Plants make great gifts
Plants make great gifts
Once your pots, window boxes and hanging baskets are empty of last summer’s flowers, create some wonderful winter cheer by replanting for winter and early spring. Strategically placed at key viewpoints from indoors and at frequently used entrances, even just one or two containers will be a real mood-boost through the darkest months.
The range of plants for pots available to buy has widened enormously compared to just a few years ago. Plants with attractively coloured foliage in a wealth of colours and shapes offer tremendous variety and many are now sold in small pots, perfect for putting together a mixed display in a container. Combine slender-leaved evergreen ornamental grasses like bronze-brown or golden Carex or airy pony-tail grass (Stipa tenuissima), with large-leaved perennial Heuchera in a wealth of colours from orange and pewter to darkest purple, along with small evergreen shrubs like Euonymus, Phormium, Rosemary and Box, or the unusual spiral-stemmed corkscrew rush (Juncus effusus Spiralis). Add flowers for seasonal colour: flowering bedding plants are dominated by miniature cyclamen and violas, which do great in sheltered spots or favourable winters, but are likely to take a breather from blooming in periods of harsh weather. Not so with heathers, long overlooked and well overdue for a revival. The winter-flowering species Erica carnea and E. x darleyensis bloom for months from mid-winter onwards, while bud-blooming varieties of heath (Calluna vulgaris) are longest-lasting of all, as the coloured buds last for months from autumn. Beneath all these plants, tuck in clusters of small bulbs like crocus, miniature iris and dwarf narcissi, to welcome in the spring.
Plants make very little growth over winter so mass them close together for the best effects. Dormant growth also gives some great opportunities to ‘cheat’ and use cut stems in containers. Prune brightly coloured young growth from dogwoods or shrubby willows, and insert them in large, deep pots of soil to look like established plants. Or, for a festive touch, use stems of silver birch, or contorted hazel or willow, sprayed silver or gold, then decorated with baubles and fairy lights.
Choosing and caring for indoor plants
Houseplants have rocketed in popularity in recent years and make excellent Christmas gifts too. But our homes can be hostile places for plants, so do check their preference for growing conditions, particularly the amount of light, and temperature. Consider humidity too, as the air in centrally heated rooms can be far too dry for many plants, making leaves shrivel or go brown at the edges. It really helps to boost humidity by standing plants on pebble-filled saucers of water (ensuring roots are above, but not in, the water), and misting frequently with a hand sprayer.
Winter is the season when many plants succumb due to incorrect watering - alas. Decorative potholders are partly guilty here, as it’s easy not to notice that a plant is sitting in a puddle for days, weeks, or until it collapses and dies! When in doubt, stick a finger in the compost to test the moisture level, or lift the pot to feel whether it’s light and dry, or heavy and wet. To really treat your plants, rather than tap water use rainwater, left for several hours first to come up to room temperature. Feeding is only needed for plants in flower: otherwise, wait until spring.
To keep plants in good health, regularly pick off faded or dead leaves and flowers as these can be a source of disease. Keep a close eye out for signs of pests – small infestations of mealy bug, for example (which looks like tufts of white cotton wool) can be dealt with by hand, rather than having to resort to stronger measure. Do make sure any plants you buy are healthy and come from a reputable source, so you’re not unintentionally bringing problems into your home.
Seasonal gardening jobs and tips
Rejuvenate overgrown deciduous shrubs using the ‘one in 3’ pruning method. Take out a third of the oldest branches close to the ground, and then repeat in future years.
Sow sweet pea seeds to enjoy sturdy plants and early flowers next year. Pre-soak before sowing in deep pots (or toilet roll inners) in warmth, then move outside and protect with a cloche or cold frame for the winter.
Hardwood cuttings are a super-easy way to propagate many deciduous shrubs from healthy shoots of this year’s growth. Take cuttings 23-30cm long, insert the lower two-thirds in good, well-drained soil, firm in, and simply leave for a few months.
Stuck for gift ideas? The RHS has released tickets for next year’s flower shows including Malvern, Chelsea, and Hampton Court. www.rhs.org.uk
A new nationwide garden-share scheme aims to match people who live in homes and flats with little to no garden to love at all, with owners of large gardens who can no longer look after them. People without gardens and garden owners can find a ‘Patch-Match’ and garden-share at www.lendandtend.com
By Sue Fisher
Sue continues to be available for garden advisory visits and design work, operating according to Covid-19 social distancing guidelines. Contact Sue on 01822 841895 or email at suefisher@talktalk.net. Website: suefishergardens.co.uk