Non-gardeners often assume that winter is a quiet time, but for the avid veg grower there is plenty to do. That said, winter isn't as busy as the rest of the year, because there is less need to weed, sow and water. I use this time to dream about the next year and enjoy researching new cultivars to grow on the plot for different flavours and less hassle.
Recently, I discovered an unexpected winter crop - a funny-looking brown fungus growing on the dead stems of an old elder tree. It's called jelly ear fungus (Auricularia auricula-judae) and really does look as the name suggests, but don't let the appearance put you off! They're used a lot in Asian meals, and can be foraged, cleaned, chopped then cooked.
As with all wild plants, only eat fungi you can properly identify, though the jelly ear fungus is an easy one because in midwinter there isn't much else like it around. Foraged food is the ultimate in hassle-free because all you have to do is pick and enjoy!
Harvest
Our Brussels sprouts look beautiful and are ready to eat right now, just in time for the festive season. I mainly grow the regular green sprouts - this year Groninger - and a few token purple stems of Rubine for fun. If we have a number of frosts the sprouts taste particularly sweet as a result.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2023-Ausgabe von BBC Gardeners World.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2023-Ausgabe von BBC Gardeners World.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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Your wildlife month
December is a time for reflection in the garden. What worked for wildlife in 2023 and what didn't? How could you do more? Looking at the bones of the garden now, is there space for more plants? Are your fences bare? Are there enough berries and hips? You have until March to plant bare-root trees and shrubs. What would look good? What would better serve wildlife?
The Full Monty
I can, and occasionally do, manufacture jobs in a kind of gung-ho, boy-scout spirit
Hardwood cuttings
It's the zero-fuss way to make free new shrubs - just follow our guide from Nick Bailey
'It's like another lung - like having oxygen on tap. It makes you breathe in a different way'
Helen Maxwell's garden in rural Carmarthenshire surrounds the house that her husband (who's an architect) designed.
Tales from Titchmarsh
Sunday is a day for enjoying the garden in peace and quiet, says Alan, without the buzz, hum and drone of power tools
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
Frances Tophill shows you how to get greenery in shape ahead of the colder winter months
Winter greenhouse bounty Plant up winter veg
Keep your greenhouse fully stocked up with tasty salads and veg. In the second of our three-part series, Lucy Chamberlain reveals the crops to grow now
Tender plants
A cold snap can wreak havoc in the garden if you don't protect frost-tender and borderline-hardy plants. Alan Titchmarsh explains how to do it
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
Keep summer-fruiting raspberries productive and healthy with Frances Tophill's guide
Dividing your plants
Split big clumps into vigorous new plants with Nick Bailey's essential guide