Gardens are places to relax, unwind and indulge your creativity. What’s more, city gardens are an important haven for wildlife, says our gardening guru Tricia Worby.
Hello — I’m Tricia and I’m a gardener/ designer based in Bitterne - your local ‘garden guru’. From seasonal advice to hints and tips to get the most from your garden, my aim is to write about gardens in a way that makes it accessible and interesting.
Gardens and gardening have been my life since I was old enough to hold a trowel! As an adult I simply find there’s often nowhere else I’d rather be. Just because your garden may be small doesn’t mean you can’t do anything with it. In towns and cities especially they are very important havens for wildlife and an essential addition to any home. Here you can relax, unwind and indulge your creativity. And, just because winter is nearly here doesn’t mean your garden needs to be dull. Check out the winter garden at the Hillier Arboretum for an idea of what to plant to make the most of the season — coloured stems and bark, berries and an architectural shape all help to add colour in the quiet season.
Spring bulbs
Don’t forget you only have a few more weeks to plant spring bulbs — don’t worry if you haven’t got round to it yet — it’s not too late! In fact some bulbs like tulips prefer to be planted in November. If you’re quick some great bargains are to be found now with the big garden centres trying to get rid of their stocks to make way for Christmas. Beware large bags of mixed daffodils though — they look tempting and good value but the result is often disappointing with not enough of any one variety to really make a splash. Instead, buy larger amounts of a few choice varieties and plant in the border where their size and scale will be appreciated. If you only have a small garden choose dwarfer bulbs that won’t look horrible when the foliage is dying back.
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Planted around the herbaceous perennials (plants that die back to the ground in winter like paeonies and hardy geraniums), they will add a splash of colour when it’s needed and the dying foliage will be hidden by the emerging leaves of the perennials. If you really get the bug then take a look at these specialist bulb nurseries which have some wonderfully unusual varieties: Avon bulbs, and Broadleigh nurseries.
Fruit trees
Finally, don’t forget that even the smallest garden can have a fruit trees, as we begin to appreciate how much nicer home grown fruit tastes. They are not difficult to grow now that new varieties have been developed as cordons that take up a fraction of the space of the old fruit trees. They can even be grown in tubs! Now is a perfect time to plant before winter begins in earnest.
For advice on this or any gardening problem do This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. me: I’ll do my best to answer your queries if I can. For details of all the services I offer check out my listing on the Home and Garden noticeboard page, or visit my website here. Alternatively you can call me on 07973 417312.
Hope to hear from you soon!
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