Windy November

No, Muffin has not been using our patio as her new toilet, this is actually our very first crop of jerusalem artichokes. They are the Fuseau variety and less knobbly than other types so hopefully shouldn't be too difficult to peel. However, we all know what jerusalem artichokes are really famous for, so beware to anyone in our vicinity in the next few days.

Here is what else has been going on in Harbill's Garden:

Our broad beans, planted mid-October so that we can get an early crop in April, have already started coming up:

Bizarrely, despite having trimmed it back, our lavender is insisting on flowering.

And the cornflowers will not give up.

We are also still managing to eat salad throughout the winter; this rocket seems impervious to the cold, windy and sometimes frosty weather.

But - and we are saving the most thrilling news for last - we are hugely excited about our compost heap.

On the right is this year's waste; we have already started another one on the left

Throughout the year, we have been putting all perishable waste excluding meat, fish and citrus fruit (meat & fish attract rats and citrus is too acidic) into a big compost sack at the back of the garden. And look! It has actually turned to mud!!!

We will be using this when we dig up the garden in the spring to prepare for Year 2 of Harbill's Garden. Briwwiant (as they say in Burton).