Getting the garden ready for winter

It's that time of year again when I try to get those last garden jobs done before the weather gets too cold.  Although this year it's often been too warm to want to be out working in the garden. I'm still hanging the washing out to dry which I'm sure I've never done this late in the year before - some years I barely hang it outside at all!

Last week I cleared out the vegetable patch, taking out the dead tomato plants and giving it a good weed. I also weeded all my large planters and moved the smaller ones into the garage so that they don't blow about the garden over the winter. Usually I cut back the trailing plants on the fence that we share with our neighbour, but this year I've only cleared them out of the guttering. I quite like how they look, and maybe they will help to hold the fence together if we have any windy weather!

Then this morning I was admiring my good work and spotted this little cluster of seedlings! I'm almost certain that they are tomato plants, and because they are close together it looks as though they've sprouted from a fallen tomato that I missed. I couldn't bear to pull them out as I'm so used to caring for tomato plants, but I know that they won't survive the winter!

At the weekend we did the final cut of the grass. This will make the last job of the year much easier when it comes around - a week or so of collecting the leaves that drop from the huge tree at the bottom of our garden! It's not even our tree as it's on council land, but I do love the tree and enjoy it throughout the year so it seems only fair that I should do a bit of work for it.

We also packed away our hot tub after giving it a good clean. We've not used it enough this summer as it's been so hot, and it had gone a bit yucky as we hadn't been keeping up with the chlorine top ups. We'll get it out in the spring and intend to make more of an effort with it next year.

There are still a few jobs left, the beautiful lavender bush needs cutting back a bit more so that it doesn't take over next year and our apple tree needs a bit of a trim. I also need to do a final quick cut of our large front hedge, otherwise the few sticking up bits will annoy me all winter. My aim is to get everything done before the half term school holiday so I've got a few weeks yet!