We’re now into the Persephone Days, with fewer than 10 hours of sunlight – a time when rocket loses some flavour, but kale and carrots grow sweeter

For those of us in the northern hemisphere winter has arrived. And perhaps more importantly for the plant world, we are also entering into our Persephone Days.

This phrase (named after the Greek goddess of spring, who was abducted by Hades and whose mother, Demeter, goddess of agriculture, withheld plant growth until she was returned) describes the period of time when there are fewer than 10 hours of sunlight in the day (mid-November to early January in the UK, depending on where you are in the country). It’s the point at which most plants cease to grow.