Positivity in your New Forest garden

Get set to enjoy your garden even more in 2021, with the help of Sterling Gardens

Last year may have been a terrible year for most, with everyone affected in different ways, some tragically more than others.

Whilst we can feel the collective weight of the sadness of the last year, we should always try to focus on its positives. It can be hard to see past the bad, our priorities have though been re-established. Neighbours have connected again with offers of help and chats over the fence. Family life has drastically changed and we now have more time for each other. Making quality time together like enjoying walks together, baking or playing games.

We have had more time to appreciate our gardens

Also more time at home combined with a drive to keep busy means our gardens have never had so much attention. Be that colourful pots filled with annuals & artificial grass or lawns, ponds and large perennial borders. A shortage of food combined with more time at home meant a massive boom in the ‘grow your own’ market. The RHS said views of web pages with advice on 'grow your own' and growing vegetables in particular more than doubled in March 2020 compared with the same time the previous year. Homeowners turned areas of garden into vegetable patches, took on local allotment plots or simply grew tasty salad vegetables on their balcony, with much success!

"Sowing new seeds" for this year

February 2021 is not the time to forget these new found skills!

Garlic, broad beans and peas can be planted this month in the vegetable garden and your seed potatoes can be chitted ready. Decking or patios can be super slippery in the winter so cleaning them now can make them safer and ready for use when the sunshine appears. Make time to look at your flower beds, old plants can provide habitats and food sources for wildlife, so don’t be in too much of a rush to cut things back. But once they’ve become a soggy mess you can cut them back and put the remains in a compost heap where they will rot down and make mulch.

February is also a pruning month for a tricky climber, Wisteria. Getting wisteria to flower is more reliable if pruned correctly, cutting in the winter and mid-summer will encourage good quality and plentiful blooms. During a mild spell in February is also the time to prune a Buddleja Davidii for the best summer flowers, making them an excellent invitation too many butterfly species in the summer. Not forgetting lastly to take time to focus on late spring and summer flowering bulbs, February is the perfect time to plant alliums, lilies and Anemones. Anemones are best soaked overnight before planting. There are lots of summer flowering bulbs in the gardens centres but make sure they are hardy & frost proof varieties before planting out now.

No two springs are the same and it’s no wonder we brits are obsessed with the weather: we have one of the world's most changeable climates. February though brings us an average temperature of 7c and 2 inches of rain. Whilst it not an obvious time to get out in the garden it’s the perfect time to prepare for those long summer days we all dream off.

Whether you can identify your Helianthus tuberosus from your Solanum tuberosum or not, let us all make the time for a little garden planning this month. Dig out your seed catalogue, grab and pen and paper and make a plan for your space.

Let Sterling Gardens brave the February weather for you! 

Whether your idea is to make your garden easier to maintain, start your own vegetable plot, improve the soil or simply give the decking a pressure wash, contact Sterling Gardens to help you get your plan in action - and let us brave the February weather!

Call us today on 07779 118874 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Lymington and Pennington Flower Festival winners 2019

Winner's photographs will be displayed as part of a Lymington Camera Club exhibition from 12-30 August at Lloyds Bank Lymington

This year’s Lymington & Pennington Flower Festival saw three stunning entries win ‘Gold’ awards. The competition was judged by Everton Nurseries, Otters Nurseries, the Lymington Camera Club and the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Lymington & Pennington, with Gold, Silver and Bronze winners receiving a certificate from the Mayor.

Congratulation to all who entered! 

Gold medal winners:

Category ‘Wildlife & Environment’: Mr Graham Wiffen

Category ‘Pot / Hanging Basket’: Lymington CofE Infant School

Category ‘Bed’: Mr Tony Silver

Gold, Silver and Bronze winners of the competition’s three categories will have their beautiful photographs displayed as part of a Lymington Camera Club exhbition which runs from 12-30 August at Lloyds Bank, High Street, Lymington.

Many thanks to the winners for granting permission for their photographs to be published.

