Gardening: It's time to embrace the protection racket

In the garden
As autumn mushrooms into winter and the mower picks up more leaves than grass, it’s time to shift our focus towards protection rather than growing.
Tie in young trees, wrap tender staples like bananas and tree ferns and drop a shovel full of mulch on perennials once they’ve been cut down and tidied way. This applies especially to dahlia and cannas who both need keeping frost free while they replenish themselves underground for next summer.
Any roses not pruned by a third will be vulnerable to disease and root damage. This applies to many tall perennials that they are reduced in height for winter as this prevents the gale force winds levering roots around and weakening the plant.
There are however still creative tasks to work on. Whilst its a good time to plant trees try something that will offer colour when you need it most. Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion’ is a bright surprise to come across with its clouds of violet clustered berries making it look like Prince has strolled past with a magic wand.
Plant lillies in pots to give you a surprise when early summer appears and you ve forgotten all about popping the easy bulbs in there. Try ‘Asiatic hybrids or ‘Pixie’ varieties for smaller pots. While you’re in a potting mood, turn your hand to hyacinths which will be ready for that time of year that is too early to mention just yet. Make sure their pot is wider at the bottom than the neck as they’ll need the room to root properly.
Tulips will flourish underground in the cold and you can never have enough tulips as they seem to think in Holland. Ive successfully planted them in February so you can hang on and get them cheaper late in the season if you’ve nerves of steel.

On the plot
Amazingly there’s a deliberately leftover courgette still producing fruits. It made me think what is possible to grow in our mild climate. Admittedly it was left in a sheltered area but still, its mid November and not what you might expect from a crop traditionally harvested from June onwards.
Using covers and mulching it’s possible to extend the growing season to reduce the ‘hungry gap’ which is the crossover between winter crops ending and spring crops being ready.
If you don’t have a greenhouse or similar structure, use cloches to keep out the cold and frost given this is the major growing difference between the seasons.
It doesn’t have to be the most expensive, high end recycled blown glass affair, it can be as simple as rigging up two old patio doors or windows together. As long as there is light and protection, you’re in business. Gardening is outcome focussed if we’re to grow things to eat. Obviously if you can combine aesthetic qualities then even better but most vegetable growers prioritise optimum growing conditions over the two philosophies.
If you have a greenhouse, make sure its secured against the expected winds by checking any loose panes and adding extra clips where necessary. You might even want to glue some in as this saves the time and considerable expense of replacing and clearing up broken glass. Not to mention lowering the temperature and putting frost sensitive plants at risk.
Once all this is secure you've got a blank sheet of horticultural paper to either overwinter tender plants like lemon grass, kafir lime or agave plants in pots or to plant and nurture salad crops and herbs like chives, mint and parsley for a frequent winter supply.
It’s not unusual to see abandoned greenhouses in winter full of pots, watering cans and the obligatory green coat hung up when they could be put to good use. It seems counterintuitive that people grow outdoor winter veg and neglect the warm dry sanctuary of the greenhouse.