Garden Checklist & Merry Christmas!

Good Morning!
Even though it's the Festive season there are still little things you can be doing in the garden.
Oh and I know this post is a day late ... let's blame it on the festivities lol

1. Planting - The ground is still warm due to the unseasonal weather so you still have chance to plant or relocate any shrubs, roses, trees and hedges. This is also a good chance to check any plants that are currently needing support if you are experiencing windy weather too!

2. Winter Pruning - If your looking for a few jobs to do this side of Christmas then giving your Acers, Birches and Vines a prune is a good thing to do! Pruning will allow you to to create shape and get rid of any dead bits.

3. Summer Flowering Bulbs  - I know that Summer is the last thing on everyone's minds with Christmas in just a few days, but why not start deciding which Summer flowering bulbs
(such as Dahlia's and Gladioli) that you'd like next year whilst the widest choice is available. 

Also if you haven't done so already, order next years seeds!
The sowing season will soon be upon us!

Dahlia 'Cafe Au Lait' from my garden in 2014

4. Lawns - Keep off your lawns in frost and wet weather as walking over the grass can damage the grass and result in unsightly patches.

5. Greenhouse - With the extremely mild weather, Botrytis (Grey Mould) can be more of a problem undercover in GH's that have insulation as ventilation isn't as good as when your GH isn't insulated. Make sure you check your plants daily, I have been finding newly affected plant material each time I take a look and remove any of the diseased material straight away. When watering make sure you do it sparingly and try not to catch any of the plants foliage to limit infection.

6. Climbing Plants - Plants such as Ivy, Virginia Creeper and other climbers that are growing on houses can have a little trim if they are approaching windows and guttering. Also check that Climbers elsewhere in the garden are tied into their supports.

7. Autumn / Winter Bedding - Check over any bedding that you have for signs that it is past it's best. Most of my Viola's were looking tired and had caught Black Spot this week so it was time to transfer them to the compost bin! Replace any tired plants with fresh bedding or winter flowering shrubs ... a perfect excuse for a trip to the garden centre! 

As mentioned in my last checklist Primroses can be instantly cheered up by removing fading / discoloured leaves and dead - heading. 

8. Clean Up - Finally if you don't have any of these jobs above to do, keep up with clearing any fallen leaves on lawns and ponds to reduce the spread of disease and give any dirty pots and trays a good clean, it's not the most exciting job but when it comes to sowing seeds and potting on next year good plant hygiene is a must for successful growing!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
For as long as you keep reading I shall be back with the Checklist & Problem Area posts next year along with some more snaps of my Garden, Plants and other Gardening topics next year ... 

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
I hope you all remembered to set your clock back an hour last night! The nights are drawing in and time in the garden is now going to be reduced, but there are still a few things you can be getting on with!

1. Ponds - Remove any dead or dying foliage on pond plants this coming week. If it is left it will rot down into the pond leading to high nitrogen levels, which can encourage blanketweed and algea next Spring. Cut back all falling stems but make sure you do not cut below the water line.
You will also need to remove any annual surface cover plants along with any fallen leaves and keep checking that the water level is at the correct height for your plants over the Winter months.

2. Planting - There's still time to get any evergreen shrubs, hedges and Spring Bedding planted into the ground.

3. Weed Seedlings- Keep on top of any weed seedlings that you spot in your garden, it's best to catch them when they're small as they are much easier to remove then.

4. Display - If you haven't done so already, make a start on your Winter Pot displays! Some bright pops of colour are most welcome in the coming months.

5. Auriculas - If like me you are growing Auriculas you will have noticed over the past few weeks that the leaves are looking a little tatty. Remove any dead or yellow leaves from the plants, make sure you remove the whole leaf from it's base. If a part is left, it can lead to problems with disease.

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Autumn Colours ...

Good Morning!

Today's post is all about the colours of the season, we are well into Autumn now and there's still plenty of colour around. Why not bring it into your home like I have? Although my Chrysanthemums suffered from white rust there were still some lovely blooms that I could use which I teamed with some Heuchera flowers.

There's also still plenty of plants that can give you instant colour right now. Heuchera's are one of my favourites and provide colour all year round. Here I have used 'Plum Pudding' along with an unknown Hebe I got in a buy 1 get 1 free offer and some White Viola's. 

