And now begins the drawing of the dark

Autumn is both the time of great activity in the garden, and the start of the slow down for the long winter ahead. There are gardeners who still like to spend time outside in their plots during the months of cold and darkness, but I'm not one. It's a combination of the short hours of daylight, and the dreadful weather. I'll do what needs to be done, but after that, I let nature take over for a while, and wait the better times in the spring, when there's hope again and things are starting to grow.

In fact, come next March I know I'll be raring to go, planting things too early (again) and looking at the ground longingly, just waiting for the chance to get my broad beans in, and start the sweet peas.

Until then, I'll just have to be content with a little bit of weeding, a few forays into the greenhouse, and the inevitable clean ups after winter storms.

But that's the outdoor gardening. Indoors I can still look forward to January and February, when it's time to sow tomatoes and chillies. Though I do have to admit I've gone off tomatoes a little bit. It's the sheer effort for not very much reward: the watering, the feeding, the pruning. Those are some high-maintenance plants, and personally, I'm beginning to think that it's just not worth it.

It'll be a while before I have to make that decision, however, so until then, it's just a case of doing a bit of tidying, planting bulbs, and sorting out the pots.

Roll on spring!

#winter