Find out more about the Lymington Flower Festival - organised by Lymington and Pennington Town Council - here.

For more information, contact Lymington and Pennington Town Council on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

One weekend opportunity to see award-winning Agapanthus in Beaulieu

Fairweather's Nursery open 20 and 21 July for visitors in aid of National Gardens Scheme

Fairweather’s Wholesale Nursery in Beaulieu opens its doors for the 7th year running. Opening for just one weekend a year, it enables everyone to enjoy their exotic collection of Agapanthus plants.

This flowering spectacle will proudly show the plants that were judged and awarded and AGM (Award of Garden Merit) by the Royal Horticultural Society. It will include the award winning Agapanthus Fireworks (pictured), which received 3rd place for the Best New Plant at the Chelsea Flower Show and crowned Best in Show for the New Plant Awards at the HTA National Plant Show.

On Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 July, visitors can see behind the scenes of one Europe’s largest growers of Agapanthus and help build on the £20,000 to date that has been raised by Fairweather's for charities for the National Gardens Scheme.

Fairweather’s hold a National Collection of Agapanthus, that extends to over 500 cultivars gathered from around the world. Hardy deciduous types are planted out in beds and the larger flowered evergreens forms are grown in large containers. 

Agapanthus gets their name from the Greek word agape (love) and anthos (flower) and are also called Lily of the Nile

Agapanthus Open Weekend 20 and 21 July

Fairweather's Hilltop Nursery will be open from 9.30am with tours of the nursery with Patrick Fairweather, at 11.00am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm, including a demonstration of how to get the best from your Agapanthus, including tips on watering, feeding and dividing. Patrick will advise how to combine Agapanthus with other summer flowering plants.

Lavenders and a wide range of other perennials are also grown on the nursery which develops many new plants each year. Throughout the open weekend, agapanthus, lavenders and other perennial plants will be on sale at special prices.

The adjacent garden of Aline Fairweather who runs Fairweather’s Garden Centre in Beaulieu with her son, is open all day for Cream Teas and refreshments. Find out more about Fairweather's Garden Centre here.

Entry is £3.50 per person to the National Gardens Scheme. To date Fairweather’s have given over £20,000 to the charity which provides valuable support to Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Hospice UK plus other worthwhile charities.

How to find Fairweather's Hilltop Nursery

Fairweather’s Hilltop Nursery will be clearly signposted off the B3054 between Dibden Purlieu and Beaulieu at Hilltop, Beaulieu Hampshire SO42 7YR

Visit www.fairweathers.co.uk or call 01590 612113 for more information

Take part in the Lymington and Pennington Flower Festival 2019

The Town Council invites everyone to submit photographs of local floral displays by 10 July 2019 

Lymington & Pennington Town Council invites you to take part in an exciting new festival, celebrating the wonderful floral displays in our local community. The 2019 Lymington and Pennington Flower Festival opens of 10 May and closes on 10 July 2019. 

Who can participate?

The competition is open to ALL in Lymington and Pennington. For example businesses, organisations, residents, schools, shops, care homes etc. in Lymington and Pennington. Entrants have free range to be as creative as they wish as, in this first year of the Festival, the theme is open. Please note, this is not a photographic competition; it is the subject of the photograph that will be judged. And it is FREE to take part!

There are 3 categories

1. Wildlife & Environment - a display or planting scheme that benefits bees, birds, butterflies, hedgehogs and supports the environment.
2. Pot / Hanging Basket - a favourite you have seen, a display you have grown, large or small.
3. Bed - a favourite flower or vegetable bed you have seen or have grown.

How to enter

Step 1:Take a photograph of your chosen display

Step 2: Complete the Lymington & Pennington Flower Festival 2019 Entry Form (click link)

Step 3: Email your photograph and Entry Form to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or post to Lymington & Pennington Town Council, Town Hall, Avenue Road, Lymington SO41 9ZG.

Please note: 

Photographs must be taken in 2019, in the Lymington and Pennington area. 

Entries must be submitted no later than 10 July 2019. 

