Designing a Winter Garden

Garden design is all about individual taste. One person’s dream garden can be another gardener’s nightmare! But one thing on which everyone agrees is that a garden should be interesting all the year round. If your outdoor space is as dreary as the weather during the winter months here are a few ideas to brighten it up.

Shapes
Bare branches of ‘ordinary’ trees can look quite extraordinary, especially if dusted with snow. Leaves, stems and seedpods, which are hardly noticed when a plant is in full flower, become the centre of attention when outlined with a sparkle of frost. When planning to introduce new plants don’t forget to find out what different species will look like in winter.

When luxuriant summer foliage has died down, the underlying shapes of the garden can be seen more easily. Stand back and try to pick out the main shapes of both hard and soft landscaping. Taking photographs or making a simple sketch can help.

If beds, borders, lawns, hedges etc. are mostly square or rectangular consider the difference introducing a few curves might make. Likewise, a tall angular shape could give an interesting visual lift to a planting scheme of predominantly soft, rounded shapes.

Colours
Unless you live in a very mild area – or have exceptionally green fingers – you won’t be able to produce floral displays as vibrant and varied as those of summer. A window box or tub near your door planted with winter-flowering pansies is the easiest way to provide a bright welcome to visitors.

Most plants that flower in the coldest months tend to have small, paler flowers but that doesn’t make them any less attractive. Light colours show up well against dark backgrounds and seem to reflect even the weakest winter sun.

Snowdrops are an obvious choice, although choosing from the hundred or so available varieties can be confusing! The common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) is one of the earliest to flower in January, while others are more likely to appear in February or March. Winter-flowering heathers, hardy cyclamens (Cyclamen coum) and hellebores can also be relied on to flower early.
In spite of its name, the Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger) rarely blooms at Christmas but it is well worth waiting for its large, white flowers to appear from January to March.

But flowers are not the only sources of colour. Red, orange and yellow berries brighten up dull days – at least until the birds have feasted on them.

Tree bark also comes in a wide range of colours. Most people can recognise a silver birch (Betula pendula) by its white trunk, but it also has many attractive cousins such as the hardy river birch (Betula nigra) which has peeling, cinnamon-coloured bark. Many acers reveal colourful and patterned barks once they’ve shed their beautiful autumn leaves.

If you haven’t enough room for trees, perhaps you could find space for some dogwood. There are many varieties, all with colourful stems ranging from yellow to deep red and almost black.

Scents
What’s better than flowers in midwinter? Scented flowers! Many early-flowering shrubs bloom from December and smell wonderful! If you plant your favourites near your door or alongside your most-used paths you can enjoy them every time you go outside. Some of the most popular are Wintersweet, Mahonia, Viburnum, Winter jasmine, Witch hazel and Winter honeysuckle, all of which have several varieties.

Wildlife
Winter is the time when many people become more aware of the wildlife in their gardens. It’s easier to see birds in the branches of bare trees, and tracks left in snow give clues to unseen night visitors. A harsh winter often makes normally shy creatures venture closer to houses in search of food so this is the best time to encourage them.

A well-stocked bird table or hanging feeders placed within easy view of your windows can attract a surprising number of species. As well as entertaining you with their antics, birds will reward you for your generosity by searching the rest of your garden for overwintering insects and soil pests. Why not help them further by putting up some nest boxes in readiness for spring? It won’t be long!

Keep Gardening – the Easier Way

Gardening is great exercise. All that digging, weeding, mowing lawns and cutting hedges helps to keep muscles strong and hearts healthy. But even the most enthusiastic gardener has to slow down as the years go by. If the hobby that once gave you so much pleasure is now causing aches and pains, nature is telling you it’s time for a rethink. You don’t have to give up gardening altogether, but you can almost certainly make it easier. Here are a few ideas you might like to consider:

Make a list of all the different jobs you do in the garden and mark the ones you are finding the most difficult. Brainstorm to find ways of reducing, or even eliminating, those particular tasks. For example, installing a simple irrigation system could save you many trips with a heavy watering can in dry weather.

Aim higher. One of the most common problems for older gardeners is getting down to the ground. When bending, stooping or kneeling is uncomfortable – or even impossible – explore ways of lifting plants up to your level. Raised beds that you can easily reach when standing or sitting are practical and attractive. Wall-mounted planters come in a wide range of materials and styles to match your house and garden and can be fixed to exactly the height that suits you. And, for a colourful but easily maintained feature, how about a tiered stand on which you can arrange a number of hanging baskets?

