Hi Mary

You can't beat the taste of your own vegetables, picked just before you eat
them! If you don't want to use the beds for anything else during the winter,
you might consider growing a green manure. Details and information are he
http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=21_51.

Just dig it in in the spring.

Thanks for the suggestion. Originally i had thought of a 'green
compost', but then (I thought) learned that this was a different
thing.

Have you any suggestions as to what would a good thing to sow now-ish
time, from the list at the link you've given me?

Thanks a lot
Jon N