Judging

The Mayor, Deputy Mayor and horticultural experts from Otter Nurseries Garden Centre and Everton Nurseries Garden Centre will judge all submissions.

Results will be published late July with entries displayed on social media, the Town Council's website, local press and of course on Lymington.com

Selected entries will be displayed as part of a Lymington Camera Club exhibition and winners of each category will be awarded a Gold, Silver Gilt, Silver and Bronze certificates.

Many thanks to Steve Elson for these wonderful photos taken around the town last year.

Watering your garden during a prolonged dry spell

Top tips from garden designer Debby Lockey

Appreciating the value of our precious water is something we can probably all do more of, more of the time - even when the weather is more "normal"!

And, these top tips from Debby are also fantastically in line with the evolving realisation of many of us, of the many small things we can do which will help us to be more generally environmentally friendly.  It may not be practical for all of us to carry buckets of grey water down from our bathrooms...but there will probably be something for everybody contained within these wise words.

"Apparently the last rain we had was at the end of May, and can’t we tell! The garden is suffering. All 5 of my water butts are now empty, so I am having to rely on grey water from baths and showers. This is not too much of a problem. With all the chandlery shops in Lymington it was easy to buy a plastic, flat bottomed bailer which gets most of the water into a bucket quickly and efficiently without scratching the bath.

More water, less frequently

I am deliberately using a bucket as I want to get lots of water into my pots. It is better to give the soil a good, slow soaking just a few times a week, so all the soil is wetted, rather than dribbling a little water on the top of the soil every day.

By giving the pots a good watering the water will get down to the roots of the plants where it is needed. This will enable the root system of the plant to expand and take full advantage of any water present in the soil. A sprinkling of water on the top of the pots will evaporate very quickly and therefore won’t be any benefit to the plant.

Should your pots begin to smell because you are using grey water, just sprinkle some more soil over the top and this should deal with the problem.

Water early in the morning or late in the evening

I make sure I do the watering early in the morning or late in the evening. This not only helps to reduce the amount of evaporation, but also ensures that the leaves don’t get scorched should any water splash onto them. In full sun the water droplets act like a magnifying glass which concentrates the sunlight. Hence the scorching.

Some other tricks I use to try and reduce water loss from pots are to:

• Put saucers under the pots to catch any water that trickles through so it is not lost into the ground.
• Mulch the top of the pots to reduce the amount of evaporation from the soil surface. I use white stones as I like the look, but you could use gravel, shells or whatever you like.
• Group the pots together to create a more humid atmosphere around the plants. This will reduce water loss from the actual plants through transpiration.
• Where possible I put the pots in the shade.
• If you have hanging baskets, put pots underneath to catch any runoff
• Try to choose plants that don’t need a lot of watering. I have chosen pelargoniums for my floral pot displays as they can survive on very little water.

Prioritising which plants to water in a dry spell

When it comes to watering the garden I am prioritising which plants I water first.

• Firstly I water my sweet peas otherwise they will suffer from bud drop and so won't flower.
• After that I water the camellias as they are setting their flowers at the moment.
• Then any new plants that have just been put in the garden because as yet these plants haven’t developed an extensive root system which would allow them to find water deeper in the soil. It is for this reason that I am holding off planting up clients’ gardens, as I am concerned the plants will just die in this heat and dry soil.
• The rest of the garden has to really fend for itself, although I did give the soil a helping hand in spring when I mulched with manure and compost as this helps to hold the water in the soil.

Allotment management: wells and butts run dry and no running water 

On the allotment the problem is more severe as the only source of water is from wells or water butts, which again have dried up. I don’t drive to the allotment so any water I take across is limited to the amount I can carry. So again I have to prioritise which plants come first. Here is a list of which plants I target first.