Choose your plants with care. Do you have formal flowerbeds that you fill with a succession of different bulbs and bedding plants throughout the seasons? Consider using more perennials that can stay in the same place for several years, perhaps with easy-to-grow annual seeds sprinkled between them. A collection of deciduous and evergreen shrubs, under planted with drifts of spring bulbs, will provide year-round colour and interest in return for minimal maintenance.

Check your tools. Good gardening tools can last a lifetime, but if it now takes almost as much effort to lift that heavy spade as it does to dig with it you need to lighten up! Visit a garden centre that stocks a good selection of tools and try out different brands for size, weight and ease of use. Look out for tools that have been designed for disabled gardeners. Many of them, like long-handled trowels or easy-to-grip pruners, make gardening easier for everyone.

Don’t give up the veg! If you’ve been enjoying your own home-grown vegetables and fruit you won’t want to give them up for supermarket produce. But if you use traditional growing methods that include lots of winter digging, now would be a good time to consider switching to a raised bed system. There’s no need for deep digging and closer planting means you get the same yield from a smaller space – with fewer weeds! You can also grow a surprising number of fruits, vegetables and salad crops in containers. Imagine sitting comfortably on your patio and picking perfectly ripened strawberries!

Ask an expert. Redesigning a garden to make it easier to manage doesn’t mean covering most of it with concrete or paving. Often, a small change, such as altering steep steps, can make a big difference. Check your local professional landscape gardeners and find one who will be happy to visit your garden and give you a free, no obligation consultation. You might be pleasantly surprised by some of his or her suggestions.

The Colours, Shapes and Scents of a Winter Garden

Garden design is all about individual taste. One person’s dream garden can be another gardener’s nightmare! But one thing on which everyone agrees is that a garden should be interesting all the year round. If your outdoor space is as dreary as the weather during the winter months here are a few ideas to brighten it up.

Shapes
Bare branches of ‘ordinary’ trees can look quite extraordinary, especially if dusted with snow. Leaves, stems and seedpods, which are hardly noticed when a plant is in full flower, become the centre of attention when outlined with a sparkle of frost. When planning to introduce new plants don’t forget to find out what different species will look like in winter.

When luxuriant summer foliage has died down, the underlying shapes of the garden can be seen more easily. Stand back and try to pick out the main shapes of both hard and soft landscaping. Taking photographs or making a simple sketch can help.

If beds, borders, lawns, hedges etc. are mostly square or rectangular consider the difference introducing a few curves might make. Likewise, a tall angular shape could give an interesting visual lift to a planting scheme of predominantly soft, rounded shapes.

Colours
Unless you live in a very mild area – or have exceptionally green fingers – you won’t be able to produce floral displays as vibrant and varied as those of summer. A window box or tub near your door planted with winter-flowering pansies is the easiest way to provide a bright welcome to visitors.

Most plants that flower in the coldest months tend to have small, paler flowers but that doesn’t make them any less attractive. Light colours show up well against dark backgrounds and seem to reflect even the weakest winter sun.

Snowdrops are an obvious choice, although choosing from the hundred or so available varieties can be confusing! The common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) is one of the earliest to flower in January, while others are more likely to appear in February or March. Winter-flowering heathers, hardy cyclamens (Cyclamen coum) and hellebores can also be relied on to flower early.

In spite of its name, the Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger) rarely blooms at Christmas but it is well worth waiting for its large, white flowers to appear from January to March.

But flowers are not the only sources of colour. Red, orange and yellow berries brighten up dull days – at least until the birds have feasted on them.

Tree bark also comes in a wide range of colours. Most people can recognise a silver birch (Betula pendula) by its white trunk, but it also has many attractive cousins such as the hardy river birch (Betula nigra) which has peeling, cinnamon-coloured bark. Many acers reveal colourful and patterned barks once they’ve shed their beautiful autumn leaves.

If you haven’t enough room for trees, perhaps you could find space for some dogwood. There are many varieties, all with colourful stems ranging from yellow to deep red and almost black.

