During the last two months of the year, there is little to be done in the garden but buckle down for the winter. The ground is mostly too wet and soggy to be walked upon, and any last leaves that end up in the flower boarders are mostly left there to cover the perennials.
In autumn, one of the two compost-bins with leaf-and-manure mix is always ready for action. We empty it onto the kitchen garden in October, and then fill it again with this years leaves mixed with this years manure (that our local farmer brings me). Consequently, I can let a compost heap burn for two years and still I always have my supply of farmers gold at hand!
The only thing we do at this time of the year, is to cover the earth in the kitchen garden with canvas to prevent the nutrients in the soil from leaking out with the heavy rain and snow we get. Here is a picture showing the layer of composted manure-and-leaf added to the soil, underneath the canvas.
This year November was fairly sunny, and although it snowed in the first week the snow didn't last long and the beautiful early winter sunshine returned.
At this time of the year, the days are very short and as the sun lies low in the sky the shadows cast are very long.
I had a few lovely days when I got to enjoy the last of the beauty in the gardens while the sun was shining. But truth be told, blink and you had missed it!
After that the weather became dull with overcast skies and barely a feeling of daylight. Still, we managed to cover the front garden at the Gatekeepers cottage with woodchopping's so as to prevent an invasion of weeds between the perennials next spring.
December this year was mostly dark and wet, with overcast skies and few hours of sunlight. No matter what time of day I tried to take pictures in the garden, the light was always wrong.
With nothing to do outside, I retired inside in Humlegård, quite content to observe nature through the large windows during the short hours of daylight. Even at this time of the year, the inlet provides a beautiful scenery in all its ruggedness.
