homemade fruit syrup
The Hatfield Peverel Allotment Association has been around for over a hundred years, below is an article written by David Goodey and makes good reading!
Winter Squash
Autumn Crown F1 Squash
Bred specifically for the UK climate, including the North of England. It combines the best characteristics of colour of a butternut type along with the familiar shape of Crown Prince.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/AutumnCrownF1Squash.jpg
Bon Bon F1 Squash
Increasing in popularity every year. Buttercup type of flattened globe with dark green striped fruit and yellow flesh of outstanding flavour. Beautiful cut into slices and steamed gently until tender.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/BonBon.jpg
Buttercup Winter Squash
A winter squash with delicious dense firm flesh and superb sweet flavour. Use for roasting with the joint, soups and pumpkin pie. Unusual shape with grey-green skin. Weight 1.5kg.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/ButtercupWinterSquash.jpg
Butternut Winter Squash
Now quite common in the supermarket. Elongated pear shape light orange golden colour with deeper orange flesh. Matures in late autumn for winter storage.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/ButternutWinterSquash.jpg
Cha Cha F1 Winter Squash
Kabocha type with dark green, slightly flat-round fruits. Bright orange flesh cooks up dry, flaky and sweet with a delicious taste. Average weight 2kg (4lbs) with a yield of 3/4 fruits per plant.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/ChaChaF1WinterSquash.jpg
Connells Bush Delicata Winter Squash
Narrow, elongated fruits with cream coloured skin and dark green thin stripes. Very sweet, orange flesh that can be eaten as soon as mature.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/ConnellsBushDelicataWinterSquash.jpg
Crown Prince F1 Squash
Renowned for its eating qualities this steel grey skinned with deep orange flesh will grow to about 4kg(9lbs) in size. Its is also excellent for long term storage.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/CrownPrinceF1Squash.jpg
Golden Hubbard Winter Squash
Vigorous trailing habit producing large, slightly ridged fruits weighing up to 3kg. Orange-yellow flesh of excellent flavour. Fruits are very good for winter storage.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/GoldenHubbardWinterSquash.jpg
Gold Nugget Winter Squash
Early to mature these globe shaped fruit are lovely golden orange weighing up to 1kg each. Bush habit so plant at 80-90cm spacings.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/GoldNuggetWinterSquash.jpg
Honey Bear F1 Squash
The small fruits are just the right size halved for single servings. This acorn type is deliciously starchy and sweet. Compact bush plant, with an average 3-4 fruits each. Resistant to powdery mildew. Aprox 85 days to mature from sowing.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/HoneyBearF1Squash.jpg
Marina di Chioggia (Kabocha Squash) Winter Squash
Medium sized, flattened globe fruits with knobbly grey-green skin. The fruits will store for a long time. The delightful yellow-orange flesh improves in flavour after a few weeks.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/MarinadiChioggia.jpg
Metro F1 PMR Winter Squash
An attractive butternut type. Slightly smaller then most. Average weight 1.5kg (3lbs) with a yield of 4/5 fruits per plant. Powdery mildew resistance helps support the improved sugar taste.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/MetroF1PMRWinterSquash.jpg
Musquee de Provence Winter Squash
Large round, semi-flat scalloped fruits weighing up to 10kg. Skin turns from green to golden brown on maturity and the flesh is a dense orange colour and of excellent flavour. Very long storage ability and plants have trailing habits.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/Musquee-de-ProvenceWinterSquash.jpg
Pink Banana Squash
An American heritage variety which has a firm, sweet, yellow-orange flesh ideal for baking. Its skin turns pinkish-orange when mature. Trailing up to 10ft
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/PinkBanna.jpg
Queensland Blue Squash
Beautiful and tasty. The vigorous vine produces bluish-green, deep ribbed fruit. 6 to 10lbs each in approximately 100 days. Stores well.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/QueenslandBlueSquash.jpg
Sunshine F1 Winter Squash
A bright red / orange skinned Kasbocha type squash, with a sweet nutty flavour. Stringless when baked or steamed. The flesh can be sliced like carrot sticks for a tasty raw snack.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/SunshineF1WinterSquash.jpg
Sweet Dumpling Winter Squash
Unusual skin colouring of stripes of light and dark green and flesh of creamy orange. Perfect for cooking whole or stuffing.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/SweetDumplingWinterSquash.jpg
Turks Turban Winter Squash
Shaped rather like a cottage loaf, unusual and attractive fruits are very good to eat. Perfect for stuffing and cooking whole. Space plants 100cm apart
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/TurksTurban.jpg
Uchiki Kuri Winter Squash
Also called the onion squash because of its shape. Bright orange skin and flesh with a lovely nutty flavour. Late summer maturity. Plants need 100cm.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/UchikiKuriWinterSquash.jpg
Waltham Butternut Squash
Elongated fruit with small bulbous end. Skin is pale golden orange with deep orange flesh of sweet flavour that improves after storage. Produces about 4 fruits per plant, weighing up to 2 kg.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/WinterSquash/WalthamButternutSquash.jpg
Lamb Cutlets with Butternut Squash & Mint
Simply delicious one of my all time favourites
Now is the height of summer, the days endlessly long, temperatures usually at their peek and you should be reaping the rewards of your hard work in the preceding months. Watering in this month is crucial to stem off premature bolting, tomato blossom end rot and splitting skins.
October is the month when it feels like the season is about to turn, the days start to shorten and the sun appears lower in the sky, the leaves change colour and fall to the ground and temperatures drop. The first frost are likely too, which will be the end of many of your crops out in the open so if you still haven’t harvested frost sensitive crops now is the time before Jack Frost gets them!
Hopefully by now we are now standing on the threshold of Spring and the new gardening season. The days are beginning to lengthen and although it may not feel like it at times the temperatures are slowly increasing day by day. More importantly the longer days are the real trigger to new growth and you will find that with the help of a little protection you can really go for those early sowings