The Autumn Campaign

Fertiliser and what little compost there was now turned in; irrigation pipes laid out and connected; trip to agri stores for plants: leeks, three types cauli, broccoli, three cabbage, sprouts,two types chicory, fennel, hardy lettuce.

The price of plants is up: €44 for the lot but should keep us in winter veg until after Christmas plus stockpile of potatoes, garlic, onions and shallots and chickpeas, cannellini and borlotti beans and passata.

Cool weather brought by jet stream tracking south over italy while southern Scandinavia stuck in a vicious low pressure zone.

‘Campaign’ comes from campagna- country/open ground. Got its ‘campaigning’ connotation from military leaving closed winter quarters for the open country (campagna) in spring/summer. Hence to ‘go on campaign.’

See extra for not very careful planting. Drip irrigation on. Hope I’ve not jumped the gun on this one and planted before another heatwave. Hopefully irrigation will see plants through.