The winter cometh!

With a day off work on my hands yesterday I thought it was about time I did a bit of serious preparation on the plot, so I set about digging myself a few beds (turning over existing, and creating new).

Not that it's easy to tell from the photo (the sun was quite low at this point), but here's how I left things...

There's space for about another four or five beds - once I've cleared the strawberries that is.

For now though I thought about making myself a "cage" for all the leaves that have been falling on my lawn at home. Leaving them to rot down for use as a leaf mulch, or soil conditioner next year

Firstly, here's how the leaves looked on the lawn at home.

...and in their new home.

Don't they look happy? (I've since doubled the amount in there by having another leaf sweep this afternoon).

There's plenty more where they came from mind, here's the oak tree at the bottom of the garden.

Not much else happening on the plot at this time of year. Everthing is damp cold and blummin 'orrible. Although with the sun out yesterday I did end up in my t-shirt with steam coming off me.

Well, nothing much happening unless of course you happen to wander over to where my brassicas (look it up on wikipedia if you don't know) are!!!!

My first ever cauliflower!! Ent she purdy?

Before, and after harvest.

The cabbages I planted it would seem are spring cabbages - they are conical in shape (those that have survived being eaten by something - one presumes slugs!!) Once the outer leaves have been removed there's not a lot of them to be honest, so I'm doubtful that I'll grow them again next year. That's part of the fun of all this I think - finding out what you like, what grows and what doesn't. Every day is a school day.

Here's how the cabbages looked yesterday anyway. Again, before and after.

The sprouts it would seem are maybe not in firm enough ground - as soon as they seem of about the right size, they have "blown". Several weeks of them left yet, so hopefully some will be ok at least...

Remaining plans for this year:

• Build proper compost heap/s
• Edge beds with scrap metal from work
• Prune the apple tree
• Create little "meadow" at the front of the plot
• Think of something to do with old compost area

That should keep me going through the winter months I reckon!

Tata for now.