February: webbed feet

I am beginning to envy pond life (not to mention feeling a bit like pond life).

A couple of years ago we built a “natural” pond carved out of heavy clay soil and fed by the downpipes of the client’s house. Very quickly it was colonised by insects and a wide variety of wildlife. The family dog loves water and is in heaven: with the coming of spring and summer the pond soon became a myriad of colours and shapes as aquatic and moisture loving plants took hold of this little eco-system.

I am not built to skate on water, hang off leaves or plant my feet in the mud at the bottom of a muddy hollow. I wish I were.

However, I am designed to look on in awe at what is emerging this month: snowdrops, swelling buds, catkins, daffodils, Daphnes and all the early pollinators buzzing around picking up any colour and scent available. A friend recently dragged me into a copse to show me his discovery – a Daphne bholua majestically showing off it’s pink, scented flowers on its arching stems.

I suggested he broke off a few very small, scented branches and gave them to his wife: I can’t believe they would fail to do the trick after he had had several annoyed phone messages from her (!).

So, when not wandering around in the rain, there are plenty of jobs to be getting on with this month in preparation for Spring:

• In milder areas, or when the warmer weather starts appearing, most hardy shrubs with hollow stems, such as Buddleja davidii and Perovskia can be pruned this month.

• Plant bare-root roses: adding organic matter will boost growth.

• Climbers that have become oversized can be cut back hard: honeysuckle and the richly coloured and vigorous Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus ), respond well to this treatment.

• Whilst the tawny coloured stems of ornamental grasses such as Miscanthus and Calamagrostis are a joy to behold in the winter months, especially in the winter sunlight, early spring is the time to cut them back to ground level. Wait until new growth can be seen before applying the chop.

• Clean up bamboo where stems have died back or collapsed over winter.

• Trim heathers after they have flowered to keep them compact and vigorous.

• Divide snowdrops to distribute them over a wider area.

• Cut back shrub roses by about one third (following the autumn pruning of a third), pruning to just above an outward pointing bud, trying to create an open, “bowl” shape to the rose. Cut off any suckers emerging from the root stock.

• Bird life will be looking to nest in spring so ensure all hedge trimming and renovation is completed by the end of the month.

There is no harm in breaking off a few small stems of a scented Daphne or Sarcococca and combining them with flowers and foilage of a Hellebore to create a gorgeous mini flower arrangement for a kitchen table.

You hope it might produce a better conversation than watching the news...!

January: welcoming the New Year

It is coming… slowly! I can just begin to detect the days getting longer (though my heating bill is something I try not to think about)!

Snowdrops are emerging and some of the daffs that capture the sunlight are starting to nod their yellow heads. Inspiration at this time of year often comes from some great garden programmes and delicious looking books on international gardens – all carefully edited to bring out the colours and the vibrancy of the subject matter!

The current trend for incorporating more grasses is exonerated too: tanned, sinewy shapes moving in the wind and seed heads on tall stems are not only pleasing to look at but also provide food for birdlife.

Once outside there is plenty to be getting on with and the scent of winter honeysuckle, Sarcoccocca and some Viburnums combined with the sound of birdsong soon gets me motivated. Tasks to undertake this month include:

• Brush and spread worm casts that appear on the lawn.

• Prune Wisteria: cut back summer-pruned shoots to 2 or 3 buds from their base. This encourages short branches (flowering spurs). Best to avoid pruning older, thicker wood unless you have to.

• Tie in any climbing roses that have become loose and unruly. To do this, shorten flowering side shoots by two thirds and remove about a third old branches at the base.

• Clean out bird boxes and feeders washing with very hot water

• Keep your lawn as free from old leaves and debris as possible: these can inhibit light and cause mould.

• Mole activity is most obvious in January and February due to mating and nest making. Remove the earth mounds and sow grass seed in spring.

• Spike areas of the lawn that are prone to water logging using a fork and edge the lawns whilst the ground is soft.

• Snip off old leaves of Hellebores to help keep the plant free from fungal leaf.

• Check tree ties and stakes. The cold winter winds can knock newly established plants all over the place. Give plants added protection if necessary.

