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- Gardeners’ Corner
- Calendar
- January
- The Flower Garden
The Flower Garden
Lilies
Lily bulbs will become available to purchase in a wide selection. Some of these can be potted early, especially the shorter and/or scented varieties and these can be used in the home or conservatory to provide late spring colour and interest, after which they can either be planted outside or kept in pots for flowering the following year. Lilies do represent exceptionally good value and, given a slightly moist free-draining soil and a little dappled shade in the garden, they will go on to many years providing seasonal colour over a long period. On heavy soils plant only after improving the drainage and place the bulbs on a deep layer of gritty sand.
Begonias
Begonias are deservedly popular as container and border plants. Those begonias planted in borders are often raised from seed while those used in containers (pots and hanging baskets) are usually grown from tubers and we offer a wide selection. Begonias can be started into growth from late January until April by carefully placing them the correct way up (the dome side down) and lightly pressing them into the surface of good quality compost in seed trays. They can then be individually potted and grown on for planting out when all danger of frost is past usually in late May or early June.
Dahlias
There are some wonderful varieties of Dahlia tubers available to buy in January and there has been an insurgence of the dwarf patio type blooms that are well suited to growing at the front of the border or in pots on the patio. These are definitely an improvement over seed raised single dahlias often called bedding dahlias. You can start them into growth in small pots in March and April with a view to having a hardened off large plant for planting out in late May or early June when all danger of frost is past. Or you can keep the dahlia tubers cool and dry with a view to planting directly in the garden in late April or early May so that by the time it emerges above the soil again all danger of frost is past.
Seed Sowing & Planting
Purchase seeds as quickly as possible and store in a dry cool environment. A Garland windowsill propagator is ideal for seed-raising, the individual small seed trays with their clear plastic lids are invaluable as they allow you to move or ventilate seedlings according to their needs. It is perfect sitting on that sunny windowsill yet is equally at home in the conservatory or greenhouse taking up very little room and allows an early start to the season without heating a whole greenhouse.
Prepare new and existing beds for planting by incorporating well-rotted compost or manure, but not when the ground is frozen. On heavy soils use coarse gritty sand to hold the soil open. Deciduous plants are best planted as soon as possible to allow them to build up fibrous root system before they come into leaf. The art is always to juggle the urgency of planting with the care that is needed to plant when conditions are acceptable and not too waterlogged or frozen.
Hellebores
January usually sees the first of the new season’s hellebores coming into flower. Helleborus x hybridus Ashwood Garden Hybrids can have the previous year’s foliage removed as the new flower stems elongate. Try and find room for a few more of these wonderful winter-flowering plants as there have been so many recent new developments in our breeding programme and there really are some amazing colours and forms now available. Helleborus niger (The Christmas Rose) will be well into flowering now so remove any old flower stems and apply a slow release feed such as Osmacote and a mulch of well -rotted leaf mould which must be kept away from the neck of the plant. Continue to feed until late summer.
Other Jobs
Most herbaceous subjects, except those which flower in early spring, can be divided at this time of the year soil and weather conditions permitting. Always discard the older centre portions of plants where sufficient stock is available. Large clumps of aconites can be transplanted or separated in early January. Prevent slug damage to young emerging shoots by applying slug pellets etc. especially during mild wet weather on Hostas, Carnations, Pinks and Delphiniums. Use a proprietary slug killer as a prevention rather than waiting for signs of damage. Pick over plants such as Pansies, Bellis and Polyanthus removing any yellowing leaves. Watch out for greenfly during mild spells of weather, spray if seen. Protect flowers such as crocus and Polyanthus from birds with wreath wire (never cotton).
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