What a busy year it’s been! It certainly doesn’t seem like almost 12 months since I first sat down to write a list of top jobs for your gardens but according to the calendar, and the imminent arrival of Father Christmas, it appears that it has.
I’m afraid that I need to start this month’s column with a bit of a gripe at one of our great national institutions. It seems that the BBC, in response to Christmas scheduling demands, inadvertently instigate and promote a misconception that in the colder months we should forget about our outside spaces and the plants that rely on us so much.
Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to be part of a web seminar with Monty Don where he explained that the lack of Gardener’s World over the winter was not because there wasn’t anything to do in the garden, but that the programmers wanted the airtime for more ‘seasonal’ programming to be shown; Dad’s Army repeats I imagine… Anyway, in a view that I personally share, he said that if anything, there is potentially more to be done in the dormant season. Here at Heritage Country Gardening, ever since the first leaf fell, we have been overwhelmed by the leaf blowing, perennial prepping, hedge trimming, removal of annuals, mulching, lifting and storing of tender perennials, planting bulbs…etc. etc. The list is practically endless and that’s before we begin with the deep winter jobs of tree pruning, rose care, and planning the right time for fruit tree pruning as we anticipate the receding frosts.
It may seem that slow growth in the garden is a good time to economise on your gardening activity, but if you can manage it I’d strongly recommend ploughing ahead. It’s a false economy to slow down when really this is an ideal opportunity to get ahead of the game – when the spring comes and this years crocosmia are quietly lying brown and lank over your struggling snowdrops you’ll wish you’d kept going now!
I’ve had a look at my notes on top jobs for December and January and both months are actually 4 to 5 times as long as all the other months so rather than try to prioritise, here’s a short list of what we get up to in the winter (we are asked every day surprisingly!) so you can get an idea for your own gardens:
Winter gardening work includes:
· Shrub regeneration and stooling
· Seasonal pruning
· Bare root planting
· Soil preparation
· Landscaping repairs
· General garden tidy, storm repairs, pressure washing etc
· Garden renovation and clearance - doing all the big jobs you don't have time to do during the growing season.
· Ivy removal
· Bramble removal
· Snow clearance
· Leaf clearance
· Glass house preparation
· Weeds are still growing. Weed borders before spring bulbs flower (harder to do when they flower)
Lastly, Merry Christmas to all and here’s to a fantastic gardening 2022!!