My Garden This Winter

We're transplanting hundreds of seedlings over the bare patches

Hi. I hope that you've been well and you are enjoying your gardens this season.

I've been well. I didn't feel comfortable with blogging then. I'm still working through things but time, counselling and communicating with friends and family has helped enough that I can now blog without feeling too naked.

The garden was a great comfort. The spent summer crops and weeds provided me with a good outlet for working through my anger and stress, and I now have enough produce bottled or frozen to last me through winter. I'm pleased with how the garden is evolving.

The garden is growing

A friend of mine gave me the honeysuckle below in a small pot as a birthday present in 2012. The plant is now much taller than I am. I love gifts that last and keep on giving.

A birthday present that keeps growing

The fruit tree saplings that I planted in 2013 and 2014 are also growing well. However, I estimate it will be at least two more years before I expect to see any harvests. I can't wait!

What a difference two years makes!

The herbs are reseeding very heavily, so we have plenty for soups and stews and teas to boost our bodies' immune systems.

We have to keep borage in check though because it grows like a weed.

Perennial vegetables like rhubarb and artichokes are also growing very well. It's nice not to have to replant some things each year.

I also spend a lot of time in the kitchen preserving produce and trying out a few recipes. I've been bartering with people who do have fruit-bearing trees because mine are still too small.

Home-made pizza for lunch

 We sell the excess produce at the cottage which we have set up as a small  farmshop-style place.

At the moment we have a lot of pumpkin, potatoes chilli and onions and I expect we'll start digging the sweet potatoes very soon. Then in a month or so, we'll start picking Chinese cabbage and spinach.