Gardening

Winter Preparations

Achillea seed heads ©RHS/Tim Sandall

Winter is a time to slow down in the garden but not to come to a complete halt. November sees the end of autumn when the last of the deciduous leaves drop and the late summer flowering perennials finally give up their struggle against the wind and rain. However, it is also a time to look forward to the colour, scent, evergreen foliage and structure a well thought out planting can bring to the garden in winter.

The way we manage our gardens can have a profound effect on the wildlife that successfully overwinters. Do not be in too much of a hurry to tidy up and cut down spent flowers – look carefully and you will see that many hold their seed heads, providing food for birds and winter shelter for insects. At Rosemoor we leave seed heads on for as long as possible especially in the Hot and Foliage Gardens. It is especially worth leaving the seed heads on Hydrangea, Hylotelephium (Sedum), Rudbeckia, Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel), Achillea and Dipsacus (Teasel).

Grasses can provide a wonderful wind-blown movement and sound to your winter display. Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’ AGM and ‘Morning Light’ AGM, Carex dipsacea and Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ are great performers. Leave the stems until spring when deciduous grasses can be cut down to ground level before the new growth starts. This is also the time to give evergreen grasses a tidy up – just comb or pull out dead material but do not cut back completely.

Be prepared for the occasional warm, sunny, winter’s day when some creatures might come out to look for food by making sure you have some winter flowering shrubs in the garden. Many of these plants have a wonderful perfume, making excursions into your garden a joy during, what can be, a dull time of year. Mahonia, Sarcococca and winter flowering Viburnum species and cultivars are especially attractive to pollinators. A list of plants perfect for pollinators can be found on the RHS website: rhs.org.uk

Cutting back grasses ©RHS/Tim Sandall

Many insects, including solitary bees, seek holes to spend the winter including hollow reeds, plant stems and canes. You can make artificial hibernation sites from blocks of wood (untreated) with drilled holes of different sizes (2mm – 10mm). Insects may also find refuge in your garage or shed, in particular small tortoiseshell, brimstone, comma and peacock butterflies, herald moth, ladybirds and lacewings.

Stacks of twigs and dry leaves under a hedge might tempt one of our dwindling population of hedgehogs to spend the winter in your garden. Log and stone piles in a damp corner will provide a spot for amphibians and reptiles. If you

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Common Frog ©RHS/Andrew Halstead

plan having a bonfire on 5 November, don’t build it until the last minute to prevent creatures (including hedgehogs) from taking up residence. Stockpile your material and then move it to the bonfire site.

The compost bin is a favourite for slow worms, snakes, newts, frogs and toads, so think twice before turning the heap in winter. Frogs will often hibernate in the mud at the bottom of your pond so go easy on the cleaning regime and definitely never do it during the winter months.

Gardens can be a haven for our wildlife as long as we think twice about too much tidying up and consider the needs of all the creatures that make their homes in our patch of land, however small.

Sheila Dearing, Garden Technical Services Officer, RHS Garden Rosemoor.

Taking hardwood cuttings ©RHS/Tim Sandall Mahonia × media ‘Charity’ ©RHS/Sheila Dearing

Jobs for November and December

• Remove fallen leaves from the pond to keep the water a healthy environment for fish and wildlife. • Raise containers onto ‘feet’ to prevent waterlogging and freezing compost. • To stop winter moth damage to fruit trees, use grease bands around the trunks. • December is the best time to prune your freestanding apple and pear trees, but not those trained against walls. Aim to create an open goblet shape with a framework of four to five main branches. • Prune your acers, birches and vines before Christmas to avoid bleeding. We no longer recommend binding, wrapping or painting pruning cuts, the best thing to do is to allow them to heal naturally.

Now also is a good time to take hardwood cuttings of your favourite deciduous climbers, trees and shrubs. Although usually restricted to deciduous plants, semi-ripe cuttings from some evergreens including Ilex (holly), Ligustrum (privet) and Skimmia can be taken at the same time.

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