It looks pretty dreary on the plots, and these days the only person I see at the allotment is an elderly man who likes to walk his dog around the perimeter path. But there’s still stuff to harvest – parsnips, carrots, leeks, kale, perpetual spinach, Swiss chard, purple sprouting, and in the polytunnel lettuce and various Chinese mustards. There are also 8 compost heaps to turn or add to, and now is the season for collecting leaves to make leaf mould. I’ve filled three new bins with leaves from the wood, and last autumn’s caches are beginning to rot down nicely; I’m hoping they’ll be ready for spring sowing. So despite these gloomy looks – all is filled with new possibilities.
Tish Farrell 
Well done for all the hard work, Tish!
Thanks, Sue.
My beans are just beginning to make headway, and one or two squash have hints of flowers about them.
The spinach is also sprouting, so too several kinds of toms. As some of yours’ goes into partial slumber ours will be ready to pick and eat.
Such is the cycle of life!
And knowing about your cycle at your end of the planet spurs me on with my cycle at my end of planet. So much synergy 🙂
‘Dizzy, I’m so dizzy my head is spinning …”
Emergency! Is there a trickcyclist in the house?
Somewhat of a metaphor for life, I think: seemingly dead times when nothing appears to be happening, but of rest and readiness, then a new cycle begins.
janet
Definitely a metaphor, Janet 🙂
And the beat goes on and there is nothing new under the sun. Some things we can always count on. Thank you Father.
You are a very industrious person Tish. I’m continually astonished at what is still growing during the winter months. I harvested some winter leaves and baby spinach the other day for a salad and they were delicious, all the more from being freshly picked. I have kale too, but only a couple of plants germinated this year.
It seems such a treat when one finds salad stuff in the garden at this time of year.
Quite. These winter leaves have done much better than the summer varieties which first got eaten by the S&S, those that survived that attack then bolted in the heat! I didn’t pick anything!
… filled with new opportunities, well said. Thank you, Tish!
Love the photo and the sense of round-the-year gardening. You work hard for your crops.
That’s made me think, Meg. I’m wondering why gardening doesn’t seem like hard work – when it is. And housework feels like hard work when it mostly isn’t.
It’s because you love it, Tish- and the results of your labours. (and you can’t eat a dishcloth 🙂 )
Ha! Eating dishcloths. There are those moments…
Strange that!
Winter can bring surprising beauty in the garden.
It does indeed, Sally. There’s also a surprising number of plants still flowering – completely out of season.
I am admiring your 8 compost heaps and imagining all the live within.
Some of it is a bit gunky 😦 But I’m sure it will improve. More turning needed.
I really like this photograph and because I love winter vegetables like the crop.
Such industry and optimism 🙂 🙂
You are a star, Jo. You always provide such a positive take on things.
You are evidently a very organised allotmenteer – 3 rotters on the go and still harvesting Tish – sounds like you could supply the Supermarkets!
They might not like the added slugs though 😦
Our runner beans were great this year, Tish. 🙂
That’s good to hear, Klausbernd 🙂 Mine too. But best of all were my Spanish Shelling Beans – big white beans – delicious cooked as the Greeks cook them in lots of olive oil, garlic and oregano.
Oh my, congratulations on the 8!!! Compost bins to turn, you must have biceps like a weight lifter. I sweat with one. But the garden will love you for your dedication to recycling
I’ve made things easier by having bigger bins which I only partly fill, so I then just shift the stuff from side to side, usually by hand rather than with a fork, so it’s much less sweat-making 🙂