1. Any young seedlings come first because of their shallow root system.
2. Any fruiting vegetables or fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes or cucumbers, to ensure you get healthy sweet fruit.
3. Any beans or peas that are flowering as the water ensures the pods set and swell.
4. Leafy plants such as spinach or lettuce otherwise they will think they are about to die. This causes them to bolt and taste bitter.
5. Potatoes, especially when they are in flower. I planted second early potatoes so I am just digging mine up as I don’t have enough water for them. I am only getting a small crop of small potatoes, but they are delicious.
6. Any plants grown in pots, for example strawberries, herbs, blueberries. There are often good reasons for having pots on the allotment. Blueberries require a more acidic soil than the soil on site, whereas strawberries and herbs don’t get attacked as much by slugs if they are grown in pots, plus it keeps the fruit clean if they are up off the soil. But as we know this does mean the pots have to be watered. I would suggest replacing the pots with raised beds for these plants as it is an easier and more effective way of growing vegetables in the allotment.
7. Any new trees that have been planted in the last year or two because again their root system is poorly established.

Hopefully these tips will help you water your garden quickly and efficiently so you will still have time to enjoy this wonderful weather relaxing in your garden.

For advice or a consultation about your garden you can contact Debby via Lymington.com.

Award winning Agapanthus grown in the New Forest

Final chance to see Fairweather's plants grown in Beaulieu for RHS Award of Garden Merit

Fairweather’s Wholesale Nursery in Beaulieu will open its doors for the 6th year running for just one weekend a year to enable everyone to enjoy the spectacle of their Agapanthus collection.

This flowering spectacle this year will be bigger and better than ever before, as it’s the final year to view plants that are being judged for a Royal Horticultural Society AGM (Award of Garden Merit), that will be decided this autumn.

On Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July visitors can see behind the scenes of one Europe’s largest growers of Agapanthus and help build on the £13,500.00 that has been raised for charities to date for the National Gardens Scheme. Agapanthus, Lavenders and other perennials will be on sale throughout the weekend at special prices. The adjacent garden of Aline Fairweather who runs Fairweather’s Garden Centre in Beaulieu with her son, is open all day for Cream Teas and refreshments.

Fairweather’s hold a National Collection of Agapanthus, that extends to over 500 cultivars gathered from around the world. Hardy deciduous types are planted out in beds and the larger flowered evergreens forms are grown in large containers. Agapanthus gets their name from the Greek word agape=love and anthos= flower and are also called Lily of the Nile.

Tours of the nursery with Patrick Fairweather will start at 11.30am and 2.30pm, including a demonstration of how to get the best from your Agapanthus, including tips on watering, feeding and dividing. Patrick will advise how to combine Agapanthus with other summer flowering plants.

Lavenders and a wide range of other perennials are also grown on the nursery which develops many new plants each year.

Entry is £3.00 per person to the National Gardens Scheme. To date Fairweather’s have given over £13,500 to the charity which provides valuable support to Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Hospice UK plus other worthwhile charities.

Find out more about the Open Day here.

Pennington care home’s flower power boosts community gardens day

Belmore Lodge opened its gardens, helping raise funds towards local community

More than 100 people visited a Lymington nursing home as part of an open gardens day, helping to raise £1,400 towards church work in the community. Colten Care’s Belmore Lodge showed off its grounds as one of more than 12 venues for the biennial Pennington Open Gardens, organised by nearby St Mark’s Church.

Visitors were given tours, talks from expert gardeners about the flora and fauna on view, and afternoon tea and cake.

As well as relaxing and walking in their garden every day, Belmore Lodge’s green-fingered residents contribute to its look and feel through an informal gardening club.

Depending on the season, gentle tasks include planting bulbs for the spring, sowing seeds, tending a small plant nursery and looking after a vegetable garden.

“All our visitors seemed impressed and surprised to find such a warm and welcoming home,” said Charles Hubberstey, Colten Care Head Gardener. “The very last visitor of the day summed it up for me, saying: ‘When I drive past here in the future, I’ll think quite differently about it...thank you very much.’ That was certainly the recurring theme of what was a very positive and rewarding day. We’re also thrilled to have surpassed our visitor numbers from the last open gardens day two years ago.”

