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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

to share it, but usually I'm alone, savouring every second.But that's where my camera comes in. Now it's a moment I can share.I admire the hardiness of those garden plants that don't shut up shop for winter but still put on a show. Every garden needs them

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.

as a native hedging plant, but surely its time more were grown as ornamentals (with a sideline in winter liqueur production, of course). The only problem is that they self-seed and tend to spread themselves rather rapidly, but if they do grow too much

, lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla), is starting to produce new leaves. In previous years I've known the plant to start sprouting new foliage as late as mid-May, by which time one wonders if the plant died in the winter.Now is the ideal time to cut lemon

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

, so I keep the agapanthus pots outside to enjoy for as long as possible before carrying to the winter shelter of my unheated greenhouse.Many of the tender bulbs I grow outside in pots form attractive seed heads, and patient gardeners may be tempted

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!