Yesterday, 11 April,  I picked most of the pumpkins (22 butternuts and 6 oil seed).  I left 4 butternuts that could do with ripening further, but that are hidden under leaves.  Cutting the leaves back a few weeks ago seems to have helped with the ripening of the majority of the pumpkins.  Some of those that I picked need to ripen a little, but nothing major, they aren’t quite as deeply coloured as those that are fully ripe.

The butternuts have been put on a high shelf in the larder for winter storage.  The oil seed pumpkins are on the table on the deck where they will stay until they annoy me so much that I open them and remove the seeds for processing!

I decided it was time to pick them as the nights are getting cooler and we will get our first frost soon I think.  Also, the cucumber vines are beginning to die back.  I don’t think we’ll get any more cucumbers.  This also means that the zucchini harvest will be drawing to a close soon.  It’s been a good one, but I think I will not miss them too much!

Paul picked all of the grapes on the vines.  They are REALLY good.  I had seven bunches for breakfast!  We are trialling drying a batch into raisins.  That will be interesting.  The kitchen smells pretty good so far!  I could smell them all the way upstairs last night.