Welcome to this week’s companion blog post for The Veg Grower Podcast. In Episode 633, Richard shares what has been happening across the kitchen garden and allotment after a sudden blast of winter weather, and introduces a rather clever Christmas gift idea in conversation with a young gardener named Belle.

Winter made itself known this week with a heavy frost across the kitchen garden. Many tender plants have finally keeled over, signalling the true end of the growing season. Although frost damage is never fun, it does help tidy the beds naturally and shows which plants are genuinely hardy.

Richard talks through which crops held up well, which ones finally gave in, and what that means for the weeks ahead. Now is the time to clear away soft, spent growth and begin planning winter protection, mulching, and early sowing plans for the new year.

A visit to the allotment gives a clearer picture of how the cold snap has affected things on the plot. Some crops have slowed right down, but others are surprisingly resilient.

In this episode, Richard discusses:

It’s a good reminder that even after thirty years of growing, every season still has something new to teach us.

To round off the episode, Richard chats with Belle, who shares a fantastic and thoughtful Christmas idea for gardeners. It’s the sort of gift that is practical, personal, and genuinely useful — perfect for anyone who enjoys growing their own food.

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This conversation offers a fresh perspective from a younger gardener and brings a lovely festive note to the end of the episode.

With frost now firmly part of the weekly forecast, the winter season is well and truly underway. That does not mean the garden falls silent — far from it. There is still plenty happening outdoors, and plenty to prepare indoors ahead of next year.

If you have thoughts on how the frost has affected your own garden this week, or if you have your own gardening gift ideas, feel free to share them with the community.