We’re having an allotment meeting at the pub next month, it’ll be a nice, sociable thing to do, but the main reason is to share notes about what grew well last year and to use this information to make a plan for the allotment in 2015. The challenge for me is that despite my best […]
Archives for December 2014
Christmas decorations from the garden
Christmas is just around the corner and there’s still lots to do, but this hasn’t stopped me having having a little craft session to make some Christmas decorations. Pine cones are just the job for this, they look nice and natural, but they need a touch of glitz to stop it looking as if you’ve […]
The allotment in December
The allotment in December looks very different to the abundant place of a few months ago. The pickings are a bit sparse, but I’m impressed that such short amounts of daylight and changeable weather, one day murky and wet, the next crisp and frosty, can produce anything at all. The first sprouts have been picked, […]
Tuck-up tender plants for winter
Much as I like spending time in the garden, having a whole range of demanding plants that need a lot of attention is a real chore, but a few of them to spice up your garden and stop it looking dull is what’s needed to make a garden interesting. Dahlias fall into the ‘spice up […]
Paper-white flowers for Christmas
Who can resist scented flowers in the house, even better if you’ve been able to grow them yourself in December. I planted some paper-white narcissi bulbs 3-4 weeks ago and after keeping them in a cool dark cupboard for a week (so that the roots can grow and support the plant) they’re growing very nicely. […]
A favourite easy to grow shrub.
Shrubs can get a bad press, they’re labelled as a bit dull, but as the dramatic plants and flowers come and go, it’s good to have some shapely shrubs that give permanence to a garden and hold the picture together. One of my favourites for the role is Viburnum davidii, it has a strong, dome-shaped […]
Christmas gifts for gardeners.
Our Christmas preparations are well under-way, we bought the tree at the weekend, it’s sitting outside in a bucket of water for now waiting to brought inside next weekend. Although I like this time of year to be more about spending time together rather than buying lots of stuff, there are presents that need to […]
What to do in the garden in December
It’s chilly out there and there’s not very much daylight, so you’ll be pleased to hear that there’s not too much to do in the garden in December. On the days when it’s dry and cold, it’s good to get outside for some gardening. It’s a kind of moving meditation where you get lost in […]