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Besides the brassica family (which have been an all out success on my plot this year, in case I haven't mentioned this before) my herbs have grown really well. The wet weather seems to have suited their growth and they are very leafy, lush and flavoursome. From seed I've grown ba...

I have a confession to make. After raving about the arrival of the purple sprouting broccoli and extolling the virtues of winter veg in my blog last week I realised that I had forgotten to mention red cabbages. Not only are red cabbages easy to grow

and produce much smaller bulbs. I know, I've tried it!Growing garlic is easy and hugely rewarding. You can plant it now or leave it until later on in the autumn or winter - whatever you like, it really doesn't matter. All that does matter is that the bulbs

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

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

to the inclement summer. Also the general web consensus seems to be that over-wintering types don't keep as well as the spring planted varieties. Oh well, it seems I still have a lot to learn!