• Plant bare-root trees, shrubs and fruit.

• Make the most of the lack of vegetation on most plants to get into shrubberies to remove brambles and self-seeded saplings.

• Take hardwood cuttings of Cornus, Viburnums and Weigelia. Cut 15-30cms lengths and place into sand filled trenches or deep pot of peat-free cuttings compost.

• Try to avoid walking on frosty grass as it marks the lawn.

I don’t mind that – I need all the enthusiasm I can muster in January. A flask of tea or coffee outside always helps and tastes superb in the cold. And left over Christmas cake. And a lot of other things.

Go on, have a bit more – you can always work it off in the spring.

December: the waiting game

It is hard to get enthusiastic about gardening in this weather: grey skies, wet underfoot and short days. Christmas lights, fires and festivities always seem like a great idea now!

If you check the weather forecast you will, however, discover that there is usually one bright day a week to enjoy: it is timing your time off that is the tricky part!

When you can get out into the garden there are a number of tasks that will make the coming months work easier to manage:

• Birches, vines and Japanese maples are best pruned at this time of year. Vines are less likely to bleed sap.

• Renovation of climbing roses is best done between now and February by thinning and reducing stems by approximately one third and taking out dead and diseased stems. Look up the RHS site for more details.

• Bare root trees and shrubs can be planted now. This is a very economical way of establishing hedges, especially as wildlife boundaries.

• With the chances of high winds growing more likely, it is sensible to ensure that all trees are properly tethered and climbers and cut back and tied in.

• Protect your outdoor taps from frost by covering them with hessian or bubble wrap: it is the expansion of the water when it turns to ice that bursts a pipe.

• A log or a football in a pond will prevent the total coverage of ice during a frozen spell. Ensure the log or football can be reached and removed!

• Be careful when you are tidying up a shed or having a bonfire: all sorts of creatures may be making their homes for the winter there.

• A stack of logs building materials (especially clay tiles and pipes) offer overwintering bugs a hotel for the cold months!

• Make sure outdoor taps are insulated against the frost, either by wrapping them in cloth, bubble wrap or by draining them and turning off their water supply

• Deciduous hedges such as beech and hornbeam can be renovated now. If drastic reduction is needed, then this task is best done over several winters

• Keep raking the leaves off the lawn as grass that does not get oxygen and light will soon become mouldy and start to deteriorate

• In order to improve drainage, use a fork to spike areas of the lawn that usually get flooded

• Hellebores that have very small flowers can be greatly improved by cutting off the leaves that obscure the flowers

• Prune open grown apples: refer to books or the net for more advice on this as the extent of pruning depends on the age and type of plant

• Add organic matter to heavy, claggy soil and let the worms do the work: they will be more far more effective than tramping and compressing the soil structure if you try to dig it when wet.

• Water evergreens in containers as wind can draw out a lot of moisture and dehydrate them.

I always feel a twinge of guilt when offered a mince pie and cream: not so when I have just been heaving plants, branches, soil and tools about. It is, after all, Advent – a time of waiting and preparing. We wait for the darkest days to pass, for the frantic shopping to pass, for the endless arrangements to come together, for the start of a new year, of new life and of new hope.

What is there not to like?

November: the waiting is (almost) over...

Finally…the hosepipe ban and the drought is officially over. It’s hard to believe how little rainfall we have had in the last six months: “We need 100% rainfall over the rest of autumn and winter to be back to a normal position by the end of next March”. (Environment Agency. 30th October 2025). Records have supposedly fallen over the reported warmest Guy Fawkes Night on record too.

So, there are plenty of jobs to do this month but many of them are ones undertaken in October too due to the mild weather:

• Herbaceous plants can still be divided and moved. Likewise, bulb planting should be successful even this late in this season.

• Raking leaves can seem to be an endless task, but it is worth it. Firstly, it allows the lawn to breathe and reduces the chance of mould developing in your lawn. Secondly, the leaves are good news in a compost heap when a layer of soil is added every 30 cm or so.

• Burning leaves is another way of processing them: the ash is good for the soil as it is high on potassium - the element that encourages fruit and flowers. Add any diseased plant material to the fire too including rose leaves that have black spot.

