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- December
- The Flower Garden
The Flower Garden
Continue to tidy up borders and beds, cutting down faded plants. Clear and dig over any areas that are to be redeveloped or replanted as weather conditions permit. Protect the crowns of tender plants (such as Penstemon, Fuchsia and Salvia) with straw, bracken or coarse home-made garden compost and re-firm soil loosened by frost around any newly planted specimens. The wet weather means that, should we get frosts, plants such as Gladioli, Dahlias and Chrysanthemums still in the ground will all be at risk so, at the first opportunity, I would lift such plants. Check over Gladioli and Dahlias in store for any signs of decay, removing any dead or diseased material; don’t allow dahlia tubers to become too dry.
Watch out for slug damage, particularly in cold frames and amongst young shoots of plants such as Delphiniums, scatter a few slug pellets occasionally, especially after mild wet conditions when slugs are very active. Check on winter containers, especially hanging baskets, which can dry out very quickly in a windy position.
Cut off the old leaves of Helleborus x hybridus Ashwood Garden Hybrids if there is sign of fungal or bacterial leaf spotting, leave a short peg otherwise rotting of the crown may occur and take care not to damage the flower buds. Protect Helleborus niger flowers from rain splashes which can cause damage to the flower buds as well as the risk of fungal infection. Lift and divide autumn flowering snowdrops that have finished flowering.
Carry out formative pruning on deciduous shrubs around the garden. Acers and birches in particular should be pruned before Christmas to avoid bleeding. Finish early winter pruning of roses to safeguard against wind rock if this has not already been carried out. Move mature deciduous shrubs around the garden to give them more space, prune the above ground growth after replanting to compensate for loss of feeder roots during transplanting. Check all tree stakes and ties, replace rotting stakes. Now is a good time for planting deciduous hedges on wide strips of well prepared and manured ground. Clean the stems and trunks of plants with attractive bark or twig effects, using water and soft soap, to remove algae, fungal spores and over-wintering insect eggs.
Tie in any lateral shoots on wall shrubs, this promotes the production of flowering wood, and prevents winter gale damage. Clematis in the jackmanii and viticella groups can be pruned according to the season, between December and late February. If plants show signs of growth prune early, also prune early to prevent risk of wind damage. Shred all disease-free prunings and other compostable garden waste before filling up composting systems.
It’s thought that box blight is spread during periods of wet weather and if you have trimmed box plants recently it may be worth considering spraying with an approved fungicide. Bayer Concentrated Fungus Fighter is effective as a preventative measure. As always, practise good hygiene by gathering up your clippings.
Sow slow germinating seed, those with short viability and those needing exposure to frost. Use clay pots or shallow trays. Do not water hardy seed needing exposure to frost, simply stand containers outdoors on a hard surface not under trees or where they may be dripped upon. Use pot feet or similar to ensure perfect drainage. Take hardwood cuttings of a wide range of hardy woody subjects, including roses, Salix, Cornus, and Buddleia.
Shake any falls of snow from the branches of bushes and trees, especially conifers. Melt a patch of ice on the pond in severe conditions to allow fish to breathe when the pool is frozen over, alternatively leave a rubber ball floating on the surface. Any pumps left in the water should be run for a few minutes every ten to fourteen days.
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