Hellebores before the chop…

…and trimmed

We had snow on Boxing Day which hung around a bit and then some big wet flakes again this morning. It’s been colder that for a couple of winters but the Snowdrops and early daffs are just peeping through and I discovered a forgotten pot of lovely Iris ‘Katherine Hodgkin’ in full bloom at the weekend.  The Hellebores are stirring too with a good number of flower stems and bud already pushing through. Mine are mainly orientalis hybrids planted some years ago together with the lovely double white ‘Mrs Betty Ranicar’.  They’ve self seeded readily over the years and there’s now a really interesting mix – I’m hoping that something new may appear one day soon.  If you have Hellebores remember that removing the old leathery leaves in winter really improves the display once flowering starts. I gave mine the chop a couple of weeks ago and the new growth is in full view, think I’ll have flowers open by the end of the month. Then we can float a few in a bowl in the kitchen which is a bit of tradition.  If you’d like to add Hellebores to your garden start with good sized plants and they’ll begin flowering sooner.  You can see some here

Fuchsia genii

Hardy fuchsias in the border should survive all but the bleakest wintry weather although prolonged sharp frosts may kill most of the plant above ground.  It may be difficult to know how much of the plant is left alive and a good solution is to leave any pruning until new growth starts and then cut back.  To illustrate this I have a Fuchsia genii which is over 10 years old and has some protection against a wall.  Last winter was mild and all of the woody growth survived so I cut the plant back to about a foot tall in late March. Previously after two very cold winters the top growth was completely dead so I cut it all away in spring as the only new shoots were coming from the base of the plant.

When pruning any fuchsia it’s worth remembering that more is usually best.  Most of the flowers are borne on new growth and too much old wood left behind will lead to leggy unsightly plants with most of the flowers at the top.

GET YOUR PATIO POTS WORKING!

You can add a real splash of colour to your garden by planting some winter and spring flowering bulbs and plants now. For terrific displays of daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and crocus, plant them in pots and tubs on your patio or in beds and borders close to your house. Some primroses and pansies will also add cheerful colour and fragrance that will fill the air and give your senses a welcomed lift. Remember that your hanging baskets and wall planters that might have looked great during summer can be revived so that you have a lovely year round display, rather than limiting your gardening enthusiasm to the summer months. Use fresh compost, add swell gel and feed to the compost as you plant it up and get your winter hardy display going!

TIDY YOUR BEDS & BORDERS ON NICE DAYS

Once the autumn leaf fall is complete, it is a good time to tidy and trim up hardy plants. Pick a nice clear day when the soil is not too wet and work progressively along your borders, removing all dead, diseased and crossing branches of woody plants. Where plants have put on lots of growth, they can become susceptible to ‘rocking’ in strong winds – this will cause harmful root disturbance. A good way to prevent this is to reduce the longest branches by around a third – a further trim up can then be done in spring once they spring in to growth again! Herbaceous perennials die back to ground level – things like Delphiniums and Lupins – these will benefit from the old dead foliage being removed and a good mulch of garden compost or well-rotted leaf mould being applied to the surface of the soil. This will be taken in to the soil by earthworms during the winter and add valuable fertility to your soil as that happens.

LOOK AFTER YOUR DELICATES!

Tender plants will potentially suffer in the coldest months but protecting then can be really quick and easy. For plants that cannot be moved in to a greenhouse or garage, wrap them in horticultural fleece and bubble wrap, ensuring that the top is closed and it is secure – I use garden twine securing it at the top, middle and bottom. The combined effect of this will be akin to creating a double-glazed, water and wind proof barrier as well as providing a lift in temperature. Where you have plants in patio pots that can be relocated to a protected area, simply move them in but do remember they will need some light and if they are in leaf, will need to be occasionally watered.

CLEARING AND COMPOSTING THOSE FALLING LEAVES.

Clear fallen leaves from lawns and pathways to avoid damage to your grass and of course prevent slippery pathways. It is always a good idea to check gutters and remove any fallen leaves from them too, because it will avoid downpipes getting blocked – when winter rains set in it is important to get the water drained away rather than run down walls! If you have a fish pond, regularly remove any leaves because once they sink they will decompose and the water quality will be affected, which is harmful to fish. Here’s the good news about autumn leaves – make sure you collect and compost them because the highly fertile ‘leaf mould’ that composted leaves create will be perfect for mulching and digging in to the top soil of your beds and borders, improving the fertility of your soil for free!

SORT YOUR SLIPPERY SURFACES!

In autumn, with higher rainfall and constant dampness, pathways and patios will naturally form a slippery surface as moss and algae builds up. This can be really dangerous, particularly at night when it’s not easy to see the surface that you are walking on, but is really easily sorted! If you have a pressure washer, it is a great time to clean these areas and blast that slime away – its quick and really satisfying and when you’ve finished, a previously scruffy area will always look ship-shape, bright and clean. Alternatively, water or spray on a ‘biocide’ such as ‘Moss Away’ – it will kill the green slime and also keep it clear for several months thereafter. Outside lighting is also a great addition to walkways so on dark evenings they are illuminated – low voltage or solar powered lights are safe and easy to install.