Anyone else devastated

[myotherface]

By the end of the gardening season? Even the gardeners world finishing for the winter feels upsetting. I've only discovered gardening last year but it's one of the biggest things to help with my mental health. Trying to find something else that would feel similar and keep me afloat but struggling.. At least there's still mulching and planting of bulbs but even that won't last forever.. Anyone else feels this way and have you find any good winter replacement?

Thanks Mere.. I just think it must be the heavy clay holding the water for longer and the fact there's no sun during the winter months so it never completely dries out. It's ok in the summer. Not sure about the water table.

Thanks for the explanation about French drains too.

Please could anyone advise, if my 2 x clematis on either side, are in fact DEAD?

@Oblomov20 are they spring flowering types? My alpinas are like this too, and will grow back in early spring

Thank you Tiddle. I don't honestly know. I only bought them from Aldi to be honest. Planted them last year, so this is the first time, first winter that I've have to decide whether to give them a good haircut?

We plan the big jobs over winter, we fitted a Plastic grass area, new patio, Land Drains, Sprinkler system outside lights, all over winter so when the weather picks up we can sit in it!

@Oblomov20 Clematis have an enormous will to live. My Etoile violette, many years old, and growing high in a lilac tree, died last year, didn't come back in spring, then threw a few shoots in summer and is now a mass of flowers. Now I come to think of it - it had about a 5 year holiday 10 between 15 and 10 years ago.

I lost an alpina last year, and that's now reappeared in great abundance.

So don't do anything hasty. Wait and see.

I'm enjoying the blue tits picking the sunflower heads.
I'm also gradually clearing out the compost bin and popping it on the veg beds.