Looking Forward to Spring

All the snow and ice has melted at last so I decided to walk down the garden and survey the damage. Most of the plants look flattened and very soggy, but there are some signs of new growth which makes me look forward to the first flowers of spring.  Snowdrops are usually the first flowers of the new year but growth has been delayed this year by the unusually low temperatures. The hellebores are in a sheltered spot and have a lot of new growth on them. I grow two types of hellebore, the white Helleborus Niger (Christmas Rose) and the varied shades of Helleborus Orientalis (Lenten Rose).
Helleborus Niger, or Christmas Rose, originated in central and eastern Europe and is believed to have first arrived in Britain with the Romans. It has black roots (hence the second name, Niger) which were believed to have been a cure for mania, insanity and melancholy. The plant was also believed to have the power to ward off evil spirits so was often planted near to the entrance of the house. It produces beautiful white flowers between December and March and grows between 12 and 18 inches high.
Helleborus Orientalis, or Lenten Rose, originated in southern Europe and Asia. There are a number of varieties of this plant producing flowers in shades of crimson, purple, pink and white (see picture above). It grows to a height of 18 - 24 inches.
Hellebores like partial shade and deep, well drained but moist soil. They do not like being moved once established. The roots can be divided in March after flowering to produce new plants.

Winter Flowering Heathers

If you want to add a good splash of winter colour to your garden, try growing winter flowering heathers. Most heathers prefer acidic soil with a pH of 4.5 to 5.0 but the many varieties of Erica carnea, Erica x darleyensis, Erica x williamsii and Erica vagans can be grown in alkaline soil.
Many bloom from November to March and some have very attractive foliage which provides a good contrast to the flower colour. They come in a range of colours in shades of white, pink, red and purple, and form good ground cover plants ranging in height from 6 inches to 24 inches.
Grow them together in beds for a dramatic swathe of winter colour or use them to fill gaps in the rock garden. Heathers can be grown in containers but they hate having dry roots so make sure they are well watered during dry periods.
They are low maintenance plants which only require a small amount of pruning. Just trim them lightly after flowering is finished. Don't cut back hard but follow the contours of the plant to keep it looking neat and tidy, pruning just underneath the spent flowers.

R.I.P. My Lilac Tree

Another 12 inches of snow has fallen and the weight of it has brought down the lilac tree in my front garden. This was a beautiful tree in spring, covered in pale blue highly scented flowers. I underplanted it with a golden leaved variety of Mexican Orange Blossom (Choisya Ternata 'Sundance') which also flowers in spring and has a lovely scent.
My late mother gave me this lilac as a cutting and I have watched it grow over the years and each year it seemed to flower better than the last. It is so sad to see it in such a sorry state. I will have to wait until the snow has gone to see what I can salvage. Lilac is easy to propagate as it produces suckers from the base so I will hopefully be able to grow another lovely tree from what remains of this one.

A Wintry Scene

Woke up this morning to find about 4 inches of snow had fallen overnight. The garden looks magical under a carpet of snow.
Luckily I had managed to rake up the last of the leaves from the lawn, tidy the borders and sweep the paths before the snow fell. The prunings from the borders and the leaves were piled onto the compost heap. Plants in pots which are not fully hardy have been moved into the greenhouse and the cloche.
Extra seeds and fatballs have been put out for the birds and the snow has been cleared from the driveway. Now I can curl up in front of the fire with a steaming mug of hot chocolate and read my gardening magazines with a view to planning a new seating and barbecue area for next summer.
If more snow falls tonight I will have to go out tomorrow and shake it off the shrubs and conifers which could be damaged by the weight.

Crop Rotation

When planting vegetables you must consider crop rotation even in the smallest veg patch. Growing the same type of vegetable in the same spot each season will encourage diseases to build up in the soil.

Vegetables fall into three main groups:-
1. 'Root crops' which include beetroot, carrots, parsnips and potatoes.
2. 'Brassicas' which include cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale and sprouts.
3. 'Others' such as peas, beans, onions and leeks.

