It's a new year and a chance to plan all sorts of new ideas for your garden, says our gardening guru Tricia Worby.
Just because the days are short and sometimes dreary doesn't mean you should rest on your laurels (!). A little planning now may save you lots of time when spring has sprung and you suddenly don't have enough hours to keep up with everything. For instance you could be digging over your veg bed and incorporating lots of organic matter; you could be pruning some of the summer flowering shrubs that you didn't get round to last year (buddleia, roses, etc) and, if the weather forces you indoors, then take time to look through some catalogues and order some seeds and summer-flowering bulbs like Alliums. These are a wonderful family related to the onion with mainly spherical flowers on tall stems in May and June. Try A. 'Globemaster' for flowers of an incredible, breathtaking 15cm diameter. These can be planted anytime now up until April.
Keeping your garden tidy is not as stupid as it sounds. Indeed, garden hygiene is the perfect organic approach to reducing pests and diseases. If you didn't manage before Christmas then spent some time going through the borders collecting up leaves (especially the diseased ones) and then spreading some well-rotted manure or compost over the soil especially around the bases of established plants. If you don't produce your own compost then you can buy some in from the local refuse tip where domestic organic waste matter has been composted to produce wonderful black, non-smelly mulch - it's called Pro-Grow and is available by the bag - cost around Ł2.50 so a lot cheaper than store-bought alternatives. This helps to prevent re-infection of soil-borne fungal diseases like black spot on roses and is a far better way of controlling this problem than spraying.
Keep your pots and tubs well drained - use pot-feet to support them off the ground. Surprisingly it's in winter time that this is most important: when the pots are wet and freeze is when damage occurs to both pot and occupant. Buy ready-made clay pot feet from garden centres or improvise with large stones/pebbles underneath. Don't water unless they are under cover e.g. in a porch - there should be enough water from natural rainfall.
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And, finally now is the time to plan any alterations if you are going to make some this year. If it's a DIY project then don't forget to measure your garden properly before ordering materials. If you wish to get in a professional make sure you budget appropriately. TV programs that suggest you can transform your garden for Ł500 are not allowing for labour costs. Don't forget it costs to do anything properly. However, it's perfectly possible to tackle a small front garden in weekend for a modest budget. Maybe you are thinking of doing away with a front lawn like me. I simply find bringing the mower out to tackle a small lawn is simply not worth the effort - and the results are often disappointing with the lawn more like a boggy moss patch! By stripping off the turf and laying a semi-permeable membrane underneath a gravel mulch you allow water to soak through but prevent weeds coming up. Do use the better quality membrane though, or double up the cheaper one. Tough weeds like Dandelion and couch grass make their way though very easily. You can also plant around the edges or even through the membrane and finish off with some larger decorative rocks and stones. Easy!
For advice on any of the above or another aspect of garden design, planning & planting please do contact me on 07973 417312 or visit my website here.
Happy gardening!
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* check Avon Bulbs for specialist suppliers of spring/summer bulbs
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