Plant away the Winter Blues this December

Brrrr… But thinking about getting out into the garden is often worse than actually being out there. Once I’ve made it outside I find plenty of jobs to do, and wonder why it took me so long. And it’s true a winter garden is a fabulous place, and December in the garden can be pretty special. Whether it’s the delicate flowers, intoxicating fragrance, evergreen foliage, tactile barks and bright jewel-like fruits and berries.

Winter displays come to life on sunny days, but for a moment of magic you can’t beat a frosty morning - remember to take your phone (or camera) to capture some great shots of leaves and buds coated by crystals.

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There’s jobs for winter too - clearing away the remains of summer’s bedding, sweeping up the final fallen leaves of autumn and improving the soil by forking in generous quantities of compost. Not forgetting the birds, regularly cleaning and topping up their feeders and birdbaths.

Plants for winter colour:

  • Winter honeysuckle

  • Daphnes

  • Witch Hazel

  • Winter Jasmine

  • Winter Heathers

  • Holly

  • Rowan

  • Snowberry

  • Pyracantha

Gardens for winter colour inspiration:

  • Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Hampshire

  • Anglesey Abbey, near Cambridge

  • RHS Garden Harlow Carr’s Winter Walk

  • Cambridge Botanic Gardens

  • Dyrham House and Park, near Bath

  • Bressingham Gardens, Norfolk

  • Dunham Massey’s Winter Garden, Cheshire

  • Barnsdale Gardens, Rutland

From this list I’ve only made it to Anglesey Abbey and Harlow Carr, so would be very keen to see your visits to any of these gardens, if you’ve been. Otherwise I’m looking forward to reading any garden-related posts.

“TheGardenYear

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Get down to earth this November

It’s definitely all change in the garden this month. Now the rain has stopped and we have crisper days, and falling leaves it’s a much prettier and dramatic sight. The trees over the road from my office window are the most gorgeous colours.

There’s plenty to keep us busy in the gardens, when we can get out there. There’s summer bedding to clear away, border perennials to cut down, veg plots to clear and leaves to collect and store for leaf mould which in turn into mulch for feeding the soil.

Often it’s the thought of getting out into the garden in the colder months that deter us from heading out into the garden, but as I found last week, once I was out there I was fine and found plenty to do. Gardening throughout the year brings many benefits, including keeping us active in the fresh air. Direct contact with soil has been shown to be valuable to our mental health and wellbeing. Research has demonstrated the value of ‘earthing’ or ‘grounding’ in alleviating health problems, relieving stress and improving our mood and restful sleep.

So according to the research, getting dirty in the garden could be just what we need! And confirm what I think we already know, that gardening is great therapy.

Plants of the moment

Autumn is a good time for planning and planting, establishing plants into warm soil before the real onset of winter. Large patio pots, tubs, troughs and baskets can also be planted with a selection of evergreen, flowering and berrying plants to provide colour and interest over the colder months ahead.

Many bare-rooted plants are only available from the autumn and they offer great value for hedging and planting projects.

Look out for:

  • Skimmia varieties

  • Cyclamen

  • Mahonia

  • Vibernum

  • Dogwoods and

  • Heathers.

Gardening is good for you
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Get in touch with nature this October

The theme for this month’s post is the wildlife in our gardens. It’s estimated that in Britain our millions of gardens cover around 10 million acres, which is bigger than all of the country’s nature reserves combined. Viewed from the air you must be able to see how they create green corridors, providing wildlife with a range of habitats and the ability to move from one area to another to feed, breed, shelter and hibernate.

What we do to our gardens can encourage, or discourage, local birds and wildlife; planting flowering meadows for butterflies and insects, hedges for nesting birds, and blossom and blooms throughout the year to attract bees, butterflies and insects.

The idea is to get planting to create a wildlife-friendly garden and reap the benefits of surrounding ourselves with nature. Though right now, at the start of the month, I think we could be all be benefitting from additional water features.

Plants with nature in mind

Choose plants with fruits, berries and seedheads, including pyracantha, skimmia japonica, ornamental grasses, such as stipa and ornamental garden trees like rowan and crab apple.

And late flowering plants for late flying insects, which include asters, japanese anemones, chyrsants, ivy and mahonia.

Callicarpa Profusion AGM © Adam Pasco Media

Callicarpa Profusion AGM © Adam Pasco Media

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