preparing for winter

Its been a few days since I posted a blog but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy in the garden. Just like Bob at the Big House I have been happily engaged in making most of the weather to clear up the perennials and sort out a few things.

Now I face the rather depressing prospect of putting the garden to bed for the winter. Already I have started to put tender plants in pots away for protection and I am now charged with wrapping up the pots for winter. I use bubble wrap and encompass each pot in a nice warm coat in the hope that Jack Frost (and I don't mean the tv policeman)will not come along and crack them.I have lost a lot of expensive pots in winter frosts here and it does upset me to come out and find a big crack down a large size pot.

I will also move my palm into the garage near the window so it gets some light. I can't bring myself to trust leaving that outside for a Cumbrian winter. I have two lovely pots of Begonias still going strong so will leave them just a little longer. I think the majority of the roses are now asking me to give them a break and so will probably cut them down in the next few days to prevent them getting harmed by wind rock. I don't do this too severely as I am a spring pruner where roses are concerned and I do like to get the odd bloom around December and Christmas time which has been known on several occasions. It is a matter of ensuring that they are not going to get damaged in high winds that matters.

Then it will be a case of planting the wallflowers and getting in the spring bulbs. Ah well, just because the winter is coming doesn't mean we should be forgetting all about the garden does it?