Don’t go thinking there is nothing going on in the garden at this time of year, there are still plenty of plants to enjoy and jobs to do in the garden!
We haven’t yet suffered a sharp frost here in Shropshire so far this winter, so our grass is still growing. If you don’t like to see it so long and untidy then wait for a dry spell (so the ground is not water logged) and cut it on the highest setting your mower will allow.
The golden rule at this time of year is to keep off the grass as much as possible. Don’t walk on it at all if it is frozen or frosty under foot, this will avoid yellow patches appearing where your footsteps have been.
Winter is a perfect time to be planting bare root hedging, this month we have completed a beech hedge for one of our customers. We are also designing a new garden space for a client and hope to start construction in the spring.
In your own garden you may wish to have a bit of a tidy up in the borders, by removing fallen leaves to minimise the spread of disease and if the soil is not too hard, digging over and covering with a mulch of compost. Faded perennials that are no longer attractive to look at or useful for birds can also be cut down.
Paths and steps can also get quite slippery at this time of year, so give them a wash down, ideally with a pressure washer or a good stiff brush, to remove all the slimy stuff.
Keep your eyes peeled for the first signs of Snowdrops in the garden! If you don’t have any then now is also the time to buy them. Snowdrops should be bought ‘in the green’ as they do not often do well when planted as dry bulbs. If you are lucky enough to already have a clump then you can divide them yourself after they have flowered, if they are becoming overcrowded. Spread them through the border in informal drifts to create a natural look.
Make sure you’ve got the majority of your pruning done by the end of February, as birds will soon be returning to look for nesting sites.
Keep busy (and warm!) and we will post again in the Spring
Jason