January Gardening

garden centre

In the gardening world, “spring fever” is that time of the year when gardeners flock to nurseries to buy flowers, shrubs, trees and more by the truckload, and launch into a planting frenzy.

In our area, spring fever generally shows up in late March, accelerates through April and finally begins to diminish as the heat of summer moves in around mid- to late May.

The question is, do you have to follow the masses and wait until March to purchase and plant your trees, shrubs and flowers? And the answer is: No.

A great deal of planting can be done in January and February. Hardy trees, shrubs and flowers are not bothered by winter cold, and, in fact, there are good reasons not to wait. If you are thinking about planting a shade tree or small flowering tree (notice the spring-flowering trees beginning to brighten our landscapes now), there is absolutely no reason to wait until April. You can even select spring-flowering trees in bloom at the nursery and plant them. If you shop now, the staff at your local nursery will have time to answer questions about trees you are considering. At the minimum, never plant a tree without knowing how tall and wide it will be when mature.

One of the frustrations of the spring fever season comes when gardeners see incredibly beautiful beds of pansies, petunias, snapdragons, dianthus, alyssum and other cool-season bedding plants blooming lavishly. Wanting to duplicate the riot of color in their own gardens, many head out to the nurseries and purchase large numbers of these plants.

If you intend to have blooming delphiniums, hollyhocks or foxgloves in your spring garden, it is especially critical to plant them plant soon. Young, blooming plants planted in April or May are pathetic compared to those planted in late winter and especially January and February..

So, head out over the next few weeks to the nurseries in your area and purchase and plant hardy trees, shrubs, ground covers and cool-season bedding plants. When spring fever hits and the nurseries are swamped with customers, you can sit back, sip a glass of iced tea and admire all the planting you already have accomplished.

How To Water Your Plants

watering plants

Absurd as it may sound, given such high levels of annual rainfall in the UK, the most common cause of plant death is lack of water. By following our guidelines, you’ll keep your garden blooming throughout the summer, despite droughts and hosepipe bans.

Without water, plants wilt and die. But too much water can be as bad for plants as not enough. If land plants are submerged in water for too long, even if just their roots are submerged, they may rot or drown from lack of oxygen.

­ Balancing plants’ water needs is like having a healthful diet. Everything should be consumed in moderation. Provide your plants with enough water for good health, but don’t flood them with it.

Symptoms of lack of water vary between different types of plants, depending on the severity of the drought.

Generally, the main symptom of drought is the leaves wilt and become limp as they are no longer swollen with water. They nearly always turn yellow; sometimes they turn brown at the edges or drop off.

A lack of water can cause stunted growth, flowers to shrivel up and fruit to drop. In extreme cases plants shrivel up and die.

Watering your plants and shrubs involves a bit more than just throwing a sprinkler on them every other day — although this is better than not watering them at all and is effective! Use the following tips to get the maximum benefit out of your watering efforts:

• Add organic matter to soil when planting. Improving the soil’s structure helps to retain moisture.
• Use a mulch on flowerbeds and around shrubs and trees in spring. This stops moisture from evaporating during dry spells.
• Add a mulch, such as gravel, to the surface of hanging baskets to trap moisture.
• Add water-retentive gel to compost in hanging baskets and containers, or use compost with water retentive gel already in it.
• Learn more about using mulches.

In terms of watering:

• Using the right amount of water is the most important aspect of a plant’s survival in dry conditions. Bear in mind that it is not just hot weather that can cause soil to dry out, windy weather can also have a detrimental effect. Using a water gun head on the end of your hose will enable you to do this.
• Have your hose in a handy place where you can always wreel it out and back in again, and make sure it is long enough to reach far places.
• In dry conditions, water container plants at least once a day. Water in the evening to reduce evaporation.
• However, if a plant looks like it is wilting and suffering from drought in the day, then water it immediately.
• Try to avoid watering plant leaves in direct sunlight because they can become scorched, particularly when they have hairy foliage.
• Install a water butt in the garden to conserve water.
• If you have an automatic watering system with a timer, adjust it to take hot and dry weather into account.
• Move container plants into the shade if you are going away on holiday and no one is watering your plants.

Using Garden Hoses

Soaker hoses are a good way to keep your garden watered. These hoses are made of water-permeable fabrics, perforated recycled rubber, or other porous materials. When attached to a spigot with the water turned on low or medium, moisture droplets weep out along the length of the hose.

REMEMBER – The worst time to water is in the heat of the day when evaporation and wind carry away most of the water. Most established plants require only about an inch of water during hot weather, and drought-tolerant plants often can go a couple of weeks or more between waterings depending on soil and other conditions.

Christmas Trees

Natural or Artificial Christmas trees

Its always a debate as to which tree you should pick for the family home. The children want a Christmas Tree that lloks luciously green whilst the adults have more traditional view and love the smell of pine needles. The enduring problem with real Christmas trees is those pine needles. How do you stop the needles from falling out? You CANT!!! Even the Christmas trees that promise not to drop needles will drop them. Central heating and real Christmas trees just do not mix.

That is why the development of artificial Christmas Trees has become such a big issue and retailers can now stock some of the most exciting ranges of Artificial trees that they have ever been able to stock. Not only do they NOT DROP PINE NEEDLES, but they actually look better than the real trees. They are thick and green and easily assembled. They can be stored away for year after year use and packaged in a small box in the loft or garage. It begs the question, why would anyone evr chse a real Christmas Tree Ever again? The truth is, that fewer and fewer people are. The reality is that people want a Christmas tree that matches with their colour scheme in the house. They want Christmas trees that are black or white or even upside down. They want Christmas trees that touch the roof or fill gaps. They want Christmas trees that can be decorated quickly and easily with as little effort as possible. And they want their Christmas trees to last right throughout December and look as good as the day they bought them. This is why the market for Artificial Christmas trees has never been bigger. Merry Christmas