Allotment Tales: Some plotholders hibernate for the winter

Jams and chutneys have used up the last vestiges of excess produce attempting to capture the elusive taste of summer.

Years ago, our allotments published The Glut Book containing our favourite recipes, such as Ken's courgette fritters, and tangy raw beetroot and apple salad. It's still a handy reminder of some novel ways of coping with inevitable surpluses.

Now autumn brings a bit of breathing space. Except for the knobbly Pink Fir Apples, all my potatoes have been harvested. While the memory is fresh, it's a good time to take stock of the year's highs and lows. I need to remind myself that rows of purple top turnips had limited appeal back in the kitchen. Early broad beans were enjoyed by mice and slugs and I forgot to replant.

Some plotholders go into hibernation for the winter. My aunt Cynthia belonged to that school of gardening. By the time the clocks went back her vegetable plot had been put to bed and she resumed her winter pastime of playing bridge and canasta.

By contrast, the allotment is never far from my thoughts all year round. Last summer's fruiting raspberry canes must be cut out, and currant bushes need pruning. When the leaves fall it's much easier to see what has to be done: sorting stakes; rolling up netting; cleaning, oiling and sharpening tools on a crisp autumn day is my answer to beating any seasonal blues. Some vigorous digging is very therapeutic.

It's time too to give a bit of protection to some of the leafy vegetables such as perpetual spinach and chard. Covered with fleece or a plastic cloche, they will offer some pickings through the winter and leap into life in spring. Some salad greens may survive too.

You can leave buying seeds until the spring, but there are advantages in doing it early for the best discounts and widest choice. Some recent surveys have shown germination rates of seeds from different companies can vary. Most packets contain far more seeds than ordinary gardeners need and there's a temptation to think that leftovers can be used up next year. I think this is a false economy of which I have been guilty. Once a packet of seeds has been open, they start ageing, and germination rates can tail off. For example, parsnips, which can be fickle at the best of times, need to be grown from fresh seed.

• This article was first published in The Scotsman on September 25, 2010