| Unlike many gardeners, I actually love the | | | | doing. |
| beginning of winter. Yes, there are some jobs | | | | This is also a good time to have a look at your |
| that need to be done in the garden - we can get | | | | soil. If you've grown a couple of crops over |
| to those later. But it's also an opportunity to curl | | | | summer then it's likely your soil will be depleted |
| up in front of a warm fire with a perfect excuse | | | | and need a bit of a nutrient top-up. Whip out the |
| to stay indoors (if you happen to live in a part of | | | | remains of your summer plants, which are |
| the world where it's cold, dark and raining!), | | | | probably looking fairly yellow and sorry for |
| consider what worked and what didn't over the | | | | themselves at this stage. It's also worth testing |
| past gardening year, and begin to plan what you'll | | | | your soil's acidity - this is easily done with a soil |
| try next year. | | | | testing kit from your garden centre - so see if |
| At the end of autumn my husband usually finds | | | | your soil needs some particular attention. There |
| me surrounded by gardening books, seed | | | | are some great ways to add organic matter back |
| catalogues and sheets of paper, sketching out my | | | | into your soil without resorting to chemicals. |
| vege garden for the coming year and looking for | | | | Sowing a green manure crop is one option, but to |
| new varieties to plant which will survive in our | | | | be honest I tend to find this a bit too much work. |
| very humid summer. This is also when I canvas | | | | You can also dig in well-rotted animal manure - |
| the kids to see what they'd like to try growing - I | | | | just make sure you leave your soil for 2-3 |
| find they tend to help out in the garden more | | | | months before planting. I tend to dig in a good pile |
| when they have some input! | | | | of compost from my compost heap and worm |
| This is the part of the gardening year when you | | | | farm to feed the soil, making sure you dig deep |
| can take your time to work out what to plant, | | | | to integrate the compost and aerate the soil as |
| when, and where. You can take your time to | | | | you go. I then only have to wait 2-3 weeks |
| work through what companion plants go together, | | | | before I can begin planting my winter crops. |
| what size your plants will grow to, and how to | | | | Finally, spend a weekend having a look at your |
| ensure they have enough, or not too much | | | | supplies. I tend to give my tools a good clean, |
| shade, depending on their requirements. You have | | | | empty out and wash my pots and spray bottles, |
| the luxury of choosing what you actually want to | | | | and see what needs replacing. I find winter is a |
| plant, rather than grabbing whatever is left at the | | | | good time to visit the garden centre to replace |
| garden centre along with every other spring | | | | any of those tools that are past their best - |
| gardener! Whenever I tend to jump straight into | | | | there can be some good sales on and you can |
| planting my garden without this planning stage I | | | | find the odd bargain. |
| end up with crowded areas and gaps, and am | | | | And once that's all done, it's back in front of the |
| invariably late getting my seeds into the ground | | | | fire with the gardening books, enjoying a |
| as I get caught up in all the other jobs that need | | | | well-earned glass of wine. |