Wendy Couch, one of the open gardens organisers, said: “People from surrounding areas including Bransgore, Barton-on-Sea and New Milton all came along as well as local Pennington residents. It was lovely to see so many people enjoying our village, the stalls and refreshments in the churchyard, and the other gardens they visited.”

Find out more about Belmore Lodge

How to achieve balance and rhythm in your garden 

Gardening tips by Debby Lockey Garden Design

When I am designing a garden one of the first things I think about is how to achieve balance in the garden. What is balance in the garden? The balance of a garden refers to the general harmony and comfort a garden offers. It is achieved by getting the right relationship between the open spaces, i.e. the voids, with the built up areas i.e. the masses.

Voids and masses in the garden

Voids would include areas such as patios, lakes, low planting or lawns, while the masses consist of herbaceous boarders, woodland areas or buildings. By getting the balance right between these two entities, you bring a sense of order to the garden.

One of best examples of a well-balanced garden is the formal garden. Here the formal, rhythmic, symmetrical positioning of shrubs, statues and hard landscaping ensures perfect balance is achieved.

Balance can also be achieved in natural, asymmetric gardens. In this situation a group of informal shrubs and small trees could be used to balance a high evergreen hedge on the opposite side for example.

But voids and masses are not the only type of balance that can be achieved in a garden.  Gardens also offer the opportunity to explore a more sensory dimension with regards to balance.

Different types of balance in the garden

Movement and rest

The use of different shapes in the garden can affect the balance of a garden. For example a long thin brick path laid in a soldier pattern makes you want to walk quickly to your destination. The path and the pattern of the bricks are very directional and don’t offer any encouragement to stop. But put a circular patio at the end of this long, thin path and you introduce space, and a place to rest. At this point you would want to stop and enjoy the destination. So by using these two shapes in the garden we have introduced a balance between movement and rest.

Light and shade

Other aspects of a garden that can be balanced are light and shade. Too much light and the garden becomes uncomfortable to sit in. But if there is a tree to offer shade, think how much more attractive that garden becomes. Conversely, a gloomy, shady garden could be enhanced by injecting light into the space. This could be achieved through the use of light landscaping materials or plants with only white flowers.

Openness and mystery

Gardens also benefit from having some areas hidden away so there is a balance between sitting and enjoying the garden, and wanting to get up and explore what is around the corner, behind the screen, or down the garden path.

Different heights

It is also good to get some balance between different heights when planting. Only low plants will soon become boring. Aim for ground level, eye level and above head height planting. But again make sure the height of the plants relate to the size of the garden. A large tree, such as an oak, looks perfect in a park setting, but would dominate a small garden.

Assess how good the balance is in your garden

So don’t be afraid to look at your garden and think about its balance. Think about whether your borders are too narrow for the lawn, and increase them until they do feel comfortable. Maybe you need to introduce some mystery and excitement into the garden by putting up some screens, having a winding path that leads to a focal point, or by introducing a new seating area.

But remember, the balance in a garden is always changing. Many plants, for example asters and crocosmia, quickly spread and outgrow their position. They can also crowd out other plants. Alternatively, a plant may have grown taller than expected. If this has happened, be proactive. This time of the year is an ideal time to assess how your plants are working together, as lots of the plants still have a presence in the garden. If they have outgrown their space either divide them or take them out.

Don’t be afraid to take control. When you get the balance right in your garden, not only will it feel more comfortable, it will also be more interesting.

For more gardening information and advice, contact Debby Lockey Garden Design.

How to plant bulbs for a fantastic spring display.

We have a wedding happening next spring, so I am planning to grow hyacinths and daffodils to use for the table displays. The bulbs have arrived so I spent today planting them in the garden and in pots.

Choosing the best situation for planting spring flowering bulbs in the garden

For the bulbs that are going in the garden I have chosen a site where they will receive at least 3 hours of sunlight every day.  Anything less than that will result in them not flowering.  But I don’t want anywhere too hot as I find the flowers pass over too quickly if they have the sun beating down on them, which can happen in spring.

