Winter is a balance between getting things cleared away & ready for the next year whilst not being over-zealous about clearing away too much. I’m fond of a natural slightly wayward look, as long as the lawn & the paths are cleared of leaves.
I rather enjoy the repetition of raking up leaves, theres a great satisfaction in revealing all the different elements, paths lawn etc, that have been covered by leaves.
Wildlife appreciate an un-manicured garden, leaving places for them to hide away & seed-heads for birds, giving them much needed energy to survive winter.
With the leaves cleared away & as many as possible stuffed into bags to rot down & turn into leaf-mould, the next thing is to clear away faded old annual plants, leaving any with seed-heads. All this garden debris can go straight into the compost bin to be transformed into garden compost. Theres nothing to loose & everything to gain
- less waste going to Landfill
- no polluting traffic taking waste to Landfill Sites & Council Tips
- best of all, a precious resource is transformed right there in your garden
- less need to buy in soil improver from the Garden Centre, saving money & energy.
My garden never generates enough compost, but every bit helps.
Plant shrubs & trees:
the soil hasn’t become really cold yet, making it a great time to plant shrubs & trees, just as long as the soil isn’t sodden with rain. They’ll have time to put down roots & be better established to cope with dry weather next year.
Tender Plants:
Move tender plants – banana plants & the like- into the greenhouse, clod-frame or somewhere sheltered, for the winter. Remember to keep an eye on them through winter for pests diseases & give them a little water to keep them going.
Cover tender plants in the garden to keep the winter chill & frost off them. A hessian covering stuffed with straw works well, it keeps the cold out but also allows for a little air circulation. Use fleece if thats what you have to hand.
Plant tulip bulbs this month.
VEGETABLES:
Cover salad leaves with cloches or fleece over hoops, leaving the nets open for ventilation.
these sort of cloche work well for winter crops
I’ve brought pots of mint & chives into the greenhouse over the winter, to keep us supplied with fresh herbs for as long as possible
Prune autumn fruiting raspberries down to a couple of inches above the soil.
Plant garlic if you haven’t done so already.
Sow broad bean seeds, the joy of these is that they’re a crop that’s hared to find in the shops, in anywise they’re much better cooked as soon as they’re picked.
Its a good time to review this past year & plan ahead for next year.
Start by tidying the shed & greenhouse. Its my least favourite thing to do in the garden, but its good to start the year with a sense of order.
With a big mug of tea to hand, get out pen, coloured pencils, highlighters & paper, & decide what flowers & vegetables to grow from seed next year.
Make a simple chart, or draw a plan -this is when highlighters etc are useful – of what needs sowing when, so as to remember it all. Its easy to start the year with enthusiasm & then tail off as time goes by.
Enjoy the ret of the month in your garden.
Jill
all photos: Jill Anderson
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