Home & Garden

Gardening jobs for mid-December

Planting in December not only helps to burn off any festive over indulgence, it helps to get things in order ahead of the New Year. There’s nothing like a cold nipping wind on the cheeks to help clear the mind and concentrate your efforts.

If you have already bought a Christmas tree but haven’t put it up yet, stand it in water to keep it hydrated. Don’t forget to cut evergreen leaves, berried shrubs and seasonal flowers for use in Christmas decorations.

Focusing on spring, now is a good time to plant flowers for an early bit of colour in the garden and to help attract and feed the first pollinators. You’ll need to help seedlings out a bit by starting them under glass or in propagators with heat lamps.

If it’s really cold and miserable outside, this isn’t such a bad thing. After all, pottering in a shed or greenhouse while the elements go to town outside can be quite rewarding.

You can plant bare-root roses, ornamental trees and other deciduous shrubs outside this month, unless, of course the soil is frozen or the site is exposed to high winds. Some trees will enter a dormant state, which helps them through the winter, ready to come alive as the weather improves. You can also start trees and shrubs, including cuttings, in containers under a cold frame or in an unheated greenhouse.

Sweet peas can be sown indoors. You can avoid damaging roots by planting them in a container before placing them in the soil.

Winter shrubs can be potted in sheltered areas. Try chimonanthus, sarcococca and Daphne odora.

Laurentia can be planted under glass in a position that receives plenty of sunlight.

Propagators really are your friend at this time of year. You can use them to grow geraniums from seed. Avoid direct sunlight. Snapdragons can also be sown under glass, ready to flower from early summer.

If you haven’t already, this is a good time to prune climbing roses, overgrown shrubs and hedges. You can cut these right back.

Hardier varieties of Cyclamens can be sown now. Soak seeds overnight to remove the protective coating and aid the germination process. Use small pots and don’t let them get too cold.

Protection

If you hang feeders you will attract a whole host of birds with hungry bellies and sharp eyesight who will enjoy picking off insects and other pests.

Bring your terracotta pots indoors if you can. If they are too big or if you do not have the space you can use bubble wrap to ward off the worst of the freezing weather.

If you can find a sheltered area for your outdoor pots this can help protect roots from damage. Straw or bracken can be piled around the base of climbing plants and any tender shrubs to act as a warm blanket against the cold.

If you have a pond, make sure you are keeping it clear of leaves and other debris. Don’t discard it straight away though, just in case anything has been hiding in it and needs to escape to freedom.

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CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR DEADLINES

Christmas Edition Monday 26th December

Booking Deadline Tuesday 13th December at 4pm

Copy Deadline Thursday 15th December at 4pm

New Year Edition Monday 16th January 2023

Booking Deadline Thursday 5th January at 5pm