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urge to grow and flower profusely.My idea back in the autumn was to plant it with a few salad leaves such as mustardand rocket that might overwinter and give us some early, spicy leaves to make a few winter salads, as well as some parsleyto keep us

I've been letting a few crops run to seed this year. I left a few parsnips and a couple of rows of leeks over winter to be harvested as and when I needed them, but there were far too many of them and many stayed in the ground.In spring, the leeks

in March. Not this time though! I'm determined to forge ahead this winter and have planned a couple of projects to get my teeth into, including building another compost heap and painting the shed. Not only have I convinced myself that these projects

for clay soils and spring for sandy ones. However, I usually add compost to my clay beds now. It always bothers me that all the lovely nutrients in the compost are leached away by winter rains so I go against convention and leave composting until now.

overwintered wild rocket to supplement the odd lacklustre shop-bought lettuce (I know I shouldn't but I am getting bored of winter crops now) and it's really livened things up a treat.I'm also using my salad stuff in my sandwiches for work too - it really must

I know I'm in danger of becoming a bit of a bore, raving on about my winter vegetables - but they have been truly marvellous. So it felt sad to harvest my final leeks this week. What a fine specimen I had left until last - tall, straight and pale

of sorts).As for cabbages, I've got pointed ones, round ones, red ones and savoy types, not to mention a few that Ron-next-door has given me. I think these should see me through the winter ahead. As long as I can keep them safe from the attentions

. But during autumn and winter it's exposed to the vagaries of the weather and the little apple trees have taken a hammering. They were, I confess, inadequately staked in the first place.There is a school of thought that says young trees should not be staked

. But I can still take all the lovely garden rubbish up to the allotment. All the blackened dahlia stems, fallen leaves, old bedding plants and herbaceous stems will rot down beautifully over the winter.

to dig the soil when conditions are right, to avoid getting it stuck all over your boots, hands and spade.What I need is a few sharp frosts to dry it all out and break up the lumps. I really hope we get a proper cold winter down here this year – it