Scents
What’s better than flowers in midwinter? Scented flowers! Many early-flowering shrubs bloom from December and smell wonderful! If you plant your favourites near your door or alongside your most-used paths you can enjoy them every time you go outside. Some of the most popular are Wintersweet, Mahonia, Viburnum, Winter jasmine, Witch hazel and Winter honeysuckle, all of which have several varieties.

Preparing Your Garden for Winter

It seems as though we’ve only just begun to enjoy the British summer when the days become shorter and trees take on their autumn colours. There might still be a few more warm days to come, but this is the time of year when gardeners’ thoughts should turn to winter.

Preparing your garden for winter is mostly about tidying up and preventing problems that can occur in the colder months. There’s not always a clear division between the seasons – early frosts can be followed by a spell of milder temperatures – so plan your work by the weather forecasts rather than the calendar.

Clear up Fallen Leaves
If you (or your neighbours) have lots of trees, clearing up fallen leaves can be a big job. But think of all that lovely, free leaf mould! You can add some leaves to your compost heap but, as they rot more slowly than softer material, it’s better to deal with large quantities separately. Mix with a few lawn-clippings and place in sacks or plastic bin-liners pierced with some ventilation holes. Store the sacks in an out-of-the-way corner of the garden. Around this time next year, the leaves will have broken down into a rich, crumbly compost.

When they have lost their leaves, it’s easier to spot and deal with dead or diseased branches on deciduous trees and shrubs. If you are worried about the safety of large, overhanging branches ask the opinion of a tree expert before winter gales arrive.

After clearing most of the leaves, it’s time to tend the lawn. As growth slows down mow it less frequently and raise the cutting height a little. Scarify the lawn by giving it a good rake to remove dead grass and any moss. Then spike all over with a garden fork, lifting the turf slightly as you do so. This will allow oxygen to get into the compacted soil, encourage deeper root growth and improve drainage. If you have a large lawn and don’t relish the prospect of doing this work by hand, you can hire machines to do both jobs. Finish off with an application of lawn fertiliser, making sure you’ve selected an autumn mix that will nourish without promoting rapid growth.

Caring for Tender Plants
If you have any tender plants that you want to overwinter, be sure to pot them up and move them into a greenhouse or conservatory before the first frosts. The biggest danger to hardier plants left outside in containers is that their roots will freeze. Try insulating pots by wrapping them with several layers of bubblewrap or horticultural fleece.

Plants that are not completely hardy but are left in the ground can be protected with a 10-15 cm layer of dry leaves, bracken, straw or bark chippings.

Dropping Temperatures
As temperatures drop, many plants will begin to die down. Remove dead annuals completely and cut down unsightly dead material on perennial plants. But don’t use the shears and secateurs too eagerly. Many plants, such as ornamental grasses and those with unusual seedpods can still look attractive, especially when sparkling with frost. Another reason to leave on the dead flowers of mophead hydrangeas is that they protect the tender buds that will produce next year’s flowers.

Strong winds and heavy rain often do more damage than snow and frost. Make sure climbers are securely tied to their supports and check that tree stakes are still firm. If strong winds are a particular problem in your garden consider making temporary windscreens with netting or hessian stretched between posts, especially around evergreens and newly planted shrubs. Don’t put up solid barriers as these can cause even more wind turbulence.

Garden Repairs
Once the summer foliage has died down, the garden’s hard landscaping becomes more noticeable and is often easier to reach. Check your boundaries, paved areas, raised flowerbeds and screens. A simple repair to a damaged fence panel now could save you having to replace the whole thing after it has failed to stand up to a winter storm. Small cracks in concrete or brickwork will only get worse after hard frosts, and those wobbly paving slabs you’ve been meaning to fix all summer could be much more dangerous when they’re covered with snow.

Pond Life
If you have a pond, remove dead foliage from aquatic plants along with as many fallen leaves as you can. Ice will be your biggest problem. If the whole surface of the pond freezes, the pressure of the expanding ice can damage the walls. Fish can survive the cold, but they can be killed by poisonous gases such as methane and hydrogen sulphide that become trapped under a layer of ice.

One solution is to buy an electric heater designed to float on the surface of the pond. It only needs to be switched on when there is a risk of ice forming and it will keep a large enough hole open to enable gases to escape. Moving water freezes less easily than still, so keeping a fountain running will have the same effect.