• Put rabbit guards on new trees to stop them gnawing at the bark if food is scarce in a harsh winter. Check tree ties too: loosen one that are too tight as this restriction can inhibit the flow of sap and therefore nutrients, around the tree.

• Prune shrub and standard roses by about a third in order that the wind does not move them around and damage the root system.

• Lift pots and containers off the ground by a few centimetres and give them “feet” of tiles or stone to avoid water logging. Pots that are fragile should have their winter wrap to prevent frost damage: bubble wrap is effective.

• Continue to mow lawns until the frosts come in, raising your blade to the maximum height as the month goes on.

• Put out bird feed such as fat balls or hanging peanut feeders. Remember to clean them and change the feed if they have been out for some time – it is far more attractive to the birdlife!

Whatever the climate may or may not be doing, there is still a hundred ways to enjoy the outdoors at this time of year. For me, it is essential to get out every day before I become sealed into a centrally heated building without fresh air. I am always astonished at the colours both subtle and bold, that I encounter.

And if you really want a blast, check out the weather forecast and get down to the sea on the rare sunny days. To stare at the autumn leaf colour against a crystal-clear blue seas and sky in November is unbeatable. Who needs TV when we have all this on our doorstep?!

October: a hard rain's gonna fall

Suddenly, we are getting the rain the plants have wanted all summer and autumn. The down-side of this is that with the last of the warmth, seedlings have sprung up everywhere and weeding is now top of the agenda in most gardens.

The up-side of this is that many plants are having a second flush of flowers (a small Syringa outside my window is producing wonderful flowers and scent). My advice would be to leave the cutting back and tidying up until as late into the year as possible unless your garden has had a hammering from the wind: we may be in for a very mild winter.

The other up-side to a mild autumn are the glorious colours, not only from the obvious plants, but as seen in the wider landscape too. If you want to understand a clothing fashion autumn collection, then go for a country walk and see what colours are being picked up by a setting sun. They absolutely glow at times and can be extremely subtle.

So, when you are not scanning the horizon, jobs to do this month include:

• Tulips can be planted out this and the next month: sometimes they are best displayed in pots and are certainly easier to weed, lift and protect like this.

• Cut back herbaceous plants that have gone over keeping the ones that may be a source of food for the winter. This may be seed heads of ornamental grasses or perennials like Sedum, which also look great in the winter light, often with a ghostly sliver to them.

• Give your compost heap a good turning over. If the compost has rotted down well enough and has a high enough level of humus (the dark, nutrient rich essence that retains moisture and attracts trace elements), then autumn is a good time to spread it on the borders as a mulch.

• Rake the leaves off ornamental lawns to allow light and air to circulate and prevent patches of mildew developing.

• Lifting and dividing overgrown perennials that have lost their vigorous core.

• With the colder weather arriving, it is coming into the time when it is safe to lift and move trees and shrubs. Be careful not to allow the roots to dry out.

• Check tree ties and stakes in preparation for windy weather to come.

• Aerating the lawn either with a dedicated tool or the good old method of jumping on a fork will improve drainage and so the health of the grass.

• Burn dead and diseased leaves and debris (if the neighbours are happy with this!). This basic garden hygiene will keep down the levels of blackspot and scab. Wait until November 5th if you need to!

• Keep as many leaves as possible off the pond and watch out for hungry herons who can puncture your pond liner when fishing: fake herons can be effective if you move them every month.

When deciding which plants to keep and which plants to cut back, an interesting exercise can be to identify the colours and decide which ones work together and which ones don’t. The marvel of mother nature is that she does most of the harmonising work for you!

August: perfect timing!

Phew! There was comforting news on the radio today. The BBC, in all their authority and experience, announced that the coming week would bring rain and the first signs of autumn.

About time for the rain, not sure about the latter! Last year was so miserable and unpredictable up to July that it feels as if we all could do with the compensation of a long summer!

