Gardening November & December

Get outside and do it now......

November has now past and we are getting well into the festive season, I hope you managed to do your gardening chores!?

You will notice a chilly nip in the air in November which acts as a reminder to get the garden tidy-up underway before the weather turns too cold. Make a few forays into the garden and you'll be set up for a blooming spring.

Get your greenhouse gleaming to make the most of the winter light. Put in a good bit of elbow grease to clean off grime and algae that have accumulated on the glass over the summer. It helps if you have a high pressure jet wash, but be careful! Also clean garden pots and containers.

Pot up fuschias and other tender plants that you'll be wintering in your greenhouse and water sparingly. If you are still lucky to have bedding plants in flower, protect them overnight with a fleece. Whip this off in the morning, this way you can enjoy your cheery blooms for a while longer :)

If you have a good crop of apples, store them wrapped in newspaper in the garden shed, that way they won't rot so easily and you'll have supplies for months.

There's still time to plant out spring-flowering bulbs in containers and borders. Group tulips and daffodils together and plant snowdrops and lily of the valley (first signs of spring) around trees or in window boxes.

December Gardening

Robins not only provide a pretty diversion in your garden, but will carry out essential pest patrol. They scoff up soil grubs and take away caterpillars and a host of other nuisances. To attract birds into your garden this winter, give them a free lunch. They are partial to seeds, peanuts and fat. Serve them on a bird table as this is high enough off the ground from any predators - such as my cats! They will also require a clean supply of water to drink or use as a bath. It also helps if you have a supply of shrubs with berries and plants that provide seed heads for them to eat.

Use a fleece to cover plants susceptible to frost, but if you are blessed with borders of evergreens, you're in for a real treat and they look wonderful with a light covering of frost.

Plant A Tree
If your garden is looking bare, now's the ideal time to plant a tree so its roots can establish before spring. You won't have leaves on it in winter, but it will still provide colour, height and interest.

1) Cut a circle of turf from your lawn, making the centre. Dig a hole deep enough for the root section and break up the hard soil around so the roots can work their way into it more easily and establish.
2) Hammer in a stout wooden stake to the base of the hole. Position the tree next to it and sprinkle in granular fertiliser. Cover with soil and water well.
3) Attach the tree to the stake with a tree tie so it is well supported. Lastly spread a layer of mulch around it to stop weeds competing for water and nutrients.