Autumn Harvest

What to Pick, Store and Sow for Next Year 

Autumn is a time of gathering - of both harvest and thought. At Heligan, the Productive Garden reaches its most generous phase. Apples, squashes, runner beans, and heritage potatoes tumble into baskets. But just as important as what we pick is what we prepare to sow again.

We begin with roots and fruits. Pumpkins and squashes, such as the deep orange Rouge vif d'Etampes or the grey-skinned Crown Prince, are left to harden in the sun before being cured indoors. These will keep for months if properly stored in a cool, airy place.

Beans are left to dry on the vine where possible. We collect the rattling pods and shell them by hand, laying the seeds out to dry further before storing them in jars. Some of these will feed us; others, we save for next spring's planting.

It's also time for leafy crops. Kale, chard, and perpetual spinach will keep going well into the colder months, while the last courgettes and tomatoes are cleared to make room for winter preparations. Beds are cleared and mulched with compost or leaf mould, tucking the soil in for winter.

While we harvest, we also sow. Garlic goes in now for a strong start. Broad beans are often sown in late October, especially in milder areas. These autumn plantings give earlier crops and help roots develop before winter sets in. 

At Heligan, we view autumn as the gardener's second spring. It's a time of quiet renewal, not just ending. The work we do now-tidying beds, saving seed, planting for next year-shapes the year ahead and honours the cycle of the soil.

So as baskets fill and shelves grow heavy, we take stock not just of what we've grown, but of what we've learned. The garden gives, and it also asks us to listen, reflect, and begin again.