It is not hard to see the drought and hose pipe ban taking its toll on the plants around us. The normally indestructible Birches, Viburnums and fruit trees all have yellowing and curled leaves at their outer edges. Well-researched garden magazines are recommending drought tolerant plants. The trouble is, they are also having to recommend plants that get saturated by weeks of rain!

The good news is that there are many plants in this narrow band of drought and flood resistant plants. As I am drawing up a planting plan which must meet these requirements and next month is entering the purple patch for planting when the soil is still warm and the rains have come - I will go into this in more detail in September.

In the meantime, here is the monthly task check list:

• Dead head herbaceous plants, not forgetting dahlias and roses: these will all usually give you repeat flowering later in the year.

• Top up bird baths with clean water, especially at this time of year when sources of natural water are dwindling.

• Wisteria will need their summer prune. This gives a chance for light and air to ripen sturdier growth and produce better flowers. The technique is to cut back the whippier new tendrils to about 5 x buds, to just above the bud. Don’t forget that Wisterias need another chop in late winter.

• Avoid using tap water if you can when everyone in the neighbourhood is having a shower or washing up: they won’t thank you when the water pressure drops!

• Cut back rambling roses when they have finished flowering. Cut back a third of the oldest stems to the base then shorten the side stems by two thirds.

• Hedges can be given a final trim before their growth begins to slow down in September.

• Black spot on roses is very common at this time of year: clear fallen leaves and burn them to prevent spread.

• Worms will find it hard to flourish in dry summer months. Although this is a dry one, piles of grass cuttings under shrubs or hedges will still bring them into your garden where they can do the good work of helping keep the soil healthy.

• Trim conifer hedges if you have not done so already: avoid cutting into the brown wood as it will not regrow ( as is the case with most conifers).

• Wildflower areas should be cut down at the end of the month. It is important to rake up the cut material to keep reducing the nitrogen level of the soil: this encourages the production of flowers. By leaving the cut material a day or two, seeds can drop and increase the density of flowering material for the following year.

• Keep ponds topped up with water, preferably “grey” water from wastewater – water that comes from anywhere but the toilet (showers, washing up etc are fine).

As long as you are now prepared for record breaking sunshine and heavy rain in the next few days, you should be absolutely fine. What could possibly go wrong?

July: wet saucery!

Sometimes one misses the blindingly obvious. “Why don’t you have your potted shrubs on plant trays (saucers) – you will save so much water and time?”. So said a fellow gardener as she looked at me as if I were an idiot.

I have been so keen not to kill off my potted plants by letting them rot in water overwinter, that I have completely overlooked heaving them on to large plant saucers in dry spells.

At a time when there is a hose pipe ban coming into place this is all the more helpful. I can take bath or shower water and bucket the water into trays (saucers) and the job is done. After a couple of days of doing this, they are already looking healthier!

Many plants are looking stressed at the moment: the drought has particularly affected Viburnums I find. Often it doesn’t take much to perk them up or at least give them help to survive the next few months – and most of them will.

So here are this month’s suggestions:

• Water your containers and newly planted trees and shrubs: it is surprising how quickly they will dry out.

• Deadhead roses and keep an eye out for signs of powdery mildew, blackspot or rust. Prevention is always better than cure so water, feed and pick off rust or blackspot affected leaves.

• Cut back Delphiniums and hardy Geraniums and other herbaceous plants with a similar habit after the first flush of flowers: this will encourage a second flowering period. Feed after cutting them back.

• Prune June-flowering shrubs such as Philadelphus and Weigela after flowering. Prune deciduous Magnolias if necessary.

• Prune Wisteria in cooler areas, waiting until next month in warmer counties to prevent the plant producing too much new growth after pruning. Cut back to 5 or 6 leaves.

• Fast-growing hedges such as Leyland cypress should be clipped as necessary throughout the growing season. Clip topiary to the desired shapes.

• Box plants and hedges have been increasingly susceptible to damage by moths/caterpillars in recent years. If you find any, pick them off or spray them but be aware that warm, wet weather can cause leaf drop due to box blight fungal infection.

• If your floral displays need perking up give them a weekly shot of high-potassium liquid fertiliser. Deadhead the flowers when they are over.