Divide your veg patch into three plots. Grow any group of veg in one plot only one year in three, rotating with the other two groups. In this way the disease is denied its host plant and is unlikely to build up in the soil.

The Winter Veg Patch

This year I have planted curly kale and leeks to see me through the winter months. Both are very easy to grow. Seeds can be planted directly into the soil in May or planted into trays in the greenhouse and transplanted into the veg patch in June or July. As I am lucky enough to have a greenhouse, I sow my seeds under glass and plant them out in early summer.
Leeks are tough, hardy plants which will survive a hard frost and therefore make a good winter vegetable. Plant in rows 12 inches apart with the plants spaced at 9 inch intervals. Curly kale always tastes best after a good frost. Pick the young leaves at the top of the plant. These plants just seem to keep on growing giving a lovely supply of fresh greens throughout the winter. Curly kale should be planted in rows 12 inches apart with the plants spaced similar to leeks. Plant your winter veg near the path so you can easily access them in bad weather.

A Wildlife Garden

Now is the time for tidying and preparing the garden for winter but don't be too tidy. If you want to attract wildlife to your garden let a corner or two go a bit wild. Leave seed heads on plants for the birds and pile some logs in a corner to encourage hedgehogs and insects. If you have a dry stone wall this is an excellent habitat for insects. I have a small dry stone wall at the bottom of my garden which is home to solitary bees.
Leave some leaf litter in your borders as this will provide cover for overwintering insects.
Bird feeders are a good way to help the birds survive winter and they give an immense amount of pleasure from watching the different varieties of birds they attract. Bird baths are a useful source of water, especially in very cold weather when the ponds freeze over. Put up bird boxes to attract nesting birds, making sure they are safely out of reach of the local cats.
Our gardens are increasingly becoming a haven for wildlife as natural habitats shrink and sometimes disappear altogether. Planting native trees and plants which will support a wider range of insect life, incorporating berry producing shrubs together with plants which attract bees and butterflies and ensuring your garden is a bird friendly area will make a huge difference. If you have room for a pond this will add another exciting dimension to your garden, attracting frogs and toads, water beetles and stunningly beautiful dragonflies. If you have very young children you may want to consider a wetland area which is a safer option but will still attract wildlife.

Autumn

This has been a truly beautiful autumn with amazing leaf colour, but now the weather has changed and autumn gales are bringing down the last of the leaves. They may look untidy but fallen leaves can be put to good use making leafmould. Just gather up your fallen leaves and leave them to rot down. Running a mower over them before raking them up or putting them through a shredder will hasten the process. Make sure the leaves are damp and store them in bin liners with a few holes stabbed in the sides. Tie up the tops of the bags and store them in a corner of the garden. By the middle of next year the leafmould should be ready to use.
Leafmould can be used to replace peat in homemade potting composts. Mix it with your garden compost and top dress containers and borders or dig it into the veg patch. It's free and far too good to go to waste.

This is the time to plant tulip bulbs in the first half of November. Tulips like a sunny spot and if your soil is heavy plant the bulbs on a layer of grit to prevent the base sitting in water. I find that my tulips do much better in containers and add a welcome splash of colour to the patio in spring. After flowering let the foliage die down naturally, then lift and store the bulbs for replanting in the autumn. Lilies can also be planted between now and the end of April, whenever the soil is workable. If your soil is heavy lay the bulbs on a layer of sharp sand to improve the drainage. I grow lilies both in pots and in the borders. The smaller Asiatic variety is especially suitable for container growing and gives a colourful but fairly short-lived display on the patio.

Beetroot Chutney

I had a good harvest of beetroot again this year and rather than just pickle any surplus I decided to try my hand at making beetroot chutney. I found a simple recipe and was really pleased with the results. Try this recipe (shown below) and enjoy a lovely homemade chutney which is especially tasty with cheese.

