Winter brings a lull in garden activities in the colder parts of the country.
But it is an excellent time to reflect and plan for the season ahead.
A good time also for hard landscaping projects. We are just about to build new compost bins and there are other exciting winter projects as well.
Helen Dillon promotes a seasonal walk about the garden with notebook in hand to list plants to be moved, removed, limbed etc.
She suggests no gardening allowed on these occasions! See Helen Dillon on 'Turning a Collection into a Garden.
So take a walk and as you do, consider new plantings.
Shrubs for winter such as daphne, chimonanthus (winter sweet), hamamelis (witch hazel) and hellebores.
Fragrant Wintersweet, Chimonanthus praecox This is time to care for your plants and attention in winter will ensure you reap rewards later.
Mulching clematis now will give stunning results.
Visit Heather Dunckley's gallery
for something different. This site has a selection of Heather's leading and award winning prints.
Heather's love of New Zealand and appreciation of beauty and nature is portrayed in her pieces of work. After being a teacher for 20 years she finally fulfilled her life-long ambition to focus on her artist talents.
Critics are impressed with the detailed works that portray the atmosphere and majestic scenery of New Zealand.
Practical Gardening Planting Trees and Shrubs
A tree that is well planted will grow away faster and make a stronger, better-looking addition to your garden.
Trees are also expensive, so taking care to buy and plant well will have big benefits.
See our full article on tree planting.
Some brief tips are:
- Dig a big hole, but not too deep
- Work the base of the hole to encourage root growth downwards
- Add some horticultural grit, especially if your soil is heavy or clay-based
- Place the stake in the hole on the windward side of the tree
- Feed the tree by mixing compost with the topsoil
- Firm the soil into place around the tree without compacting it
- Mulch with bark, or pea-straw
- Water thoroughly
Fix the stakes firmly, before planting
The sooner you plant your trees or shrubs the better, especially with bareroot trees. If they must wait, protect your trees by keeping them in a cool shady place with moist roots, eg by digging them into a spare patch of soil, such as the vege garden.
Winter Green Manure Crops for the Vege Garden
Growing mustard in your vegetable garden rejeuvenates your garden soil. Its easy, it's fun and it's rewarding.
At the same as improving the soil in your vegetable garden by adding organic matter and increasing nitrogen you can protect the soil from leaching through excessive rain by growing green manure crops.
Sowing of green crops such as legumes e.g. mustard, peas or oats, radishes or daikon (Raphanus Sativus) and deep rooted chicory (Cichorium intybus) have been shown to capture two years worth of nitrogen.
Mixes of leguminous green manure crops can be purchased in most nurseries or by mail order. These crops are usually grown well before winter however we recently sowed mustard with great success.
The growing season will depend on what part of the country you live in. Dig the crop in before it flowers and allow time, six to eight weeks, for it to break down before planting.
Fragrant Wintersweet, Chimonanthus praecox
A tree that is well planted will grow away faster and make a stronger, better-looking addition to your garden.
Trees are also expensive, so taking care to buy and plant well will have big benefits.
