It may be midwinter, but Pete Harcom says there’s still plenty you can do in the garden if you happen to get a decent day for pottering outside
While things do slow down in the garden at this time of year, we can still seize a mild day in December and carry out some gardening, to keep on top of things ready for the spring.
- Weed and prepare your borders, and if you use the no dig system, you can feed the soil and also improve its structure by spreading some garden compost and/or well-rotted manure and leaf mould over the borders.
- Even with the milder winters we seem to get nowadays, it’s a good idea to bring any pots of fuchsias or pelargoniums into a greenhouse or potting shed to ensure protection from frosts (just make sure they are free of slugs and snails!).
- Prune your climbing roses and also any tall roses to help reduce wind rock: cut back any old flowered rose shoots to a third of their length. Also check your climbers are adequately tied in and supported.
- Leave the hydrangea spent flower heads on the plants as these help protect flower buds that form lower down the stems.
- Harvest winter berries on plants (e.g. holly) before the frosts or birds get them if you intend to use them for wreaths or garlands for Christmas displays – just put them in buckets of water outside until you are ready to use them.
- Bring half-hardy potted plants into the greenhouse: if you don’t have one, then group them together as this will help protect them from harsh winds and frosts.
- Sow seeds of sweet peas and micro greens in the greenhouse.
- If you have alpines in the flower borders, it’s a good idea to put some gravel around them to prevent waterlogging.
- This month will probably be the last chance to protect with fleece any sensitive plants in exposed spots in the garden
- Sow some alpine plant seeds – these can be very easy to grow in a cool greenhouse. Some alpine seeds need exposure to low temperatures before germination (an average UK winter should provide the right temperatures).
- Avoid disturbing any large piles of leaves now – they are amazing for wildlife, providing shelter, food and a great nesting spot for hibernating animals such as hedgehogs, small mammals, frogs and countless insects.
- Let them sleep!
- Hang fat balls and bird feeders around the garden – but please do make sure the feeders are clean and regularly filled.
- Lastly, now’s a good time to clean up those gardening tools! Bring them into the shed and clean, sharpen and oil them – then you will be ready for spring!