If the pond does freeze over completely don’t be tempted to smash the ice if you have fish; the shock waves can kill them. Standing a pan of hot water on the ice will melt a hole and then you can siphon out some water to leave an air gap between the ice and water.

Retire to the Shed
When bad weather prevents work outside, retire to the shed or garage and give a little attention to your tools. Clean and oil metal parts and give wooden handles a wipe with a cloth dipped in linseed oil. Now is a good time to have the lawnmower serviced.

Finally, settle down indoors with seed and plant catalogues and begin to make plans for next year!

Professional Landscape Gardeners Can Save You Money

‘How much will it cost?’ That is the first question most people ask when considering whether or not to hire a landscape gardener. If you want to create a new garden or re-design an existing one, wouldn’t it be much cheaper to do the job yourself?

The answer is: not always. When you add it all up, using an expert can actually save you money. Here are some reasons why:

No hidden extras
A good landscape gardener will give you a free, detailed written quotation so you know exactly what the final bill will be. It’s not so easy to estimate the total cost of a DIY project. When buying materials (fencing, paving slabs, turf etc.) be sure to read the price lists carefully. Some suppliers add VAT on as a separate item, which can come as a nasty surprise if you’ve forgotten to include it in your calculations. If you are not able to collect heavy or bulky materials you will also have to pay delivery charges. And what about tools? Unless you already have all the tools you need, you will have to buy or hire them.

No costly mistakes
A professional gardener has years of experience and knows what works – and what doesn’t. After spending time with you to understand your needs, and doing a survey of your garden, he will formulate a plan to create the garden you want in the quickest and most efficient way. He will do his best to incorporate your ideas, but will also point out potential problems you might not have noticed, and suggest solutions you hadn’t thought of.

Lasting value
A reputable landscape gardener takes pride in his work. He knows that a satisfied client is likely to recommend him to other people, and the quickest way to lose business is by charging exorbitant prices for shoddy work. Skimping on materials or labour is always false economy. For example, a fence made from good-quality timber and properly fixed to firm posts will retain its strength and good looks for many years. A cheaper alternative will soon be damaged by wind and rain and need to be replaced.

An asset for the future
A well-designed, easy to manage garden will provide you, your family and guests with an attractive place where you can relax, play and enjoy all the benefits of outdoor living for years to come. It will also add value to your home, and make it easier to sell, should you ever decide to move elsewhere.

Summer Gardening Tips

Here is my pick of the tips for a healthy looking summer garden that you and your guests won’t fail to enjoy:

Colour burst
Make sure you turn any containers or hanging baskets to ensure they get equal exposure and bloom all round!

Keep annuals flowering by frequently watering and feeding with a plant food rich in potassium; and don’t forget to keep up with the deadheading!

Watering Well
Make watering a priority to keep your plants healthy. Use saucers under your pots to improve efficiency and cut the need for watering by adding water-retaining gel or granules to the compost or by mulching the soil.

Green, Green Grass
To keep your lawn green, thoroughly water it occasionally, but give it a little water on a regular basis. Using a fork to spike the grass will help the water to get through to the roots. And don’t forget to raise the cutting height of your mower blades! Mow your lawn too short and you’ll end up with moss and weeds.

Hearty Herbs
Herbs are at their best during the summer emitting the very best scent and flavour. Cut them and freeze within ice cubes so they can be added to dishes straight from the freezer all year round.

Prune and Prepare
Prune early flowering shrubs and climbers immediately after they flower so that new growth is encouraged and you will be all set to enjoy an abundance of flowers next year.

Garden Landscaping Tips: Two for Today

Here are two garden landscaping tips for today:

Tip One: How does the garden look from inside the house?

If you are considering landscaping your garden, take some time to think about how your plans will look when viewed from the inside of your house looking out, as well as how the garden will look when you are outside. Try to achieve a design that will enhance both views.

Tip Two: Think before you plant!

When planting, think about the special conditions of your area. In certain areas you will need to choose plants according to the soil type. If your garden tends to be quite boggy, opt for plants that thrive in lots of water. If you are in a clay soil area, don’t choose plants that need good drainage; and if you are in an area where wildlife is abundant and your garden is regularly visited by deer, choose plants that are known to be deer-resistant such as Geraniums or Lily of the Valley.