LATE WINTER GARDENING

Getting outdoors and active in the garden brings with it a multitude of benefits – not only to the garden!

Gardens offer the perfect opportunity to get outdoors and active: at home, by renting an allotment, or by becoming involved as a volunteer in projects such as community and school gardens or open gardens run by charitable organisations. The health benefits of gardening are many and varied: studies have demonstrated that physically, a good bout of gardening equals going to the gym, jogging or swimming, whilst also enhancing mental well-being in a wealth of ways. Gardening is an activity that stretches across every age group, although research shows that with the passing of the years, managing a garden has the potential to become a burden as well as a benefit. Gardens often need to evolve over the years, especially when the amount of maintenance becomes an issue, but there are plenty of ways to make an area more manageable whilst still having a wonderful space and lots of plants to enjoy. Borders can be adapted and re-planted for minimal maintenance: not just the more obvious replacement of annuals and bedding for long-lived plants, but selecting easy-care varieties too that won’t need staking or protection from pests. Veg and fruit can be cultivated on a no-dig bed system, either at ground level, or raised up if bending is tricky. Lawns can be re-shaped, reduced, even replaced, where mowing is an issue. And don’t forget to include permanent and weather-proof seats where you can take a break and admire the results of your labours.

Seasonal jobs

• Cut back all old foliage on evergreen perennials such as Hellebores and epimediums, so it doesn’t hide and detract from the new blooms.
• It’s the last chance of the season to order bare rooted plants like trees, shrubs, fruit bushes and roses, which are lifted and despatched whilst dormant.
• Check autumnplanted stock as roots often become loosened by the wind: re-firm if necessary and make sure any stakes and ties are secure, as loose ones can rub and cause damage.
• Wooden garden structures like fences, trellis and posts that are in need of treating should be done as soon as weather permits, before plants burst into growth and get in the way.
• Weeds: the blighters simply haven’t stopped growing this winter. If you don’t have a good hoe, buy one now.

Looking good

Winter flowers. Shrubs that bloom in this season are relatively few in number and far less showy than summers’ abundance, but make up for it with heavenly scents. Easy to grow shrubs include sweet box (Sarcococca); winter honeysuckles (Lonicera fragrantissima, L. x purpusii) and Viburnum bodnantense.

Early bulbs. These harbingers of spring lift the spirits immeasurably after gloomy winter days. Glistening white snowdrops and golden winter aconites are first to appear, followed by crocus and the earliest narcissi.

Perennials. Many shade-tolerant perennials bloom early in the year, so as to flower and set seed before they’re shaded out by trees and shrubs overhead. Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis) is my favourite with saucer-shaped blooms in shades of pink, purple and white, along with Pulmonaria in blue, pink or white. Elephants ears (Bergenia) is so called for its large, rounded leaves and some varieties develop colourful winter foliage as well as flowers.

SUE’S TOP TIPS

Thrifty. Make lots of plants for free by dividing your own perennials, maybe swapping with gardening friends to add variety too. Simply dig up good-sized plants, split into chunks to replant and discard the old, woody centre. Ornamental grasses can be divided too, but they don’t like being disturbed until spring.

Wildlife. Plant a selection of early-flowering bulbs and perennials: the nectar-rich blooms are life-savers for bees, butterflies and other insects that emerge from hibernation desperate for food. Put out fresh water for birds: it’s vital for bathing as well as drinking, to keep feathers in prime condition. A bird bath makes an attractive feature, but they’ll be quite happy with dishes or an upturned dustbin lid. Refresh regularly and clean dishes weekly – use hot water only, no detergent.

‘Green’. Go easy on the mower and allow part of your lawn to become a meadow, cutting once in summer and once in autumn. To make it obvious that the effect is intentional, mow regularly round the edges and cut a meandering path through the middle. Because grass will out-perform wild flowers, remove the clippings to reduce soil fertility which then slows grass growth.

Time saving. Get organised before the spring seed-sowing period starts in earnest. Order seed catalogues, decide what you’re going to grow and place your orders in plenty of time. Everyone has their favourite suppliers: mine are Chiltern Seeds for unusuals, Thompson & Morgan for flowers and veg, Marshalls for more veg and Unwins for sweet peas. Sort out and wash old pots and seed trays and check stocks of labels, compost or other sundries.

Favourite plant: Daphne bholua. Scent, style and wildlife appeal: this elegant shrub has it all. Tall-growing and upright, bearing clusters of pink-white blooms from midwinter into spring and evergreen in mild winters. Bees adore the flowers and mine was still abuzz just before Christmas. Though like all daphnes it does need the right growing conditions: shelter, sun, and soil that is reasonably fertile and well-drained. Not cheap, either, but worth it. If you can’t find this variety, spring-flowering Daphne odora is also a delight.

Sue Fisher is a garden designer and writer based on the Bere Peninsula. Tel 01822 841895. Email: suefisher@talktalk.net Website: www.suefishergardens.co.uk