20th December 2004
Closing for Christmas
A last view of the garden for 2004, on a cold, frosty morning.
They Were Once Giants
The Runner Beans and Sunflowers look very different from when they towered over the garden in the summertime. Who would have thought that we could lose people in the beans only a couple of months back?
We Missed This One
We can now see the ones we didn't pick very clearly, although we will leave them there. Some of the brown pods may have new seeds inside to grow next year's plants.
The Beauty and the Beast
Despite our battles to keep the weeds out of the garden (especially stinging nettles, which you can see on the left) they still get in, to live alongside the plants we want there. The Poached Egg Flowers, on the right, don't seem to be worried by the frost.
Strawberry Ice-Cream?
The Strawberry plant that decided to live in our garden has not been bothered by the cold weather, and has flowered for almost the whole year. However, I think after being frozen, this flower wil not produce any fruit.
Preparing for next year
A good compost heap will be working all the time to rot down plant stuff put on it, even during the cold winter months. It makes its own heat which keeps the worms and bacteria alive. There's more to a compost heap than meets the eye.
Is It Springtime?
Gardens never stay still. Just as you thought everything was over and nothing would happen for a couple of months, other plants have other ideas. These bulbs are braving the frost and growing through the old Nasturtium plants to give us a great show in early spring-time.
On The Double - Grow!
All over the garden, bulbs are already coming through the leafy, frozen ground. We leave 2004 at the end of a gardening year, but also at the beginning of a new one.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and see you again for 'The Garden 2005'.
