November in the Ballymaloe walled garden and it's still very busy. We're busy harvesting for the kitchen - brussels sprouts, beetroot, leeks and swedes. The recent frost has improved the taste of the curly kale and cavolo nero by reducing some of the bitterness. And of course, we're still picking winter lettuce and the glasshouse has plenty of salad leaves - orientals, New Zealand spinach, claytonia and rocket. Winter jobs are plenty and the cold but sunny days mean that we can get through a lot. We've already turned our compost bins and planted lots of bulbs for spring, we've lifted the last of our potatoes and, next week, we harvest the last of the greenhouse tomatoes. Also a new project is just about to start where we are putting in a new herbaceous bed with apple step-overs and arches. Hopefully, the excavation and stonework will be completed by the end of December so that we can begin planting in early spring. Until then, there’s plenty of weeding to be done!