How to plant bulbs

To ensure the bulbs aren’t eaten by rodents, and that they will flower, it is important to plant them to the correct depth.  If this isn’t done, the bulbs will divide and produce lots of small bulbs that won’t flower.  A general rule of thumb is plant any bulb to a depth 3 times the size of the bulb.  For hyacinths this is usually about 4 inches deep.  Space them so they are about 3 inches apart. 

The best soil for bulbs

Both daffodils and hyacinths, (and generally most bulbs) like moist, but free draining soil.  This combination enables a good root system to develop, while ensuring that the bulbs don’t rot away.  If your soil is heavy clay, dig over the area and add compost or manure to the soil.  This will improve structure and help to hold the moisture in the soil.  Then put some horticultural grit in the base of each of the holes to improve drainage.  If you are planting lots of bulbs, it may be easier to dig a trench first and line that with grit. 

Adding fertiliser to the soil

When planting your bulbs, it is good to add a fertiliser to the soil beneath the bulbs as it will be the one time you can get the food to the correct place ready for when the roots grow down into the soil.  It is best to use a granular fertiliser which can be mixed with the soil.  The fertiliser can be either organic or non-organic, depending on your gardening preference.   Scatter this at the bottom of the planting hole, then cover it with some unadulterated soil, before adding the grit.  This will stop the fertiliser being in direct contact with the bulb, which could result in the roots being burnt.

Planting 

So now just make sure the bulbs are planted with the pointy bit sticking up and the broader part of the bulb sitting on the soil/grit.   Cover them with the soil, and water them to help the roots get established, and to allow the soil to settle around the roots.

Planting bulbs in pots

There are several advantages to planting bulbs in pots.

1. You can ensure the drainage is good by adding polystyrene or broken bits of pots to the bottom of the pots before you put the compost in. 
2. By choosing the correct compost you will have the right nutrients for the bulbs.  For a short term display use 3 parts multi-purpose compost to 1 part grit.  If you want a longer term display use 3 parts John Innes No 2 compost and 1 part grit.
3. The pots can be moved to ensure they get the best growing conditions.
4. Bulbs don’t make a big demand on their environment because they are amazing little units that store their food in a modified stem and leaves for following years.  So they can be packed together in a pot to give a stunning display of flowers.
5. The above characteristic means that bulbs can adapt to challenging conditions.  Many gardeners take advantage of this by forcing bulbs to flower at times that suit the grower, rather than waiting for nature to take its course.

Choosing the right pot.

I am growing blue hyacinths and white daffodils so I have chosen a blue pot to complement this colour scheme.  If I had been growing the bulbs for display I would have used a fluted square ceramic pot as I feel this shaped pot would have enhance the elegant nature of white daffodils.   For the smaller yellow tete a tete with their jovial, sunny appearance, I would probably have chosen a fun round pot to reflect their character.

Planting depth and distance for bulbs in pots 

I am going to layer my bulbs as I want as many bulbs in the pot as possible. Firstly, I have put some old crocks in the bottom of the pot to help with drainage and then added about 4 inches (10cms) of multipurpose compost and grit. The hyacinth bulbs were planted first as they are bigger than the daffodil bulbs.  I made sure they weren’t touching the sides of the pot or each other before covering them with a layer of compost. The daffodil bulbs were then planted. These were arranged in such a way so the hyacinth bulbs beneath would be able to send their growing shoots up between the bulbs.

I could, if I had wanted, put another layer of smaller bulbs, for example tulips or Muscari, into the pot, but as I want to grow these flowers for picking, rather than a high impact display, I will stick with just the two layers.  But that doesn’t mean you have to. Have fun and plant up your pots and garden with lots of bulbs for a fantastic spring display.

by Debby Lockey Garden Design

Your Lymington Garden in Late Summer 

By Debby Lockey Garden Design

Every month there is something which needs doing in the garden!

