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  • Clearing debris From The Garden

    Posted on February 3rd, 2010 Paul No comments

    clearing debris
    clearing debris

    You may be wondering why I have a caption of outdoor furniture in February. The answer is simple. Why shouldnt we enjoy sitting outside in the winter months. Many of us are put off by the state of our gardens but within 60 minutes you can have your garden looking as good as new, and you can enjoy a glass of wine on the patio.

    Why are gardens full of debris in February? If your garden is anything like mine then the December and January Snow we have experienced in the UK this year has left our gardens looking a little worse for wear should we say. On Sunday I looked out at my garden to see twigs, leaves, flattened grass and shrubs lying sideways. All due to the destructive forces of nature. With a deep breath I pulled on my gardening gloves and set about my garden clean up mission. Within 1 hour I had the garden looking like new. I t was great to see the garden looking the way it should again and February shouldnt be a month where the garden just gets left. Its a time of preparation.

     

    DEAL WITH THE DEBRIS Waste material from the beds is gathered up and put on the compost heap rather than burned, as many of the stems are still home to insects that will crawl from the heap when they hatch. The beds are raked clean in readiness for spring mulching and to make way for the bulbs.

    ROOT OUT THE WEEDS Weeds become visible with the clear-up, so take your time to winkle out buttercup, nettle and couch. Bindweed might be more of an issue, as it delves deep when established. Where it is getting a hold, dig out plants that might be affected, carefully fork out and burn the white roots, and replant anything displaced by the upheaval. There is plenty of time for plants to get their feet back in again before spring, but work in some goodness now to improve their opportunities for the year ahead.

    GET MULCHING I like to leave mulching until the ground is a little warmer, but where bulbs are coming through it is timely to work in a 5cm layer of weed-free organic matter before they grow any more. Never mulch on weed-infested ground, as you will simply be creating a better environment for the weeds.

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