The battle of me versus the two squirrels that live in my garden is an ongoing one…. I think they may be winning but I’ve done a fair job at gathering as may nuts as possible before they got them all, I don’t mind them having a few, there are really too many for us alone.

This has to be the policy, for me anyway, at this time of year with the overwhelming amount of harvest goods available from the hedgerow and the garden.

As long as I feel I’ve used a good amount by freezing, drying, pickling, preserving and storing what I can, the rest can be given or taken away!

To store cobnuts or hazelnuts for use through the winter, gather, dry, ideally in the sun, (away from squirrels and mice!) turn regularly to make sure thoroughly dry, remove husks and store in net bags in shed or airy room.

Once dry they can be enjoyed straight away, why not try making a lovely nut frangipane, this is one of my favourite recipes as it uses up two ingredients I have excessive amounts of:

Plum and Cobnut Frangipane Tart

Ingredients: Ready roll sweet pastry; 9 plums, halved and stones removed; 125g unsalted butter softened;

125g caster sugar; 3 free range eggs; 125g cobnuts; 30g flour; 1tbp brown sugar

Method: Preheat oven to 190C (375F, gas 5). Sprinkle brown sugar across the cut surface of the plum halves.

Cook cobnuts on a baking tray in oven for 6-7 minutes, keep an eye on them so they don’t burn, remove, cool and blitz in the blender until they resemble rough flour.

For the frangipane, mix butter, caster sugar in a food processor until light and fluffy. Add the eggs gradually, mixing to combine. Add powdered cobnuts and plain flour and mix until combined.

Line a greased flan tin with the pastry, trim overhang, prick base, line with parchment paper, add baking beans and bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove, leave to cool, remove parchment and beans.

Pour in frangipane mixture, smooth flat, place plum halves cut side up evenly across the frangipane.

Cook for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is set, leave to cool a little before serving with fresh whipped cream or crème fraiche.

To store other harvested fruit and veg, good air circulation is the answer, a slatted base box to aid this helps and avoid the fruit from touching if possible as diseased fruit will quickly spread from one to other, wrap apples and pears in newspaper and check regularly.

Or get pickling, jam making and freezing!

Five mins to spare this weekend….Pop in some Peas!

Autumn sown sweet peas make for stronger plants that flower for longer, sown now they should have bushy top growth and a good root system by March…the time other gardeners are just thinking about sowing their seeds.

If you have root trainers use them as the peas prefer the extra depth but if not no matter sow 6 seeds in a 5” plastic pot or individual pots filled with multipurpose compost.

The key to success here is keeping seedlings in good light, protecting from slugs and mice and not waterlogging young plants.

Buy fresh seed every year for best germination. For one of the most fragrant sweet peas available try Lathyrus odoratus, Sweet Pea ‘High Scent’ with delicate creamy-coloured petals with subtle violet-blue edges.

Prune climbing roses

Move tender plants into greenhouse or under shelter

Harvest pumpkins and squashes

Bog garden – pack straw around the growing point of gunnera and cover the crown with its own severed, inverted leaves.