• The bird population will appreciate keeping the bird bath topped up but by keeping them clean, you prevent the spread of diseases such as bird pox.

• Ponds are never maintenance-free! Thin out vigorous oxygenating plants leaving the prunings on the side of the pond to allow the aquatic creatures back into the water. Try to keep about 30% of the water clear of plants.

• Use grey water where you can, harvested from baths, sinks and showers. For hygiene purposes, use within 24 hours and not on edible crops as pathogens and bacterial growth may cause harm.

• Baby hedgehogs will be looking for sustenance this month: leaving the slugs for them to eat and ensuring ponds gently sloped access points will help.

• Move your house plants outside to somewhere sheltered and shady for the hottest months of the year. This will strengthen them against pest and diseases such as Red Spider Mite.

Talking of watering – everyone working in the gardens is careful to drink more than they normally do, even when it is overcast. Have you had your daily 2 litres petal?

June: crowd control!

I sometimes think that plants are like teenagers: at times you wonder if they are ever going to emerge and other times, they seem uncontrollable. Plants in June can be the latter.

They also get dehydrated without realising it and rapid action is needed!

The benefit of this abundant life is that gardens and borders can be packed with joyous colour and interest – even if a bit unruly. A parent once told me “You have to manage teenagers, not direct them”. And so it is with the garden. I’d add that training a garden is all part of the deal!

Jobs this month include:

• Mulch around the base of trees and shrubs if you haven’t done so already: this will help retain the moisture and keep the annual weeds at bay.

• Cut back early flowering perennials such as delphiniums, lupins and oriental poppies after their first flowering. This will give them a chance to flower again on the new growth.

• Cutting down the stems of the spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils.

• Cutting and clipping Privet, box and evergreen honeysuckle hedges (Lonicera nitida)

• Philadelphus, Kolkwitzia, Weigela and Deutzia can all be pruned after they have flowered. In doing so the new growth will have time to develop in order that they may flower the following year.

• Give Clematis montana a good hacking if needed when they are over (they can take it!) and tie in other climbers.

• Remove stems of any variegated plants that are reverting to their original colour or the whole plant will ‘revert’.

• Stake tall herbaceous plants: purpose made metal, or canes can be used but equally good are off cuts from beech or similar trees. They are less visible, look more natural and have an attractive shape.

• Give ailing plants a shot of liquid feed as that is the best way to give them a lift.

• Evergreens such as Viburnum tinus and Choisya can also be cut and shaped once they have flowered.

• Roses can be deadheaded to encourage repeat flowering when they fade. Do this by cutting just above the first leaf below the faded bloom.

Enjoy the garden – and the peace and quiet when you can get it! All that training of plants will pay off - I promise you!

May - it rain!

With Chelsea flower show coming up, I am always reminded of the gulf between the idealised world of the show garden and the gardens that us mortals inhabit.

I don’t think it is just a question of money. The fact is that all the show garden plants are carefully managed to look their best, sometimes being held in cold storage and sometimes in warm hothouses. Countless hours are spent in the planning and execution of these gardens which are the shop window for sponsors, designers and nurseries.

There are ways however, to achieve something of the bountiful fulness of show gardens – and that is to do the basics well. These would be my observations:

I. Think of your garden as an orchestra – you want some clear themes, but the supporting instruments must be in harmony and supporting these themes.

II. Try to achieve a balance between “statement” plants like trees with bold shrubs, with the smaller plants.

III. Do your homework on what is happy in your soil and what isn’t.

IV. Don’t be afraid to pack the plants in. This in turn will keep the weeds down.

V. Don’t be afraid to take out unruly species – a good conductor wouldn’t!

VI. Don’t be “mean” with the size of your borders! Too much lawn with small beds against a house will never look generous. Tidy - but not generous!

VII. Regular cutting back and dead heading will can help maintain a sense of freshness.

VIII. Regular mulching and watering with give your garden a healthy glow.

Regular watering may be more important than usual if this present weather continues: be ready to pay extra attention to recently planted trees and shrubs.

This month’s tasks include:

• Summer bedding in pots, planters and hanging baskets can be planted out in milder areas: watch out for late frosts in more northern counties and frost pockets.

