I read recently that rosehips are at their best after the first frost, much like parsnips.  That’s not to eat, but to make rosehip wine. 

Apparently wine is easy to make, but I’ve never really fancied it.  Too many memories of student homebrew.  If I was going to make hedgerow wine, I think I would go for elderberry or blackberry.  Maybe next year.

Do parsnips really taste better after the first frost?  I doubt it.  But I do like the idea of having to hold off eating them until the winter sets in.  It forces you to eat them in season, ideally par boiled, then sprinkled with parmesan and flour, before being roasted.  One of Delia's better tips.

The problem is that after a hard frost like we had last week the tops will soon die off making them more difficult to find!

Our hens have finally finished moulting and are now showing off their winter feathers.  The Welsummers look particularly healthy, even though they are now too old to lay.

If you like the idea of keeping hens but haven't got enough space, you can always try recycled plastic hens. These are made in South Africa and make a fun Christmas present.  They are easy to look after, but you won't get any eggs I'm afraid.

Until this year my brassicas have been terrible.  Year after year I have dutifully planted sprouts and cabbage plants in the hope of enjoying a winter of healthy green veg but they have invariably been poor at best.  Until now that is. 

I have discovered there are two secrets to successful brassicas.  Impenetrable netting and firm ground.  I placed a cage over the plants this summer and as a consequence the pigeons have had to look on in dismay as the cabbages have flourished.  And when the plants went in I pressed hard down on the surrounding soil, which is meant to stop the spouts disintegrating just as they get to an edible size. Luckily we all like sprouts!

Green salad is something most of us associate with the summer months.  Cos lettuce to make a crunchy ceasar salad or butterhead for salad nicoise.  But it is possible to grow salad in the winter and in some ways it is more staisfying than in the summer when there is such an abundance of veg.

Chicory and endive are traditional salads to grow in the winter, but I have never had much success with either.  What has worked well for us is a leafy salad mix called Oriental Saladini (Thanks for the tip, Phil).  Last year a couple of rows sown over a soakerhose in the greenhouse kept us in salad all winter and this year looks like being the same.