The outdoors equivalent of housework

Now that the weather has taken a turn for the colder – and wetter - nothing much is growing at this time of year – other than the odd plant that escaped the harvest.  Like these potatoes, for example.

So November in the garden largely means the outdoors equivalent of housework.  There are leaves to be raked…..

and gathered up.

Herbs such as mint need to have their straggly stems cut back.

There are weeds to be pulled up.

All of which can be tossed into buckets…..

and dumped on the compost heap.  There may also be the odd plant that needs to be put back into the ground.  Oops!

 

Soil that has been rained on (and goodness, how it has rained these past few days!) is likely to become compacted, or squashed, if it is trodden on too much.  Boards placed on top…..

help to spread the load and stop that happening.

Something else that helps keep the soil aerated is this wonderful stuff.

From seed to ground cover in two or three weeks.  It can either merely be pulled out and used on the compost heap…..

or can be dug back into the soil so that it rots – and passes on all its goodness directly.

Either way, we are guaranteed crumbly weed-free, tidy soil.