• In cutting back spring flowering shrubs, you still have to be wary of nesting birds: check the plant thoroughly, especially if they back onto a wall. These shrubs include Choisya, Ribes and Chaenomoles.

• Spirea ‘Arguta’ and Kerria japinca can have one stem in three removed and the other stems shortened to a suitable side shoot.

• Viburnum tinus, Senecio, Ligustrum and other similar evergreens can be trimmed this month.

• Clematis montana is a vigorous climber that often needs to be kept in check: you can be pretty brutal with this climber.

• Cut back Pyracantha to the desired size but remember that you may have to wait a couple of years for the berries to appear in winter if you cut them too hard.

• Climbing and rambling roses will produce more flowers if you are able to tie the side shoots as close to the horizontal plane as possible: this restricts the flow of sap.

• Lawns can be fed, and it is not too late to add fertiliser to plants, especially new or struggling ones that may need additional strength.

• Try to stay on top of the weeds by using a hoe or laying matting and mulch.

• Be careful not to over-water new plants in gardens with heavy, clayey soils: they will wilt and die as air cannot get to the roots.

• Daffodils and other early spring bulbs can be lifted and divided at the end of the month as can water lilies.

Most importantly, your garden, like a show garden, should be enjoyed. And you don’t just have one week to squeeze that one in!

April: water, water, water...

It may seem a strange thing to recommend as we are entering a slightly damp few weeks, but new trees and shrubs (including those planted last year), will need watering.

Spring is a critical time for the success of planted or transplanted plants: their roots will have been either cosseted in nursery conditions or been in stable soil conditions. Unfortunately, a smattering of light showers will not be enough for the moisture to penetrate deep into the roots. Dig down into the soil if you don’t believe me!

You won’t need to drown your new arrivals in spring: a watering can a week for anything over 2m tall, half a can for anything over 1m and a quarter of a can for anything below is a good rule of thumb. Double it if there is a drought and halve it if wet weather prevails in spring.

Sort of better to be safe than sorry. Leaving a hose running isn’t the best idea (though the easiest whilst you go off and catch the last of the football): it is hard to quantify the amount of water, is easy to forget and isn’t cheap! Very dry soils like sandy soils need double the usual amount and very moisture retentive soils like clay need slightly less.

Tricky, isn’t it?! The key to success is choosing the right plant for the soil you have. Working with nature rather than against it…

So, other jobs to look at this month are:

• Move evergreens: this is the best time of year to move or plant evergreens. Avoid waterlogged or parched soils.

• Divide herbaceous perennials: Phlox, daylilies and Hosta are all best divided now.

• Deadhead daffodils: not a task to set yourself if you have hundreds of them! Otherwise, just leave them be, allowing photosynthesis to nourish the bulbs and cutting them back in June.

• Lawn repairs: now the frosts are receding, seed can be bought online and sown on patches that have become worn. Remember to prepare the ground by scraping off any unwanted weeds or worn grass and giving the area a good rake over. Add a sprinkling of compost and try to keep hungry birds away.

• Prune shrubs after they have flowered: Forsythia and Chaenomeles fall into this category. Hardy Fuchsia can be cut back to healthy buds.

• Pond plants: now is the time to get at the water lilies and marginal plants, to divide them into smaller clumps in order to avoid them choking the life out of a pond.

• Wildlife: if you are in the mood for clearing, cutting and composting, please be aware that this is the time of year when much of the local wildlife will be making their nesting homes. Avoid hedge cutting and be attentive when you are tidying up sheltered corners of the garden. You can help hedgehogs move around from garden to garden by making small gaps at the base of fences.

• Composting and mulching: add compost or well-rotted manure to borders and around the bases of trees and shrubs: this will help keep the moisture in, the weeds off and give a slow release of nutrients. It is a good time to turn your compost heap material too.

There is an exciting lushness to Spring and that, with the preponderance of yellows at this time of year, do much to announce that the colour and nature drama of the garden is about to unfold. Brace yourselves – it will as always be a somewhat unpredictable ride with the weather. But then, a lot of other things are at the moment too?