January Tips
JANUARY
NOW IS THE TIME TO…….
look critically at your flower borders.
After snow and rain, the soil is too wet to stand on without becoming compacted and damaging its structure. Now that deciduous plants have no leaves and perennials have died back, it’s easier to see what changes need to be made in Spring. Just stand on the path or indoors and look at the design of your garden. You may notice that something needs to be moved, or that the garden looks boring.
Many plants are at their best in winter. You could plant a tree with interesting bark such as Acer griseum, the paper bark maple, or twisting branches, like Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’, the corkscrew hazel.
As well as many grasses, bamboos and ferns, there are plenty of shrubs which look good in winter: Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’, red stemmed dogwood; Lonicera fragrantissima, a shrub in the honeysuckle family with creamy white scented flowers; Erica carnea (heathers which tolerate limey soil). Even an empty decorative pot or urn, might improve the whole garden until the bulbs burst forth.
If you are wondering what to do with the Christmas tree (with roots) which has been sitting outside in its pot, you can just put it in a sheltered, shady spot in the garden. With minimal care- a little water when the pot dries out, you can keep it going for several years, bringing it in for Christmas. Alternatively, you could sink the tree in its pot into the garden soil. It will need even less water this way. Think carefully before deciding to plant it directly into the garden. It can grow enormous in a few years!
wjn 2010
