Monday 28 November. The gardening to do list is always a little lighter as we move into December although that does feel different now the focus has shifted from nurturing flowers to nourishing the soil.  Today, mulching. Some fresh wood chip from a local sawmill, and some two year old chippings which are threaded through with fungal hyphae (the white threads you get in wonderful compost). The roses got the best stuff, obviously. 

Tuesday 29 November. The mist is so thick I can hardly see out of the window. A day for slow cooking and wrapping orders, the kettle on constant boil and the comfort of the radio in the background. 

If you are a Gather member, a huge thank you to every single one of you because my annual money transfer to Lemon Tree Trust happened today. 10% of all of my GAF income goes straight to them and it doesn't half mount up. I have a meeting with Jennie, their communications director, about how we can work together over the Christmas period. Details to be finalised, but it involves wreaths… If you, like me, are going for a charity donation rather than gifts this year, can I suggest Lemon Tree Trust?

Wednesday 30 November. I am so grateful for how forward thinking I was to compost wood chip, but the abundance of the compost heaps warms me on a whole different level. Since I went on the composting course with Sue Mabberley at Damson Farm, my ability to conjure black gold into being improved exponentially. The right hand bay contained a year’s worth of care, love, attention, chipping, stirring, turning and biochar and I was saving it for something very special indeed. Pots, tubs and tanks of spring bulbs.

In many ways, this is absolutely ridiculous; tulips don’t care that much about the medium in which they grow as long as it drains well and has the benefit of some added grit, and they rely mostly on their bulb to feed them though their big growing phase. However, now I am in the transition to organic certification, I won’t buy any more bulbs in for a while and so these ones are going to have to last. Plus, only the very, very best for my Dom Pedros. 

Thursday 1 December. Predictably, despite the months of driving round the county collecting metal containers sourced from reclamation yards and people’s back gardens, I have run out of containers, and I still have bulbs left in the box. With a drill in my hand, I find as many trays and drawers as are not currently in use, make drainage holes, and stuff them with tulips.

Friday 2 December. A Christmas party. Out out. Champagne and cocktails. It was utterly wonderful.

Saturday 3 December. For some reason, I really do not feel quite the thing today. I spend most of the afternoon on the sofa watching the Garden Gate Flower Company online wreath class that Rebecca Stuart filmed exclusively for Gather. It is delightfully soothing. 

There is discussion about woodland foraging, about knowing when to stop, about mixing and matching silk ribbon for finishing. I am going all out for wreaths this year.  

Sunday 4 December. The mouse that took the opportunity to move into the pantry when we went to Cornwall is still in residence. Hugo is incandescent with the postman when he has the temerity to knock on the door, but both he and the girls have taken to our new lodger with equanimity. Me, less so; I have a comprehensive flour collection (much of it rye-based) and the mouse has taken a nibble out of every single one. My solution is to rescue the remainder by making rye bread by the kilo (I recommend Flora Shedden’s recipe) and bliss of all blisses, Gill Meller’s chocolate rye brownies with bay & almonds.