Only a day late, but better than never, especially as M provided this in good time and I failed to schedule it like a sensible person. Normal service should resume shortly. Probably…
With the cold weather well and truly upon us the garden has changed roles from a (semi) productive fruit garden into a wildlife survival outpost. The food is up for the birds and the squirrels, fresh water is provided and the less hardy plants are now wrapped in their winter hessian ready for the frost.
This time of year also gives the garden a chance to reset after the mad growth of spring and summer and enables me to tidy up and plan projects for spring 2023. One thing I have noticed is the encroachment of ivy along the back fence which has removed a large portion of the grass in that area.
I would like to try and plant some fruit bushes in the ground next year as, although the plants did very well in the pots, it has been a struggle keeping water in them, that and feeding them is a mess. If they were in the ground in some specially made raised beds then I could see a lot of those problems receding and (more importantly) allowing the plants to thrive and become established (it would also save a small fortune on pots).
Aside from that, we do have a lot of plants that are doing well: the winter crocuses are up and out; the onion has turned into four separate onions (one bought from Aldi that wasn’t used before it started sprouting); and the heathers are in bloom.
I know many gardeners lose their enthusiasm during this time of year (especially with nearly everything going brown and decaying) but I find that it is a good time for planning and for taking stock of the past year so I can plan next year more effectively.
~ M
Fairy Cake Living 