12/31/07

Planning Ahead

The New Year heralds the start of a new gardening season, with a wondrous array of flowering plants from tiny Snowdrops (Galanthus) to majestic Witch Hazels (Hamamelis), not forgetting the many varieties of Holly (Ilex) and Skimmia with their glorious berries. If the weather should turn cold many gardeners are discouraged from venturing outside just now; so it's a good idea to use this time to plan ahead.

Start thinking about your garden for the spring and which plants you are keen to grow this year, as well as planning any new gardening projects.

What to Buy

Our Garden Centres will have a full range of flower and vegetable seeds in stock now, as well as a selection of summer flowering bulbs, including Dahlias, Gladioli and Begonias. Look out for new varieties and exciting introductions. These seeds, bulbs and tubers will easily keep in a cool, frost-free place if purchased now, ready for planting over the next few weeks.

Seed Potatoes and Onion Sets are also now available and experienced gardeners' will be selecting their tubers and sets early, while there is a wide choice.

Home Produce

If you have a vegetable patch continue preparing the soil for the coming season by digging it over and removing weeds and the remains of previous crops. Garden compost and manure can be forked in to improve the soil structure and enrich your soil, or added as a mulch.

If you grow autumn fruiting raspberries, cut the canes right down to soil level now. This allows new canes to grow up strongly in the spring which will flower and fruit this autumn.

Housekeeping

Wash down your cold frames, cloches and greenhouse with warm soapy water to remove grime, dirt and moss, ideally on a dry day. This will allow maximum light in for the start of the new growing season.

Clear any leaves, algae and plant debris from ponds, taking care to disturb fish as little as possible.

Prune back to ground level any dead and old woody stems from perennial plants in your borders, even those retained for their attractive seed heads can start to look scruffy now.

If you have a petrol lawn mower, now is the time you are least likely to need it, so have it serviced ready for the first cut of the year.

Any Christmas Hyacinths which have now finished flowering indoors can be put in a cool position for the foliage to die down naturally. Then plant the bulb into your garden during March where they should flower again the following spring.