Ingredients
2 pounds of cooked beetroot, peeled and diced 
12 ounces of finely chopped onions
12 ounces of cooking apples, diced (weight when peeled)
12 ounces of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
3/4 of a pint of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of pickling spices
(alternatively you can just use ready spiced pickling vinegar which is widely available)

Method
Put beetroot, onions and apples into a pan with the vinegar. If using pickling spices, tie in a loose muslin bag and add to the pan. Simmer until the apples are soft and then add the sugar. Stir and boil steadily until the chutney reaches the desired consistency. Add the salt, remove the spices and spoon into jars.

Rowan Tree (Sorbus Acuparia)

The rowan tree, also known as the mountain ash, is a attractive tree for a medium sized garden. It grows to approximately 25ft and has decorative foliage which turns yellow and orange in autumn. White flowers with a delicate scent are produced in May and June. These are followed by large bunches of orange-red berries which ripen from August onward. The berries on my rowan tree are much loved by blackbirds and blue tits and do not last long once fully ripened.
This is an easy tree to grow except in shallow chalk soils where it is likely to be short lived. I grow mine as a specimen tree in the centre of the lawn as the leaves only give  a dappled shade and do not affect the grass growing below.

Last of the Summer Veg

The cherry tomatoes are just about finished. Had a great crop this year from the 'Gardener's Delight' plants grown under glass and 'Tumbling Toms' grown outside in hanging baskets. I prefer the cherry tomatoes as they taste so sweet.
In the veg patch there are still some runner beans left to harvest. I have tried a few varieties but always seem to come back to my old favourite 'Scarlet Emperor'. This variety has long straight pods and is a reliable heavy cropper.
There was a problem early on in the season when the young plants came under attack from blackfly. I tried planting some dahlias and marigolds close by to attract hoverflies which then feed on the blackfly. Luckily this was successful as I refuse to use any nasty chemicals in my veg patch. Although the plants went in a bit later than usual this year, they soon caught up and produced a good crop. I like to leave some pods on the plant to set seed at the end of the season. The beans from these can be saved to sow next year.
Runner beans are an excellent vegetable to grow. If space is limited, grow them up canes arranged in a wigwam shape. There are dwarf bean varieties which can be grown in pots. You don't need a dedicated vegetable garden to grow veg - grow them in the flower borders or in pots on the patio. Nothing can compare to eating your own veg fresh from the garden.

Favourite Autumn Flowers

Looks like summer is really over now. After some stormy weather the garden is looking a bit bedraggled. The temperature is dropping and the leaves are changing colour. There is still a lot of interest in the garden though and some of the late flowering plants continue to brighten things up. Three of my favourites are shown below.



Michaelmas Daisy (Aster novi-belgii) is a great perennial border plant which attracts butterflies. There are numerous varieties ranging in height from 9 inches to 4 feet. Colours range from white and pale pink through to deep rose reds, blues and amethyst-purple. I love the blues and purples. They are very easy to grow and will thrive in any fertile well drained soil which doesn't dry out in late summer and autumn when most of them flower. Plant between October and March. They do deteriorate after 2-3 years and should be divided regularly. Only replant the healthy pieces with young shoots from the outside of each clump. Asters originate in North America and were brought to Britain in the 1700's. Aster novi-belgii has the strongest genes and ahs been the one most  used in breeding present day Michaelmas Daisies.

Sedum Spectabile is another easily grown perennial which has beautiful pink flower heads 3-5 inches wide and also attracts butterflies. Originating in Siberia it was brought to Britain in 1780. It can be easily divided and replanted between October and March and grows to approximately 18 inches in height. The variety 'Autumn Joy' is a favourite with many gardeners and has darker bronze coloured foliage and red flowers. Unfortunately it doesn't have the same attraction for butterflies but is still a pretty addition to any garden.

Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm' is a bushy perennial which produces stunning yellow daisy like flowers from late summer into autumn. It grows to 2-3 ft in height and is happy in any well drained garden soil. Choose an open sunny site but be aware the plants will require staking in exposed positions. All Rudbeckia species originated in North America and were introduced to Britain in the 1600's. These perennials can be propagated by dividing the roots between October and March and replanting the stronger roots from the outside of the clump.