Late summer is always a funny time in the horticultural calendar.  The colour is fading, and the garden is beginning to look so untidy that it is difficult to know where to start. And with the month starting very warm this year it's even more confusing! So (once the school shoes and uniform are sorted!), to help you tackle your garden I thought I’d give you a list of jobs that I consider urgent for this time of year.

Watering camellias

Down here in the New Forest and Lymington, we have slightly acidic soil.  This is ideal for growing Camellias.  To get the best from them, they need to be watered at this time of year so their flower buds will set. 

With our recent spell of dry weather, chances are the soil around the Camellias has dried out.  It is therefore very important that you water these plants now if you want a good flowering display in Spring.  It is best to use rain water as this is slightly acidic, which helps to maintain the conditions Camellias like.  Tap water, especially hard water like ours has a high percentage of calcium in it, so only use this water when you really have no alternative.  And remember to direct the water onto the roots rather than the leaves of the plant.

Pruning wisteria

If you haven't already pruned your wisteria in August (the ideal month for this job), now is the time. 

At the moment you will see that there are lots of long whippy shoots coming off the wisteria.  To tidy the plant up cut these shoots back to 5 buds beyond the mainframe of the plant.  This will allow the light to get in and ripen the wood so flower buds are formed rather than more leaf buds.  By removing the whippy growth, you will also protect the plant from wind damage.

As I am still trying to train my wisteria to grow along the back wall of the house, I am going to leave a few shoots unpruned.   These will be tied into position to stop wind damage, and to ensure that they grow where I want them.

In February I will prune the plant back again so there are only 2 buds present beyond the main frame of the plant. 

Although it is a bit of a time-consuming exercise, it is well worth doing this job as it will result in more flowers in spring, and the plant will be neatly trained against the house.

Trimming deciduous and evergreen hedges

Generally, this is a good time to trim any deciduous and evergreen hedges.

I also have lots of box balls in my garden as I like the way they give structure to the borders in winter.  But you do need to start trimming at this time of the year if you want them to look good later. 

This is the only time of the year I trim the box.  There are some who suggest trimming in May but this can lead to new softer growth which can be hit by frost. Too much trimming also encourages denser growth, which doesn’t allow the air to circulate.   This is the ideal condition for the box blight fungus to thrive, and so should be avoided.  As an extra precaution, when I’m trimming the box I ensure that I collect all the cuttings and burn them so I am not reintroducing any box blight spores that may be around, back into the plant.

Giving the garden a general tidy

Since August I feel the garden has begun to look untidy.  Lots of the plants have filled or overfilled their allotted space and are no longer flowering.  If that is the case in your garden don’t be afraid to cut back any dead flowering stalks or overgrown/dying leaves.  This job is especially good for geraniums.  They usually have straggly growth coming off a denser clump of leaves.  Cut these straggly bits off and you will be rewarded with fresh leaves and in some cases fresh flowers in autumn.

Planting up some pots

As usual my plans to plant up my pots in spring went out the window as work became too busy.  I’m going to remedy this by getting some winter flowering pansies and viola to plant in my pots.  By planting them up now, I hope to have flowers from autumn until spring.

Buying bulbs

I am also buying bulbs for my clients, as I know what they want and I need to be sure that the nurseries don’t run out of them.  For more specific and unusual bulbs I use Avon Bulbs - but go to any local garden centre and you will see lots of spring flowering bulbs for sale.   

Sowing your lawn

If you have been building a garden over the last year now is the time to lay the turf or seed for the lawn.  The days are still long enough for the seed to germinate, and there should be enough moisture around to aid this germination.

Jobs on the allotment

Tomatoes

In my allotment I have pinched out the top of my outdoor tomatoes as I want to stop any more tomatoes developing as there won’t be time for them to ripen. 

Spring vegetables

I am going to sow some spring cabbage seeds now so they will be ready for the spring . 

In another bed I’ll also be growing kale, Swiss chard, and lettuce.  Hopefully the slugs won’t get them before I do.

Hopefully these tips on what jobs need to be done now will help your garden look more cared for as well as provide beauty and food in the coming winter and spring months.

Debby Lockey Garden Design