Gardening

Gardening in those dark winter days

Gardening and nature provided enormous solace pyramids or lollipops or those which are naturally during the ‘lockdown’ spring of 2020, and although architectural in shape. winter days don’t make it so easy or enticing to get Carpet the ground with evergreen grasses like Carex and outdoors now, our gardens can still give us a huge boost Uncinia, and some winter flowers like hellebores, pansies during the darkest months of the year. Long winter and violas. If your key viewpoints are soil-less, plant up evenings are a great time to indulge in some ‘armchair’ containers, choosing pots that withstand frost and packing gardening, making plans for what to grow next year and plants in closely for maximum colour, as they won’t put on perhaps giving your garden a New Year makeover. Look much growth during winter. Larger-growing plants can go through photos taken through the in containers on their own and kept season, think about what’s worked Long winter evenings are a there to give cheer for years to come. well and what hasn’t, and browse great time to indulge in some With social distancing here to through seed catalogues which are packed with temptation. Much of our winter garden ‘armchair’ gardening, making plans for what to grow next stay for the foreseeable future, an outdoor seating area for all seasons is creeping onto the wish list for admiring is done from indoors, year and perhaps giving your many. This can be created relatively so take a good look from daytime garden a New Year makeover easily with wind-shielding screening, viewpoints like favourite armchairs a cosy firepit, outdoor lighting of or breakfast and lunch spots, not some kind (simple tealights in jam forgetting the kitchen sink. Concentrate on cheering jars work well) and a few containers planted for seasonal up these key spots with colourful winter plants, like interest. Some fragrant winter flowers will be even dogwoods (Cornus) with glowing red or orange stems; more enticing, like the shrubby honeysuckles (Lonicera evergreens with golden, variegated or lustrous green fragrantissima, L. purpusii); winter-blooming Camellia leaves; plants clipped in architectural shapes like balls, sasanqua and Christmas box (Sarcococca).

Gardening jobs for winter

Grow a great crop of garlic by planting now. Buy cultivated seed garlic which is bred for our climate: widest choice from www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk Take advantage of dry spells to carry out garden DIY and maintenance. Pressure wash decking, paths and paving which can become dangerously slippery, and apply stain or preservative to sheds, fences and other garden woodwork. Lots of different coloured wood stains are available so you could give your garden a whole new look. Lawns have grown like mad this year. Use a half-moon edger to cut fresh, neat edges (compost the cut-off bits) and your lawn will look smart until well into spring. Make more plants for free by dividing herbaceous perennials.

Architectural evergreens for winter form and colour

Christmas gift ideas

For anyone of any age who’s interested in gardening, there’s lots of potential gifts ranging from stocking fillers like gloves, plant labels and small hand tools, to big presents like a handsome patio pot, heated propagator, fire pit or a wormery to compost household waste. (I’m trialling wormeries for Gardeners’ World magazine – look out for the results in the February issue). House plants are excellent, but when it comes to garden plants I recommend only buying if you have a very good idea of what the recipient would like, otherwise they could be stuck with something large and long-lived not to their taste, like a tree or rose bush. Vouchers for plants are the safest bet! There are lots of fantastic wildlife-related products, particularly for attracting birds into the garden – and winter is when the food we provide can mean the difference between life and death. The fascination of watching birds at feeders and tables can give countless hours of entertainment. Support the work of the RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts by buying from

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www.rspb.org.uk or from www.vinehousefarm.co.uk. Give the pleasure of garden visiting all year round. Gift memberships are available from the National Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society, while independent local gardens open to the public often offer ‘Friends’ membership or season tickets. This year, all these organisations need our support more than ever. For 2021, the RHS is planning to run four of its fabulous flower shows, including the Malvern Spring Show in early May and the world-famous Chelsea flower show in late May, with an extra day and fewer visitors (good news for anyone who’s ever battled the Chelsea crowds). Tickets would be yet another great gift idea. n Sue Fisher

Sue Fisher

GARDEN DESIGNER & HORTICULTURAL SPECIALIST Inspirational ideas to transform your garden Sue continues to be available for garden advisory visits and design work, operating according to Covid-19 social distancing guidelines. Christmas gift vouchers available for garden advisory visits. Contact Sue for more details. 01822 841895 | suefisher@talktalk.net | www.suefishergardens.co.uk

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