Next to the pot is another Heuchera called 'Marmalade' which has a wonderful leaf colour with a pink underside.

As you can see here the pots fit in well with my others near the conservatory and are certainly providing lot's of colour! 

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

It's Monday so it is time for another Weekly Garden Checklist. 

Incase this is the first time you have seen this particular themed post, it's a quick list of jobs you can be doing in the garden this week.

Let's get started!

1. Aerate Lawns - Lawns may not be looking at their best at the moment, well mine certainly isn't due to the recent rainfall. To help aid drainage aerate the lawn with a Garden Fork.

2. Old Bedding  - The majority of Summer Bedding will be looking rather tired by now, why not spruce up your pots with some fresh Autumn / Winter Bedding.

3. Plant - October (I know it's not technically until tomorrow but hey ho) is a good time to plant new Fruit as it gives it time to get established in the warmer soil before Winter.

4. Top Dress - If your plants have developed a lean and the visable soil doesn't look too appealing, simply top dress with some Horticultural Grit. I also like to add a fresh layer of compost before adding the grit just to give the plant some fresh nutrients. It only takes a minute and the finished look is a lot nicer.

5. Leaves - Keep on top of collecting Autumn Leaves, try to do this at least once a week. If the leaves are left they can smother young plants and cause lawns to turn yellow underneath.

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Autumn Planting Onions & Garlic ...

Good Morning!

On Monday's Checklist one of the points was to plant Onions & Garlic. Well this is something I have done myself this week and I thought some of you might like to see how to do it if planning to do so yourselves. 

This is my first year doing this so it'l be interesting to see how they turn out, and apparently Red Onions are one of the easiest to bolt, but at least if that does happen I can say I tried!

I have used Garlic - Macro and Red Onion - Electric.

When planting it's always a good idea not to plant these in the same place as you have done so previously with them or Leeks. I have planted mine just to the side of where my Leeks were so fingers crossed they'll be okay! Ideally I would have done them at the opposite side of the Raised Bed but that is currently taken up.

When planting make sure you go over the soil and remove any weeds first. Using a Bamboo cane mark out a line or a drill as it also known to mark where you would like to plant them.

To start off with I am planting my Garlic which needs to be 1 inch deep and with 4 inches between them. Position them so the pointy end is facing upwards.

I then marked out a 5 inch space along and repeated the process with the Bamboo cane, planting my Onions also at 1 inch deep but spaced 5 inches apart this time. I have also heard that some people like to plant them with the tips showing, so it'l be good to see how the technique I've tried turns out.

TIP - Label your bulbs with the name and variety before you spread the soil back over. That way you will know exactly where they are.

Water the soil and make sure it kept moist for the following few days, also check that the soil hasn't been disturbed by pesky birds, replacing any if you need to.

I hope you have found this helpful!

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

It's Monday so it is time for another Weekly Garden Checklist. 

Incase this is the first time you have seen this particular themed post, it's a quick list of jobs you can be doing in the garden this week.

Let's get started!

1. Botrytis - Check for Botyrytis or Grey Mould as you may know it by on your plants. With the warm yet damp weather this will spread easily amongst plants if not checked. Simply remove affected leaves as soon as you spot them.

2. Divide  - Now is the time to divide your perennials, not only does it help stop the plant become congested but you also get free extra plants! Tease the roots apart with two garden forks (pushed in the opposite direction) for large clusters.

3. Rose Cuttings - Take cuttings of your favourite roses now. You need a healthy shoot about 20-25cm long and cut it on a diagonal just above a bud. Place the cutting into the ground and leave for about 18 months, which by then the cutting should have developed a root system.

4. Clean the GH - If your GH is looking a bit empty and your ready to start bringing tender plants back in, make sure you give the GH a good wash, inside and out. This will help rid of any pests that have made themselves comfy during the summer months. Also don't forget to check the plants when bringing under cover so that you don't bring anything in!

5. Onions & Garlic - Now is the time to get Autumn planting Garlic & Onions planted! Just make sure you don't plant your Garlic in the same place as Leeks if you have grown them recently. 

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX